Economics and Policy
Syria hopes to clinch more financial aid from its allies Russia and Iran soon, but still has enough foreign reserves to pursue its war on rebels trying to oust President Bashar Assad, the central bank governor said.
Oman’s central bank plans to issue rules to boost lending to small and medium-sized firms, its chief said on Wednesday, in a new move to help bring unemployment down in the sultanate.
The 1,000-year-old minaret of Aleppo's Umayyad Mosque has collapsed in clashes between Syrian rebels and forces loyal to president Bashar al-Assad, activists and state media said.
Business and Companies
Two Lebanese currency exchange firms accused of money laundering by the United States Treasury Department have vehemently denied the allegations, saying they were considering legal action to clear their names.
A consortium led by Abu Dhabi-backed asset management firm Carlyle Group has acquired US financial advisory Duff & Phelps for $665.5m in an all-cash transaction.
Bahrain's Ahli United Bank posted a big jump in first-quarter net profit on Wednesday as its earnings were boosted by a one-time gain from the sale of a stake in a Qatari associate.
Dubai-based builder Arabtec will buy the 45 per cent of Emirates Falcon Electromechanical Co (EFECO) it does not already own for $45 million as it expands into affordable housing projects, two sources with knowledge of the deal said.
Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank by market value, on Thursday said its first-quarter net profit rose 31 per cent, beating the average forecast of analysts.
