U.S. Sen. John McCain recently called on President Barack Obama's administration to issue a strong response to Iran following the recent test firing of several rockets that came within 1,500 yards of American aircraft carriers in the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. military officials announced the incident Dec 26. No one was harmed, but the surprise test was seen as a provocative move. Read More »

Initiatives to fight poverty and illness, leadership initiatives and community empowerment programs were among the items discussed at a recent meeting of the board of Suqia, the United Arab Emirates' Water Aid Foundation, at the the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's offices. The meeting included updates on ongoing research and development projects and water technology advances. Read More »

Located in Travo at The Views development, this stylish corner-unit apartment boasts a flowing floor plan with 1,344 square feet of living space and Mediterranean-style finishes throughout. The apartment has spacious living and dining areas, a fully fitted modern kitchen with striking countertops and cabinets and two generously sized bedrooms with built-in wardrobes and baths. Read More »

Patient care and medical knowledge has already improved in the United Arab Emirates just two months into a new partnership between VPS Healthcare of Abu Dhabi and the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. The two health systems have been in constant contact since, according to VPS Managing Director Shamsheer Vayalil, who recently spoke to the Gulf News Journal. Read More »

Batelco Bahrain CEO Muna Al Hashemi shared his company's latest plans and solutions for the year ahead during his presentation Monday at the opening of the MEET ICT and BITEX 2016 conference in Bahrain. As the first company in Bahrain to offer cloud-based services, Batelco focused its presentations on its cloud-based solutions and security issues.  Read More »

The Wyndham Hotel Group said it will open a new hotel in Dubai early this year in order to accommodate the region's growing travel industry. The company's current hotel in the United Arab Emirates, Tryp by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Hotel, was at 81 percent capacity during its first eight months of operations. Wyndham is expanding its presence based on a projected spike in tourism. Read More »

Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors recently opened Saudi Arabia's first BMW Motorrad showroom in Jeddah. The new showroom in Jeddah is one of three that will open across Saudi Arabia by 2017. It houses the BMW S 1000 RR, the BMW K 1600 GTL, the BMW R 1200 R Roadster and, for the adventurer; the BMW R 1200 GS. BMW's Motorrad series offers more than 20 models of motorcycles. Read More »

Emirates Airlines celebrated its 30th year in business and its accomplishments in 2015, company officials said last week. “2015 has been one of considerable growth for Emirates ... despite the headwinds of regional conflict, unfavorable currency impact and shaky business and consumer confidence in many global markets," Emirates Airlines President Tim Clark said. Read More »

Thousands of Arab youth will continue to benefit from The Company Program and Innovation Camps thanks to a renewed partnership between Junior Achievement Worldwide member INIJAZ Al-Arab and the Citi Foundation. The programs, aimed at nurturing the growth of young entrepreneurs throughout Bahrain and seven other nations in the region, help youth understand business finance and other skills. Read More »

Safehotels Alliance AB in Oman, a Sweden-based company that created the Global Hotel Security Standard and is committed to the verification of security and safety of hotels, recently honored Park Inn Muscat with its first-ever Safehotels Premium Certificate. The award is based on evaluations of Park Inn Muscat's performance with regard to procedures, training and management. Read More »

Bahrain-based financial group GFH began the first steps in the construction of the more than $150 million Harbour Row development, a mixed-use luxury residential and commercial complex in Manama’s Financial Harbour. GFH Financial Group Lead Real Estate Developer Elias Karaan said the company is excited to kick off site preparations, which will benefit investors and stakeholders. Read More »

Ooredoo Kuwait staff manned a booth and discussed the company's products and services as well as give away gifts at the Egyptian Embassy's open day Dec. 25 at the Al Surrah Sports Arena. Other activities included dancers performing traditional skirt and pony dances as well as music, games, contests and football games pitting professional players against members of the Kuwait mission. Read More »

Qatar Airways officials rang in the new year by celebrating a number of accomplishments in 2015. The company became the first airline to operate the entire line of Airbus planes and was also the first airline to top 10 million fans on Facebook. The company also grew its fleet by 20 percent. Moving forward, the airline will add flights to the U.S., Australia and the UAE. Read More »

Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO) said last week it purchased a 51 percent share of Jordan Kuwait Bank (JKB) from its subsidiary Burgan Bank. The move is an effort by KIPCO as a parent company to both lighten and bolster the Burgan's balance sheet. "This transaction is a testament to the support that KIPCO provides to its core operations," KIPCO Vice Chairman Faisal Al Ayyar said. Read More »

Nakilat, the shipping arm of Qatar’s national liquefied natural gas (LNG) sector, has recently given its IT systems a major overhaul that consolidates the company’s networks into an efficient SAP cloud system. Nakilat worked with Japanese IT giant Fujitsu to integrate the German-designed SAP HANA cloud system to provide one cloud network capable of scaling with Nakilat’s needs. Read More »

GE Oil & Gas has been awarded contracts to provide for the supplying, testing, installing and commissioning of Petroleum Development Oman's (PDO) electric motor driven centrifugal compressors, in addition to after-market support. Read More »

The first stage of the Etihad Rail Project in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), was recently recognized by 'Construction Week' magazine as Infrastructure Project of the Year. Read More »

InterContinental Regency Bahrain's sister luxury hotel, the InterContinental Al Khobar, was the site of a Dec. 20 corporate event that brought together corporate leaders and representatives from travel agencies throughout Saudi Arabia. Read More »

DEWA's dedication to streamlining administrative systems to provide better, more cost-effective services for its customers, employees and partners has led to the company being re-certified in integrated management systems by Bureau Veritas, a testing, inspection and certification firm. Read More »

Oman Air was honored at the Dec. 8 North India Travel Awards as Best International Airline for 2015. Since commencing operations in 1993, Oman Air has provided international flights to destinations all over the world. Flights to and from India will be available daily or twice daily in the near future. Read More »