Insurance professionals from around the world, including CEOs, high-ranking bankers, authorities in research and Shariah scholars, gathered in Bahrain earlier this week for the 12th annual Middle East Insurance Forum (MEIF) Institutional Excellence Awards.The two-day event wouldn’t be possible without the partnership of the Central Bank of Bahrain. Read More »

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. signed a deal with Dubai developer Nakheel for a new hotel in Jumeirah Island's Palm Tower. The St. Regis Dubai, The Palm, expected to open in 2018, will be the fifth St. Regis hotel in the UAE. The first 18 stories of the 52-story Palm Tower will feature 289 rooms and suites while the upper floors will offer 504 luxury apartments. Read More »

U.S. Consul General to Dubai Paul Malik and U.S. Agricultural Counselor Quintin Gray visited the new Al Maya Supermarket in Dubai's Muraqqabat neighborhood. The U.S. officials were welcomed by Al Maya Group Director Kamal Vachani and discussed ways of increasing trade between U.S. companies and Al Maya, whose 40 markets across the region import large volumes of goods from the U.S. Read More »

Oman's Ministry of Tourism signed a memorandum of understanding with Ooredoo that will open an avenue for sharing technical and management expertise in support of Omani tourism. The agreement will mostly concern events and training organized by the ministry and Ooredoo. Both parties agreed to cross-promote each others events and to facilitate trainings with tourism businesses. Read More »

The Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences announced the opening of its College of Medicine at the recent Arab Health Exhibition and Congress. The new college will expand the university's offerings at its campus in the Dubai Healthcare City complex by offering six-year bachelor's degree programs in medicine and surgery to 50 students beginning in September. Read More »

A four-bedroom villa is available in Bu Quwah, listed by Star Real Estate for $663,042. The two-story villa is located in a residential area and features a tiled front yard with plenty of room for a patio set. The lobby and living and dining room are on the ground floor, along with an open-plan kitchen. The second floor has four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, and a maid's room. Read More »

Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) has three new Boeing aircraft. Two 787-9 Dreamliners and a 777-300ER will join the 45 other Boeing planes in the Saudia fleet. "The delivery of our first Dreamliners marks yet another exciting chapter in Saudia's long-standing relationship with Boeing that began in the early 1960s," Saudia Director General Saleh bin Nasser al-Jasser said. Read More »

RMG Networks will continue providing digital signage for Etisalat retail stores through the first part of this year, the company announced Monday. Read More »

HEC Paris professor Andrea Masini was named the new dean of the school's top-ranked MBA program Wednesday. Read More »

Executives from Zain Group recently hosted International Telecommunications Union Secretary-General Houlin Zhao at Zain headquarters in Kuwait to discuss the development of the technology and telecommunications industries. Read More »

A workshop organized by the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting recently allowed employees of Qatar Development Bank to learn more about the Industrial Market Intelligence (IMI) Portal and the tools it offers. Read More »

Qatar Development Bank (QDB) and the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) announced a new agreement Monday to work together in developing ways to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Qatar. Read More »

Federal and local government officials from across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) finished a retreat concerning the UAE's post-oil economy on Jan. 31. Read More »

Western Union recently finished the initial stage of its free Apna Sapna financial literacy training for migrant workers. Read More »

Hungary is expanding access to visas in the Middle East with its opening of a new visa application center in Kuwait. Read More »

Following the hike in energy costs due to subsidy reforms in many Middle East countries, experts from PA Consulting Group recommend investment in low emission technology to help industry giants make huge savings and considerably reduce their carbon footprint. Read More »

The Gunvor Group has acquired the Kuwait Petroleum Europoort refinery in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The company announced the acquisition last Monday. Read More »

Batelco will provide communications services for Benefit's line of electronic banking services, according to a new agreement announced Wednesday. Read More »

Shell officials recently presented Qatargas with the company's Shell Zero Award in recognition of 10 million man-hours without a leak or any other serious safety-related incident. Qatar Shell Companies Managing Director and Chairman Michiel Kool presented the award. Read More »

The Dubai Hospital averaged 85 percent occupancy during 2015, United Arab Emirates (UAE) health officials announced Tuesday. The hospital saw 30,694 patients overall, including 10,324 surgeries, and an average of 350 to 450 emergency room patients per day. Read More »