United Arab Emirates

The UAE yesterday signed a service trade liberalisation agreement at the Arab League’s premises in the Egyptian capital. The agreement, signed on behalf of Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, by Jumaa Mubarak Al-Junaibi, who is also the country’s permanent delegate to the Arab League, is conducive to …

A group of significant players Etihad Airways Engineering, EAD Aerospace, Lufthansa Technik and Envoy Aerospace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, to form the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance, IAMA. The alliance aims to encourage aircraft owners and operators to modify and modernise their fleets through high quality equipment and …

Emirates Steel, a subsidiary of the General Holding Corporation (SENAAT), has signed a strategic agreement with Abu Dhabi Marine Services (SAFEEN), a subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Ports, valued at AED1 billion. The agreement was signed by the Chief Executive Officer of Emirates Steel, Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, and Captain Mohamed …

Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi, KIZAD, has announced that Gulf Compound Blending, GCB, which is part of the newly launched KIZAD Polymers Park, will be establishing a new polymer facility within the industrial zone. Gulf Compound Blending, a newly-formed joint venture between Met T&S (Maire Tecnimont Group), M. Cecchi & …

The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, visited the 44th Arab Health Exhibition, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid toured the four-day exhibition, which is hosting many major international companies …

Republican and Democratic U.S. lawmakers will try again to pass a resolution ending U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, with a greater chance of success than when a similar measure passed the Senate last month. Republican Senator Mike Lee, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy and Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, …

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received on Tuesday, Sheikh Nasser bin Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Kuwait, His Highness welcomed Sheikh Nasser Al-Sabah, and held discussions …

Investcorp today announced the launch of its operations in India with the imminent completion of its first deal, the acquisition of the Private Equity and Real Estate investment management businesses of IDFC Alternatives Limited (IDFC Alternatives), a subsidiary of IDFC Limited, a company listed on the National Stock Exchange of …

The first ‘Global Investment in Aviation Summit’ concluded Tuesday, 29 January in Dubai InterContinental Festival City Hotel in the presence of aviation industry and key officials. The summit and exhibition began with a pre-event workshop on Airport and Aircraft financing and was officially inaugurated by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, …

The UAE increased import duties on rebar and wire rod from 5 percent to 10 percent, effective January 1st, 2019. The anti-dumping move aims to protect the domestic steel industry and falls in line with a GCC-wide initiative to raise the duties across the Gulf region, according to Ali Saeed …

The Dubai Land Department, DLD, launched its real estate promotion plan for the Real Estate Investment Promotion Investment Management Sector during a press conference held today in the presence of Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director-General of the DLD. During the conference, Majida Ali Rashid, CEO of the Real Estate Investment …

H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and President of the National Archives, expressed his appreciation for the Saudi Cabinet of Ministers, which issued, during its last meeting that was led by King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, …

The Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, praised the achievements of the “Dubai Aviation City Project” in Southern Dubai, which covers a plot of land with an area of 145-square kilometres next to the site of the Expo 202 Dubai. …

Emirates Global Aluminium, EGA, today announced that commissioning of its new Al Taweelah alumina refinery has entered its final stages. Commissioning is the detailed process of testing equipment and systems in a new plant before start-up. First production from Al Taweelah alumina refinery is expected during the first half of …

Dubai-based airline flydubai today announced the start of flights to Tashkent the capital of Uzbekistan. The five times weekly service between Dubai and Tashkent will start from 11th March, 2019, and will become a daily operation from 31st May 2019. Commenting on the launch of flights to Tashkent, Ghaith Al …

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, said that the UAE’s ability to offer a conducive environment for investments from across the world combined with its strategic geographic location and easy access to emerging markets has cemented its position as a …

Catholic clerics from Arab countries stated that the UAE is a prominent model of tolerance and a centre of religions, cultures and civilised dialogue, which is reflected by the planned visit of Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, and Dr. Ahmed Al Tayeb, Grand Imam of Al Azhar, to …

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his satisfaction with the UAE government’s significant progress in achieving gender balance, through the several initiatives and programmes undertaken by various government entities to promote equal opportunities for both men and women. His …

wasl properties announced today the complete sale of its ‘Gardenia Townhomes’ development after the launch of sales for the project’s second phase which was originally scheduled to launch at the end of 2020 according to the company’s plan. wasl announced an open house for the project on 20 January, and …

The Federal Tax Authority (FTA) has announced the launch of a new field campaign to engage business and consumers in the local markets and raise awareness about the legal standards that must exist when issuing tax invoices. Organised to cover all emirates, the campaign will run throughout Q1 of 2019, …

The Higher Sharia Authority, HSA, for financial and banking activities at the UAE Central Bank has reviewed the work plan for the year 2019 and agreed to adopt a number of procedures to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in dealing with the various requests submitted by the Central Bank and Islamic …

Increased infrastructure spending could bode well for the UAE economy, finds the latest Q4 edition of Global Economic Conditions (GECS) from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). The UAE GECS survey found overall economic confidence higher in Q4, recovering some of the ground …

