The Qatar Investment Authority, Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, made a sizable investment last month in a real estate investment trust with assets that include the Empire State Building in New York. The move has generated some rather mild national press, but it is attracting scrutiny from some who have questions about this kind of foreign investment in U.S. infrastructure. Read More »

A gorgeous apartment with an even more gorgeous view is available in Lagoona at Zig Zag Towers and is listed at $439,536. This 1,033-square-foot apartment  features a fully-equipped kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms and floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Doha and the West Bay Lagoon. There also are built-in wardrobes in each of the bedrooms and in the living room area. Read More »

Smoothie King is expanding into the Middle East with the opening of its first Dubai location on Thursday. Through a partnership with Al Ghurair Retail, Smoothie King is opening at the BurJuman Shopping District to serve nutritional smoothies. The Dubai location moves Smoothie King closer to its goal of surpassing 1,000 locations by the end of next year. Read More »

In an attempt to stabilize its national economy, Bahrain is reaching out to the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development with financing agreements for over $1 billion for infrastructure and housing projects. Along with pursuing financing, Bahrain’s leadership is also amping up its solar program.What role will renewables play in the new economies of the GCC nations with oil below $50 a barrel? Read More »

IST Networks, a leading Middle East systems integrator headquartered in Egypt, is partnering with Entersekt, an innovator in mobile-enabled digital banking security, to provide Entersekt’s Transakt technology to banks and other businesses in the region. Transakt is an authentication product that keeps an app safe and protects users from phishing and other attacks. Read More »

A gorgeous villa with a swimming pool and private backyard is available in Saar and being listed by River West Properties for $1.59 million. The large villa offers 10,763 square feet of living space, and it is offered with all furnishings. There are six bedrooms, each with en suite bathrooms, a maid's room and two other bathrooms in the independent villa. Read More »

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) is organizing the second Sharjah FDI Forum, titled "Sharjah FDI: The Gateway to the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia," for Sept. 28-29. The forum is designed to analyze the economic conditions dominant in Sharjah and the UAE and assess the possible opportunities that stem from them. Read More »

Dubai Health Authority (DHA) recently approved requirements to qualify for its new Sponsoring Emiratis in the Medical Sector program. DHA created the program last month to encourage Emiratis to enter the medical field by covering all of their education fees and ensuring that will have jobs at hospitals and clinics after graduation. Read More »

In Qatar, a company with ties to the government is looking to invest in solar energy in a big way as part of a larger trend toward renewables and away from oil. News reports this month said the company, Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTech) is working with the German companies SolarWorld and Centrotherm Photovoltaics AG to roll out more impressive arrays of solar panels. Read More »

Panasonic Avionics and Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly explore better broadband connectivity solutions across the Middle East. Paul Margis, president and CEO for Panasonic Avionics, said he believes the partnership provides a unique opportunity to develop state-of-the-art satellite communications around the Middle East. Read More »

The telecommunication sector in the Middle East offers lucrative business opportunities, and many companies are vying to gain a substantial market share by introducing innovative technologies. The latest example of this trend is the entry of India’s leading mobile technology service provider, mCarbon, to the Middle East market by establishing its headquarters in Dubai. Read More »

Qatar Airways has been named the official airline sponsor of the 2016 Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships to be held Oct. 9-16 in Doha. Qatar Airways will provide competitors with flights to Doha in addition to transporting high-performance road bikes to Qatar's capital through the airline's air cargo service. The competition will feature racers from 75 countries. Read More »

Dubai-based Omniyat said its flagship One Palm project, located on the left trunk of Palm Jumeirah, reached level three of its cores build. First level slabs are completed, and slabs should be up to level 15 by the end of the year. This will make the complex taller than neighboring developments. Omniyat plans to have the 910,000-square-foot development be unlike anything else in Dubai. Read More »

A six-bedroom, eight-bathroom villa in Azaiba South is listed by Better Homes Real Estate for $675,324. The property features a large family hall, majlis, guest bedroom with ensuite bathroom and a fully outfitted kitchen, all on the ground floor. The first floor features three bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms and a second family hall. Read More »

The Central Bank of Bahrain has directed conventional and Islamic retail banks to provide a text messaging service to customers that alerts them to activity within their accounts. Read More »

Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid Al Khalifa recently met with Taher Jili, and the two discussed the positive relationship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Federal Republic of Somalia. Read More »

The monthly issue of the Sukuk Al-Salam Islamic securities, Sukuk Al-Salam, has been subscribed by 163 percent, as announced by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB). Read More »

A company in the Persian Gulf called Fathima Group is seeking to unveil seven new, superstore-style commercial structures with an investment of 200 million AED. Read More »

Approval through the Commission of Academic Accreditation (CAA) now allows Ajman University of Science and Technology to accept more students into the College of Dentistry. Read More »

A group of nine students from Belgrade in Serbia has completed the first phase of engineering training in the United Arab Emirates and will take on practical learning experiences with Etihad Airways Engineering. Read More »