Business Blog

Jazeera Airways Group announced that it has secured an USD 18.3 million aircraft refinancing facility through Arab Banking Corporation (B.S.C) (ABC).

Octal, recently welcomed Sheikh Abdullah bin Salim Al Rawas, the chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) Salalah branch, and other OCCI board members at the company's state-of-the-art PET complex.

In Focus 1: Recent Trends in the UAE Real Estate MarketsIn this section, we look at recent developments in the Dubai and Abu Dhabi real estate markets. All available evidence points to a slowdown in the rise in both selling prices and rental rates in both markets, although the decline appears to be more pronounced in Dubai. In 1Q2014, the slowdown even extended to the northern emirates. The underlying market remains quite buoyant in Abu Dhabi but is stabilizing in Dubai, with some segments even showing signs of a small, on-going correction. We view this positively, seeing it as a sign that the property bubble that seemed to be forming at the end of 2013 now looks as though it will be avoided. In Focus 2: Saudi Banks: 1Q2014 Results – What should we look out for?In this section, we examine the 1Q2014 results of Saudi banks. While credit growth in the sector contracted in the latter part of 2013, signs of improvement surfaced in 1Q2014. However, the expected introduction of a 70% loan-to-value (LTV) cap for mortgage loans (expected in November 2014) is a key factor that could affect consumer loan growth for Saudi banks. Net interest margin (NIM) trends were mixed among banks, but the majority of banks experienced contracting asset yields YoY. On the other hand, non-interest income came in strong, with the surprise coming mostly from investment income. Asset quality indicators remained robust, although risk costs continued to be relatively elevated. We remain cautious on the sustainability of non-interest income levels, particularly investment income.  

Innovation is widely recognized as one of the key drivers of sustained economic development.

TOKYO, June 16 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks dropped to a two-week low on Monday as oil prices extended gains as the insurgency in Iraq raised concerns about potential disruption to oil exports, but chip-related firms outperformed on Intel Corp's ...

EDINBURGH, June 16 (Reuters) - Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE index is seen opening down 13 points, or 0.2 percent lower on Monday, according to financial bookmakers. For more on the factors affecting European stocks, please click on ID:nL5N0OX0YN *...