A weeklong training programme for Jordanian front office government employees will start tomorrow as part of the three-year strategic partnership agreement signed by the governments of the UAE and Jordan in June 2018, to improve government performance. The training initiative will offer insights into best communication practices and techniques for …

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, SCCI, has announced that 5,178 new companies have joined the chamber in 2018, which represents a 7.4 percent growth in the total number of members when compared to the previous year. This increase in membership reflects the competitive advantages offered by the emirate …

The Ministry of Health and Prevention is cooperating with pharmaceutical companies to support patent programmes and registration of patents at the Ministry of Economy, according to a senior official at the Ministry. Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Health Policy and Licensing Sector at the Ministry of …

The Federal Tax Authority, FTA, has defined the conditions for tax de-registration, in accordance with Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017. In a statement issued on Saturday, the Authority clarified the conditions and procedures for de-registration for Value Added Tax (WAT), since its implementation. The FTA explained that if a …

UAE foreign assistance to Syria reached AED3.59 billion (US$$1.05 billion) from 2012 to the beginning of 2019, according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and UAE AID. In 2019, AED30.0 million ($8.2 million) was provided in aid, while in 2018, it stood at AED346.3 million. The …

Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, has announced that the United Arab Emirates will host the preparatory conference of the UN 2019 Climate Summit in Abu Dhabi in June this year. The announcement was made during a meeting between Guterres and Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future, Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al …

Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance, today opened the “AABB Annual Meeting Highlights Conference & Exhibition in the Middle East 2019”, held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. Delivering the opening speech, Sheikh Nahyan welcomed the participants and praised the conference’s “extensive and informative program, one …

H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, received Liborio Stellino, the Italian Ambassador to the UAE on Thursday. At the meeting, which was held at Sheikh Saud’s Palace, the two sides explored prospects of enhancing joint cooperation between the UAE and …

The value of iron and copper trade in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi has increased to AED20.5 billion during the first nine months of 2018, a growth of 26 percent, compared to AED16.3 billion during the same period of 2017, according to figures released by the ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Statistics Centre − Abu …

The UAE has condemned Iran’s interference in the Middle East, accusing Iran of creating more tension and instability in the region and posing a serious threat to the stability of the Middle East. Thus, the UAE called on the international community and the Security Council to seriously pressure Iran to …

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, today attended in Davos the signing of an agreement to establish the Emirates Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in the UAE. The Dubai Crown Prince is now attending the …

Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, has visited the regional headquarters of Google in Dubai Internet City and discussed the Ministry’s strategic direction, its plans on digitising cultural content, and the future of culture in the UAE and the Middle East. Al Kaabi, accompanied by …

Hamdan Centre for the Future of Investment (HCFI) and the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) announced a new joint capacity building programme for Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs), with a vision to deliver the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) capital, technology and talent needed for a sustainable future. Titled ‘IPAs …

The UAE Central Bank has announced that the Money Supply aggregate M1 increased by 1.3 percent, from AED479.5 billion at the end of November 2018 to AED485.6 billion at the end of December 2018. The Money Supply aggregate M2 increased by 1.6 percent, from AED1288.4 billion at the end of …

Etihad Airways PJSC (“Etihad”) today announces that it has commenced proceedings in the High Court in London following the lawsuit commenced against it in Berlin by the insolvency administrator of Air Berlin PLC (“Air Berlin”). Etihad seeks declarations of non-liability from the English court, as the court with exclusive jurisdiction …

Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, has highlighted the historical relations between the UAE and Egypt, thanks to the support of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of Egypt. She also noted the coordination and cooperation …

H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, on Tuesday received a delegation from the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea, headed by Myung Keun OH, Dean of the University’s College of Asian Languages …

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, has emphasised that enhancing international cooperation and international partnerships represents a cornerstone for the UAE leadership’s approach and a prime pillar of the counry’s ongoing efforts to deliver the future. Sheikh …

Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, has said that the volume of direct investments in Khalifa Industrial Zone, KIZAD, has reached AED70 billion. It has attracted more than 200 national and foreign investors, and contributed to building a diversified, sustainable and knowledge-based economy. In a press …

Senior industry figures from China and the UAE celebrated the groundbreaking of the Roadbot Tyre Project KIZAD (Roadbot) today, marking the development of the first tyre manufacturing plant in the UAE and the growth of downstream industry in KIZAD, Abu Dhabi’s industrial hub and part of Abu Dhabi Ports. Developed by …

The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, ADNOC, has been named the most valuable brand in the Middle East, by Brand Finance, the world’s leading brand valuation and strategy consultancy. ADNOC, is the first regional oil and gas company to be featured in the annual Brand Finance Global 500 report with …

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, ADFD, has formalised an US$3 billion (AED11 billion) deposit into the State Bank of Pakistan to support Pakistan’s economic growth and achieve the long-term objectives of its monetary policy. Announced in December 2018, the decision to formalise the deposit was made under the directives of …