The United Arab Emirates’ bustling capital, Dubai, is preparing to get its first Hard Rock Hotel, and company representatives say the new location could open as soon as late this fall, or early next year. Read More »

A new project on Bluewaters Island, adjacent to the Jumeirah Beach coastline near Dubai, is promising a revolutionary up-in-the-air experience for visitors. Read More »

The recent launch of ArabiaNow.org, a news website by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C. is a long time in the making, especially as the country battles image issues in the wake of a leaked report on the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Read More »

The foremost foodstuff company in the Middle East, Almarai. became the most popular brand in Saudi Arabia, according to the 2016 Mid-Year BestBrand Rankings conducted by global market research firm YouGov. Riyadh-based Almarai pulled off this feat by leveraging heavy digital multichannel campaigns to engage consumers. Read More »

Euromonitor International recently reported that the beauty and wellness market in the Middle East and Africa is expected to see a 6.4 percent rise over the next five years, with a total value of $34.7 billion by 2020. “That the region is a fast-growing beauty market is no surprise actually,” Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Middle East, recently told the Gulf News Journal. Read More »

Upstart news web site Middle East Eye reports on the Middle East with a decidedly anti-Western spin, from Central London. Read More »

According to a consumer confidence analysis by the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai during the second quarter of 2016, consumers in Dubai appeared to be more optimistic about the overall state of the economy and job prospects compared to six other leading cities in the world - Tokyo, Milan, Paris, New York, Bangkok and London. Read More »

Al Hamra Real Estate Development (AHRED), a Ras Al Khaimah-based real estate developer, bagged both the Best Tourism and Leisure Project UAE and Best UAE Residential Property of the Year at the recent MEED Quality Awards for Projects .AHRED won the Best Tourism accolade for its Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah while its Bayti development garnered the Property of the Year award. Read More »

The Israeli city of Acre on the Mediterranean coast has a rich history, and now visitors can explore that history with an experienced guide. Read More »

Should more firms in the Middle East be using new digital methods of marketing? Naufel Vilcassim, professor of marketing at the London Business School, suggested how companies in the region can move from traditional print and broadcast media marketing to a more sophisticated and modern multichannel strategy. This is just one of many reports in the region recommending that some of the newest forms of marketing can do well for businesses in the Gulf. Read More »

A new study by YouGov, a major information provider, shows exactly how pervasive new technologies are in the United Arab Emirates. A July 4 press release shows some of the results of a recently released survey of 5,000 UAE residents. According to this research, the average UAE resident spends five hours a day using social media. Read More »

With big financial changes on the horizon, financial experts are looking very closely at how new technologies will affect traditional banking systems. With that in mind, local teams in Dubai are working to prepare for the 2016 GITEX Technology Week, the biggest technology convention of its kind in the Middle East and Africa, to be held Oct. 16-20 at the Dubai World Trade Center.   Read More »

IMG Worlds of Adventure, set to open Aug. 15 in Dubai, will be the biggest indoor theme park of its kind, with major components that will include Cartoon Network- and Marvel-themed areas and the Lost Valley Dinosaur Adventure. DigiPhoto Entertainment Imaging (DEI) has won a contract to provide digital photography services such as souvenir pictures and augmented reality 3-D images. Read More »

Gulf Cooperation Council nations are planning a radical shift in tax policy, with the U.A.E. and Qatar as early adopters of a new value-added tax (VAT), and Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain planning to implement the tax within two years. The pending tax policy is shaking up the accounting market as businesses scramble to secure the personnel they will need to complete paperwork. Read More »

The Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions will host the 11th edition of the World Bank Annual Conference on Islamic Banking and Finance on Nov. 6-7 in Bahrain. Islamic Finance in the Post-Oil Economic Scenario will be the theme of the conference, being held in collaboration with the World Bank and under the auspices of the Central Bank of Bahrain. Read More »

Qatari students spend a portion of their summer break learning about science and engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar. Read More »

As of early this year, Kuwait Airways no longer carries passengers between New York City and London. Read More »

The Western Union Company participated in Ramadan by augmenting an existing program with a “30 Days of Betters” Ramadan initiative in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Indonesia and India. The Ramadan program was derived from Western Union's “Moving Money for Better” program as well as social media platforms for those who wanted to engage in better behavior toward others. Read More »

This summer, publishing and education company Pearson came out with a new guidance document titled "The Problem Solvers" that cites four key principles in helping to reshape education in the Middle East. International relations expert Federico Gaon spoke to the Gulf News Journal about the place of education in the Gulf area and modern changes. Read More »

Once again, as they have for centuries, Muslims celebrated the Eid-al-Fitr, the end of Ramadan, on Wednesday. In many ways, this age-old celebration is an injection of traditional values and a historic way of life into a dynamic and quickly changing world. The festival of the Eid includes a day of special prayers, community life and food and sustenance. Read More »