The McNally Bharat Engineering Company Ltd. joint venture firm won $315 million for a bitumen refinery project in Oman Thursday. Bitumen is a naturally occurring semi-solid form of petroleum that is highly sticky, black and viscous. Its most common use is as a component for road asphalt. In recent years, bitumen has seen increasing use as a refinable source of petroleum. Read More »

The Petrofac Academy, an institution dedicated to the professional development of Petrofac’s employees, graduated a record number of Omani graduates Oct. 5. About 30 young men and women are set to begin careers this month with the company -- an increase of about 40 percent from 2014. The milestone was recognized at an event attended by Sayyid Kamil bin Fahd bin Mahmoud Al Said. Read More »

United Kingdom and Qatar leaders gathered for the second meeting of the biannual Qatar-U.K. Sharaka bilateral dialogue Friday. The meeting, attended by Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood and Qatari Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Al Rumaihi, took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in London. Ellwood expressed what agreements Qatar and the U.K. came to during the meeting. Read More »

The Saudi Arabian Mining Company launched trial production at Ad Duwayhi gold mine Oct. 8. The mine is a chief component of the company’s plan to develop several new gold mine facilities in the central western region of Saudi Arabia. When running at full capacity, the mine is expected to produce 180,000 ounces of gold annually, bringing Ma'aden's gold production to 340,000 ounces. Read More »

Technology consulting and outsourcing provider Synechron will open the world’s first digital innovation center for banking, insurance and smart government initiatives. Acting as a hub for those who invest in the digital transformation of technology, the Synechron Digital Innovation Center (SDIC) will offer investors business success with access to a "retail branch experience."  Read More »

The StealthWatch System collects and analyzes network telemetry from existing routers, switches and firewalls to monitor network and user behaviors. It then performs sophisticated analytics on network data to detect abnormal behaviors that could signify attacks. The Lancope exhibition at the GITEX convention comes as the company continues to expand in the Middle East. Read More »

The Higher Organizing Committee of the 17th Arab Investors and Businessmen Conference (ABIC) will draw a wide variety of presenters and host a number of informative activities Nov. 16 to Nov. 17. Overseen by United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ABIC is in keeping with UAE's Vision 2021 strategy to boost foreign direct investment in the UAE. Read More »

BBK's Board of Directors released their financial results of the nine month period ending Sept. 30. The results showed a net profit of $40.3 million, an increase of 8 percent over last year's $37.3 million over the same period. The growth in net profits was primarily derived by fees and commission income, and by the end of the third quarter, it increased its provisions reserve. Read More »

With the opening of its Kuwait-based facility, Chest Diseases Hospital (CDH) has become the first endoscopic vessel harvesting (EVH) reference center outside of the United States. About 90 percent of vessels harvested in the United States are taken via EVH; however, now the Kuwait CDH facility will offer a combination of classroom lectures and hands-on training. Read More »

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation attended the Kuwait Oil and Gas Show (KOGS) 2015 Oct. 12 to 14, which showcased the capacity of the Indian oil and gas sector. During the event the company committed to reduce India's imports by 10 percent until 2020. Kuwait Minister of Oil Dr. Ali Saleh Al-Omair was responsible for opening the ONGC pavilion and echoed his nation's interest in India. Read More »

A possible Foreign Military Sale for UH-60M Black Hawk Utility Helicopters and associated equipment to Saudi Arabia was approved by the State Department of the United Sates Oct. 14. The total amount of the negotiation is approximately $495 million and is reportedly in line with the United State's interest to improve the security in the region. Saudi Arabia is a significant partner. Read More »

During an extended meeting between the Abu Dhabi Chamber officials and the Indian Trade Mission, the Chamber underscored the significance of partnership between Emirati and Indian industrial companies. Al-Rumaithi highlighted the Abu Dhabi Chamber's efforts to improve the commercial relationship between the two countries, and today, 30 Emirati companies hold investments in India. Read More »

The Dubai Airshow will be held Nov. 8 to Nov. 12 and present Qatar Airways' four new generation aircrafts: the Gulfstream G650ER, B787 Dreamliner, A380 aircraft. Gulfstream G650ER will be showcased on Nov. 8 and feature two cabins and 13 seats that can be turned into flat beds. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner can hold 22 guests in business class and 232 passengers in economy class. Read More »

American BBQ restaurant chain Famous Dave's will open its first franchise outside North America in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In a partnership with Tablez Food, Famous Dave's will open four restaurants in United Arab Emirates, with the first one expected to open in Abu Dhabi in 2016. Famous Dave's is the first BBQ restaurant to feature in Tablez Food's portfolio. Read More »

The American Middle East Institute convened in Pittsburgh for its eighth annual Health & Technology Forum with special segments on Doing Business in the Middle East and a featured presentation from Oman’s Minister of Health. The conference featured presenters from Algeria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Oman. It concluded with keynote remarks by CNN host and author Fareed Zakaria. Read More »

British Orchard Nursery, the UAE's chain of private preschools, was honored with two international awards in recognition of its groundbreaking and forward-thinking early childhood education practices. British Orchard won the Golden Peacock Global Award for Innovation Management and a European Assembly Socrates award in recognition of Intellectual Development of Society. Read More »

Mumtalakat named Benjo Vanlaarhoven as the new general manager for tourism company @bahrain Oct. 12. Benjo will be responsible for working with key stakeholders in the private and public sectors. Vanlaarhoven has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry and has played roles on corporate travels, managing corporate travel, leisure travel and MICE travels. Read More »

Ixtel is now responsible for providing video solutions for Qumu, enterprise video creators, in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait. Qumu is a platform that offers video content in a platform that features advanced video capabilities for enterprises and media companies. With the new partnership, the company expects to improve its productivity and efficiency. Read More »

Saudi Home Loans recently adopted 3i Infotech's mainline solutions to enhance the company’s business operations. SHL is now equipped with capabilities to manage internal systems, data management and human resource management. To accomplish that, SHL will be using 3i Infotech’s suite of advanced business softwares: ORION, KASTLE Universal Lending (ULS) and KASTLE Treasury. Read More »

Global Equity International Inc., a financial consultancy firm, partnered with the Middle East Prospect Exhibition (MEPEX) Oct. 14. As part of the deal, Global Equity International will act as the exclusive financial partner for MEPEX and oversee capital raising, advisory and public listings for all of the MEPEX participants. MEPEX aims to be a "one-stop shop." Read More »