Dubai Investments mulls $272 mln Islamic bond issue
By Reuters DUBAI: Conglomerate Dubai Investments may look to raise up to 1 billion dirhams ($272.3 million) in 2012 through sale of a sukuk, or Islamic bond, to finance the expansion…
Oil shut-ins, slow supply growth support price: IEA
By Jessica Donati and Zaida Espana / Reuters LONDON: Incremental oil supply from non-OPEC countries that is running short of expectations and a high level of supply outages are supporting oil…
Bonfire of the banalities
By Philip Whitfield CAIRO: Grace and pace they have not. Filibuster and bluster they’re full of. Can you believe the new crop of rags-to-riches whistle-stoppers are turning down a billion US…
Eurovestech, Cenkos link up to target MidEast market
By Reuters LONDON: European development capital fund Eurovestech has joined forces with British stockbroker Cenkos Securities to target companies looking to raise capital in the Middle East and the Nasdaq…
The Syrian crisis and its implications for Turkish-Russian relations
By Ziya Meral Last week, during his weekly speech to the Justice and Development Party (AKP) group in the Turkish parliament, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan repeated his strong statements on…
When it comes to sharia, can knowledge trump fear?
KINGSVILLE, Ontario: Recently, Florida’s House of Representatives passed a bill (which later died in the state Senate) to ban the use of “foreign law” in domestic courtrooms. Such a…
Whose sovereignty?
MADRID: Despite the huge sums expended to write down Greece’s foreign debt, there has been an outcry of censure against “interference” with the country’s national sovereignty. True, in exchange for…
French BNP Paribas to grow Mideast revenues
By Mirna Sleiman / Reuters DUBAI: French lender BNP Paribas expects to grow its revenues from the oil-rich Gulf region this year despite a slight impact on its business as a…
Informal economy: Egypt’s mismanaged potential
By Amir Makar CAIRO: Egypt’s informal economy, or all unlicensed and unregistered capital and real estate, constitutes at least 34 percent of GDP, serving as a security buffer during harsh times.…
Syria forces attack town; Annan receives Assad response
By Khaled Yacoub Oweis / Reuters AMMAN: Heavily armed forces loyal to President Bashar Al-Assad pounded the southern city of Deraa with anti-aircraft fire on Wednesday, reasserting control over rebel strongholds…