TURN8, a seed accelerator initiative founded by DP World to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, has selected nine new startups for investment. The latest round follows a selection process to identify startups that have a promising business concept. Read More »

The Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) successfully installed its Unit 2 Steam Generators (SGs) at Barakah, another safe and on-time milestone in the development of the country’s first nuclear energy plant. Read More »

The market intelligence specialists at Ipreo are partnering with the UAE-based advisory and technology firm Iridium to offer Ipreo's full suite of corporate services in the Middle East’s markets. Read More »

Cold Stone Creamery announced that Apparel FZCO has been presented with the Superbrands Excellence in Branding Award for 2015, the second time it's won that honor. The company won Customer Service Awards in 2013 and 2014, deeming them the industry leader for customer service in the Middle East. Apparel FZCO opened its first Cold Stone Creamery in 2007 in Dubai Festival City. Read More »

Doha Bank will be the first issuer of UnionPay cards Qatar as it entered into a strategic relationship with UnionPay International during a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony Tuesday. The partnership will allow prospective cardholders to freely transact in more than 150 countries without worrying about restricted acceptance and unsatisfactory exchange rates. Read More »

EQS Group AG, the German digital corporate communications firm, has announced that it will be expanding into the Middle East by means of a new partnership with the Dubai-based investor relations advisory firm Iridium; this new partnership will give GCC access to the range of digital investor relations solutions that are offered by EQS Group. Read More »

Nakheel, the Dubai-based master developer, signed a second management agreement with UK-based Premier Inn for a 250- room hotel at the Dragon City mixed-use master development on Sept. 10. The Premier Inn-managed hotel, which will be one of two hotels at Dragon City, is expected to open in 2018. Nakheel is planning nine hotels across Dubai over the next five years. Read More »

Saraya Bandar Jissah, the company developing Oman`s luxurious Integrated Tourism Complex in Muscat, is teaming with Bank Muscat and BankDhofar to finance building the ITC property. The $275 million deal is one of Oman's largest real estate transactions in recent years. Under the terms, funding for the first phase of the ITC development will be financed to Saraya Bandar Jissah. Read More »

As part of its wider growth plans, Saudia Group, a Qatar-based supermarkets and hypermarkets conglomerate, is entering the UAE market with the opening of Kenz Hypermarket in Ajman. Located in Hamidiya, the new hypermarket will offer a range of products including food, home essentials and apparel. Kenz Hypermarket will be a one-stop shopping solution for residents in Ajman. Read More »

The board of directors of the Dubai Islamic Economy Development Center (DIEDC) plans to launch a digital Islamic economy portal, which is a first-of-its-kind initiative for the Islamic economy: the portal is being designed to serve as a global reference for the burgeoning Shariah-compliant economic sector; the center plans to develop the portal with Thomson Reuters. Read More »

Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC announced Tuesday its plans for the brand's expansion into five additional Gulf countries, complementing its existing presence in the United Arab Emirates. Within the next year, the brand's affiliate brokerage in the region, Gulf Sotheby's International Realty, is expected to enter Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Read More »

Compareit4me Group, which operates finance comparison websites across the Middle East, raised $3 million in venture capital funding that was led by STC Ventures, the venture capital arm of Saudi Telecom, with backing from Wamda Capital which is headed up by Aramex founder Fadi Ghandour and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority completing the investment group. Read More »

A new report published by Euromonitor International for The Leisure Show Dubai 2015 forecasts that theme park revenue in the United Arab Emirates will almost double by 2019 from $470 million to $837 million. Gulf News Journal sat with Phil Taylor, managing director of Dubai-based consultancy Team Leisure LLC, who will discuss “Dubai Theme Parks: Boom or Bust?” Read More »

Dominovas Energy Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding with Al-Rushaid Technologies to pursue common business interests, strategies and approaches for establishing a profitable working relationship concerning their collective business mandates. Opportunities initially identified by the companies to develop include power companies, oil companies and vehicle financing. Read More »

Crowdfunding has become a popular way for new businesses to show proof of concept and garner community support for their product, but the service doesn’t work as well for small and medium enterprises. We sat with Eureeca co-founder Sam Quawasm to talk to him about the value of crowd investing, and what it means for the startup community in the Gulf region. Read More »

A brand new, one-bedroom apartment in Remraam is now available. This 668-square-foot apartment features a balcony and plenty of storage. For those who enjoy cooking and being in the kitchen, but also enjoy entertaining and socializing, the open kitchen is a huge plus. It features light-colored tile backsplashes and dark wood cabinetry with granite countertops. Read More »

An opportunity to live in Dubai’s International Media Production Zone is here. Engel and Voelkers has listed a vacant one-bedroom, two-bath apartment on a lower level of Tower D. This 676-square-foot apartment is situated on a lower level and is available for just $182,413. Large windows bring in lots of light, while an extremely open floor plan allows for easy movement. Read More »

A unique corner apartment is available on the ground floor of the Almeria North building in the complex known as The Wave Muscat. The 2,152-square-foot apartment offers three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and built-in wardrobes. The master suite includes a walk-in closet and bathroom, separate shower and double vanity unit. A bidet and water closet are also featured. Read More »

The Muslim population is rapidly increasing, and is expected to grow to 26.5 percent of the global population by 2030. This population segment offers one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Gulf News Journal spoke with Anas Kasak, chief marketing officer at CrescentRating, to find out more about the Muslim travel industry and its potential for the Gulf region. Read More »

Carpool Arabia, Dubai’s first private ride-sharing company, has secured its first round of funding and will use a $350,000 investment to create a mobile application. “We launched the platform and after a few months, 95 percent of the traffic was coming from people who want to commute from home to the office,” Benjamin de Terssac, co-founder of Carpool Arabia, said. Read More »