A new study analyzing Gulf investment in Africa done by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that East Africa is the most sought-after region for noncommodity investment by Gulf investors. The findings of the study, titled “Beyond Commodities: Gulf Investors and the new Africa,” were unveiled during the Third African Global Business Forum hosted by the chamber. Read More »

The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions and the World Bank said they will host the 10th annual AAOIFI - World Bank Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance on Dec. 6-7 in Bahrain. More than 300 global financial industry experts are expected to attend the conference, which is being organized in cooperation with the Central Bank of Bahrain.  Read More »

Polish company Alstom recently began production of the first of 69 trainsets to be used by the Riyadh Metro in Saudi Arabia. Each trainset will include two cars consisting of first, family and single classes. The 118-foot-long trainset is driverless and completely motorized. Features includes ergonomic seating, air conditioning, LED lighting and an advanced information system. Read More »

Retailers have until Sunday to register for Shop Bahrain, a 30-day festival focused on Bahrain's heritage as well as its hospitality and tourism sectors running Dec. 24 through Jan. 23. Festival activities will include VIVA Shop & Skate, a skating rink at the Al A’ali Shopping Complex; a Family Fair carnival at Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park; and a Taste Tour in Adliya. Read More »

UrbaCon Trading and Contracting was recently honored at the Gulf Economic Forum in Qatar for its contributions to the nation's construction sector. UrbaCon was presented with a trophy for its achievements. "We are thrilled and honored to receive this trophy," UrbaCon CEO Mohammad Moataz Al-Khayyat said. The forum was organized by the Federation of GCC Chambers and Qatar Chamber. Read More »

Fleming Gulf Exhibitions said the inaugural Gulf Packaging and Polymers Show (GPPS) will be held Feb. 1-3 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. "GPPS is an exciting new platform which allows industry stakeholders to explore pioneering technologies that will enable packaging solutions to stay relevant in this fast-paced industry," Fleming Gulf Director Alexander Heuff said. Read More »

STME, an information technology solutions provider and systems integrator (SI) based in Dubai, said it has experienced steady growth in the Saudi Arabian market. "Our growth in Saudi Arabia is due to a combination of our strengths, which include three decades of experience in the Middle East region and our good reliable partner products," STME CEO Ayman Al Bayaa said. Read More »

Warba Bank, the Kuwait-based Islamic financial institution, recently exhibited its financing products for real estate investors at the Al Masar Real Estate Exhibition in Kuwait City. The Al Masar exhibition, sponsored by Warba Bank, came to the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel in Kuwait City to showcase the Gulf nation’s top commercial residential real estate opportunities. Read More »

A large villa, perfect for a family, is available on Amwaj Island, Manama. The four-bedroom, five-bathroom villa has gorgeous views of the sea and is listed for $1,113,851.54.  The 4,316-square-foot villa is located on a sandy lagoon and features a swimming pool, elevator and central air and heating. The villa has four large bedrooms, five bathrooms and space for entertaining. Read More »

Located in the Dubai Marina's Ocean Heights development, this stylish apartment has a spacious floor plan with 1,568 square feet of living space, a tasteful, fully furnished interior and lovely city views. The combination living and dining area is spacious and open to a fully equipped kitchen. There also are two generous-size bedrooms as well as two full bathrooms. Read More »

A 1,162-square-foot apartment with a luxurious feel is available in the Viva Bahriya complex of The Pearl in Doha. Listed by MD Properties, the one-bedroom home is priced at $546,523.12. The apartment features a large balcony that offer gorgeous views of the Arabian Gulf. Inside, gorgeous vaulted ceilings and marble floors give an air of luxury. Read More »

Global remittance and foreign exchange leader UAE Exchange said recently that its information security management team has earned recertification through the most recent ISO/IEC 27001:2013 standard. ISO 27001:2013 is the most current version of the International Standard for Information Security Management and means detection of any security breaches would be immediate. Read More »

AXA Gulf, the Gulf region’s arm of the French multinational insurance agency, said it is expanding its services in Qatar to include yacht and pleasure craft insurance. AXA Gulf said the decision comes after years of steady growth in Qatar. AXA Gulf plans to open two offices in the Doha neighborhoods of the Pearl and Barwa City to meet the demand for maritime insurance. Read More »

Marketing communication firm J. Walter Thompson Saudi Arabia recently received Saudi Telecom Co.'s (STC) Vendor Award in the innovation category during STC's fourth annual Vendor Day. The award was presented at a ceremony attended by STC top officials including CEO Khalid Bin Hussein Al-Bayari. The award recognizes J. Walter Thompson marketing STC's products and services. Read More »

Retailers throughout the Gulf region were given their first looks at Reem Mall, a mix of retail, entertainment, leisure and dining options in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Senior executives from Reem Mall, mSquared and NREC and UPAC, the project's developers, held a special showing to give a sneak peek of the mall's offerings. The mall is expected to open in 2018. Read More »

Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE) has announced plans to organize several events in 2016, including the Gulf Industry Fair, iTech Industry, gulfBID, Gulf Interiors and Gulf Property Show. Read More »

The Los Angeles-based lifestyle brand GUESS is opening its first store in Oman, bringing contemporary clothes and accessories to the City Centre Muscat Mall. The new GUESS store specializes in fashion accessories with a wide range of jewelry, handbags, eyewear, belts and watches. To celebrate the new store, each customer that spends more than $90 will get a free GUESS tote bag. Read More »

The Bahrain Public Transport Company, which now operates all the Gulf nation’s public buses, is sending its network planners to the U.K. for an intensive public transport training program. The decision to send employees for training comes as part of the Bahrain Public Transport Company’s (BPTC) effort to create an efficient workforce to serve the public transport sector. Read More »

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently held a workshop on the various structures and technicalities surrounding Islamic financial practice. Dubai’s leadership is pushing numerous initiatives intended to build Emirates up into the center of the global Islamic economy, and one of the biggest components of that goal is growing the Shariah-compliant financial sector. Read More »

As the Shariah-compliant Islamic finance sector booms in the GCC region, the President of the Islamic Development Bank Group, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, asked experts in the field to develop new Islamic microfinance structures Wednesday. Ali says the industry needs to leverage existing technologies and business approaches, such as mobile banking, to start developing initiatives. Read More »