Economics and Policy
Power cuts in Lebanon's capital Beirut have risen to nine hours a day due to a crisis at the country's new energy barge.
Elsewhere in Lebanon, the World Bank has approved a $30 million soft loan aimed at supporting a government initiative to improve access to basic services in impoverished parts of the country.
Economic growth in the United Arab Emirates accelerated to 4.4 percent in inflation-adjusted terms in 2012 from a downwardly revised 3.9 percent the previous year as activity picked up across all sectors, its statistics office said.
Saudi crude exports fell to 7.42 million barrels per day (bpd) in March, 34,000 bpd less than in February, as Saudi power sector oil use rose and output edged lower, official figures released via the Joint Oil Data Initiative (JODI) show.
About 11,000 police officers and soldiers blocked an annual conference yesterday at Tunisia's main religious centre by a radical Islamist movement that has been implicated in attacks across the country.
Companies and Business
Thousands of workers employed by Dubai's largest construction firm, Arabtec, stayed away from work on Sunday to back wage demands, a rare labour protest in the Gulf emirate, where trade unions are banned, staff said.
Abu Dhabi developers Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate surged in heavy trading on Sunday, in what analysts say is overall positive market momentum.
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has replaced its chief executive and reshuffled its board after a unit was last month ordered to pay Dow Chemical US$2.5bn for a cancelled project.
