It seems like every time you turn around, there's a new restaurant going into a neighborhood in Dubai. As this cosmopolitan city continues to reinvent itself, all sorts of chains and independent restaurants are targeting customers in the area, with renowned chefs and established restaurateurs sinking a lot of money and effort into serving customers. But how do these restaurants get their start? Read More »

In what could be considered a historic trade move, the Israeli government has opened the door to exporting natural gas resources to Egypt. However, there are several obstacles to the deal and it's likely that a finalized trade agreement will take some time. A Reuters press release said the Israeli government is planning to sell 5 billion cubic meters of gas to Egypt over a period of seven years. Read More »

At Education City in Qatar, locals can get a degree from schools such as Northwestern, Georgetown, Texas A&M, Virginia Commonwealth and Cornell, all without ever taking a trans-atlantic flight. Read More »

As part of Saudi Arabia's bold new plan to modernize the kingdom, known as Vision 2030, the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) is taking steps to identify sites for renewable energy projects within the country. Some cast the new focus on renewable energy as part of a plan to diversify the economy, while others see it as a move to improve the environment and combat global warming. Read More »

Will Kuwait be able to take a bite out of a budget gap by setting higher prices at the pump? Kuwait Ministry of Finance Assistant Undersecretary for General Accounting Abdul-Jaffar Al-Awadi recently revealed a total budget deficit of approximately $7.9 million for the first quarter of the fiscal year. He also noted a move by national leaders who plan to increase fuel prices. Read More »

As UAE leaders continue to highlight different initiatives for international partnerships to boost the national economy, officials from the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry's international office in Azerbaijan visited Russia to promote collaboration there. Dubai Chamber said recently it participated in a Russian trade event called Innoprom 2016 in Yekaterinburg. Read More »

New research in the desert of Qatar is helping scientists understand more about future space exploration. Reports from July show scientists operating an Audi Lunar Quattro in Qatar’s Zekreet Desert. The project is part of a competition for the Google X Prize, where the first group able to travel 500 meters on the moon and bring home the proof will win $20 million. Read More »

A joint project between two defense firms is helping the United Arab Emirates acquire specific kinds of artillery for their military forces. In May, BAE Systems and Abu Dhabi's Emirates Defense Technology (EDT) announced plans to develop an artillery system involving the M777 155 mm lightweight howitzer. The howitzer would be integrated with an armored modular fighting vehicle. Read More »

Experts in the Middle East are projecting the construction of over 50,000 new schools in the region by 2020. But in an August press release, officials from the International and Private Schools Education Forum (IPSEF) say demand will outstrip planned building by around 7,000, with 41,000 schools already slated for construction. Read More »

In a global market, the types of exports are constantly changing, and some in the Gulf region are predicting larger volumes of halal food and consumer goods may be exported from India, with halal production being promoted as a way to set a quality standard. Haji Shakeel Qureshi, chairman of the India exporting firm Marya Day Group, is working on more public awareness of halal around the world. Read More »

Under the pressure of historically low oil prices, Gulf countries are turning to the bond market and borrowing to keep deficits under control. A Morningstar report, and other financial releases, shows the extent of borrowing by countries such as Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar as officials in those countries weigh the long-term impact of cheaper oil. Read More »

As practicing Muslims ended the Ramadan holiday at Eid al-Fitr, communities around the world enjoyed feast days and celebrations and started the process of getting things back to normal after the fast season. At the same time, the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah (RAK) saw amazing growth in visitor traffic and hospitality demand during Eid al-Fitr. Read More »

Finding a job can be hard all over the world - now, a leading advertising company in the UAE has created an online platform that can make life a lot easier for job applicants in that nation. With dubizzle’s new applicant dashboard, those who are applying for jobs can monitor their efforts and stay more knowledgeable about how their resumes and cover letters have been received. Read More »

Qatar has come under fire with criticism from human rights groups about its labor laws in general and the policies of the national Qatar Airways airline in particular. Documents released from the U.N. International Labor Organization (ILO) are telling the story in a bit of a more detailed way. A document released earlier this year analyzes the behaviors of the Qatar government. Read More »

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Justice, along with its official Shoura Councils, seems to be moving in the direction of creating a codified personal status law for the first time in that country's history. As of late July the new law was reportedly being prepared with the participation of various human rights groups and the national Family Security Program. The new law will cover issues such as proof of marriage, divorce, custody rights, alimony and inheritance, as well as other legal issues. Read More »

In the Middle East, where banks and financial companies are going through rapid modernization processes, some regional conferences and industry meetings are reinforcing these concepts by helping banks and other commercial businesses brainstorm about where to take their models in the coming years, as technologies like Blockchain continue to evolve, and digital payment technologies keep coming up like daisies. Read More »

A full-service marketing company called Langoor has arrived in the city of Dubai, looking to invest $1 million AED in a local office bent on delivering more return on investment for business clients. Langoor has installed Rebecca Jacobsson as head of client services at the Dubai office, as well as bringing other resources to bear on a central cosmopolitan city that's become a leader in the Middle Eastern region. Read More »

Faster broadband speeds are coming to Lebanon as consumers get ready for the country’s first 4G LTE-Advanced network. The new network offers download speeds up to approximately 260 Mb per second, combining multiple spectrums in order to improve efficiency. Read More »

Big commercial improvements in the city of Dubai have been generating a lot of headlines, but now industry leaders are suggesting that investors should be paying attention to residential real estate as well. Read More »

To many, the city of Dubai is a mysterious place: a global commercial hub, a center of cosmopolitan life in the region and a city having an impressive skyline that speaks loudly about money. Charlie Raymond is a British citizen who decided to travel the world, visiting many places and ending up in Dubai at a tumultuous time for world economics - in the middle of a major economic crash. Read More »