http://www.zawya.com/en-usCopyright 2013 Zawya Ltd. All rights reserved.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:01:00 GMT5014476http://www.zawya.com/http://www.zawya.com/images/newsletter_zawya_logo.gifhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Jubail_refinery_to_be_commissioned-ZAWYA20130523040133/Saudi Aramco Total Refining & Petrochemicals (SATORP) is half way through commissioning its refinery in Jubail, and expects it to be fully operational by the end of the year.Thu, 23 May 2013 11:53:46 GMTThe Saudi Gazette ZAWYA20130523040133Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Cement_crisis_recurs_in_Saudi_Arabias_Eastern_Region-ZAWYA20130523030641/The cement crisis is reappearing in the Eastern Region as a number of distributors are increasing their prices to consumers by up to 25% with a normal bag sold at SR 20 and a solid one at SR 21.Thu, 23 May 2013 09:32:15 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130523030641Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Company_in_KSA_to_hire_5000_Nitaqataffected_Indians-ZAWYA20130523031507/A major industrial company in the Eastern Province plans to recruit 5,000 Indian workers affected by the Kingdom's Nitaqat program.Thu, 23 May 2013 07:04:02 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130523031507Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Oman_Cement_admits_probe_on_cement_quality-ZAWYA20130523045154/Oman Cement Company (OCC) yesterday said that the Public Authority for Consumer Protection (PACP) has initiated an investigation on the quality of cement imported by the company.Thu, 23 May 2013 06:53:43 GMTTimes of Oman ZAWYA20130523045154Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/New_GCC_tobacco_tax_could_fuel_growth_of_illicit_trade-ZAWYA20130523030204/The dilemma facing GCC finance ministers as they deliberate over a 100% increase in duty on tobacco products is underlined by a White Paper published yesterday which spotlights growth in illicit trade, beyond the control of police and customs authorities, as an inevitable consequence of a sharp overnight rise in the cost of cigarettes.Thu, 23 May 2013 06:48:50 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130523030204Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Damac_to_sell_units_in_new_tower_in_Burj_area_today_prices_start_from_Dh720000-ZAWYA20130523032402/Damac Properties is launching sales on its latest serviced living project in the Burj Area of Dubai. Bay's Edge is a 22-storey tower, offering waterfront views across to the world's tallest tower. The project is set for completion by the end of 2016.Thu, 23 May 2013 06:43:47 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130523032402Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/QAR360bn_fund_boost_for_health_education_in_Qatar-ZAWYA20130523042817/HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani yesterday issued Law No 6 of 2013, establishing the Health and Education Fund with a capital of QAR 360 billion, providing a solid base for the realisation of Qatar's ambitious growth plans.Thu, 23 May 2013 06:23:21 GMTGulf Times ZAWYA20130523042817Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Oman_Electricity_floats_tender_for_400Kv_power_grid_station_in_Izki-ZAWYA20130523045111/Oman Electricity Transmission Company (OETC) has floated a tender to build a 400Kv/220Kv power grid station in Izki, as part of a major initiative to strengthen power network to enhance reliability across the country.Thu, 23 May 2013 06:06:43 GMTTimes of Oman ZAWYA20130523045111Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Ramadan_No_food_price_increase_in_UAE-GN_22052013_230545/Accepting no excuse at all, the UAE Ministry of Economy will not approve price increase for any of food commodities from Thursday until the end of Ramadan, Dr Hashim Al Nuaimi, Director of the Consumer Protection Department at the Ministry of Economy told Gulf News warning against price rise and manipulation.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:42:58 GMTGulf News GN_22052013_230545Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Saudi_SAMA_considers_regulating_mortgage_rates-ZAWYA20130523030252/Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) is considering new regulations to unify mortgage rates, which all banks and finance companies have to follow.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:40:25 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130523030252Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Nitaqat_cleanup_picks_up_speed_in_Saudi_Arabia-ZAWYA20130523032853/More than 326,000 foreign workers have so far taken advantage of the grace period to legalize their status, said a senior official at the Passport Department.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:36:25 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130523032853Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Mena_power_projects_threatened_by_poor_funding-ZAWYA20130523043020/Power generation projects in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) are facing obstacles because of poor funding resources given the huge costs of such ventures, according to an Arab government group.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:31:57 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130523043020Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/New_chapter_in_governance_in_UAE-ZAWYA20130523042425/Mobile government will work round the clock and will be a one-stop shop for everything, says UAE Vice-PresidentThu, 23 May 2013 04:27:30 GMTGulf News ZAWYA20130523042425Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Majid_Al_Futtaim_acquires_full_ownership_of_Carrefour_franchise_in_the_region-ZAWYA20130523042303/Majid Al Futtaim Holding on Wednesday announced the purchase of the 25% minority stake owned by Carrefour Group in Majid Al Futtaim Hypermarkets LLC for €530 million.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:25:55 GMTGulf News ZAWYA20130523042303Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Nissan_Mideast_sees_slower_sales-ZAWYA20130523030904/Nissan Middle East has projected slower sales growth this year as compared to the previous year but more than the double the industry average growth rate.Thu, 23 May 2013 04:22:05 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130523030904Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Qatar_PM_says_Assad_departure_a_must_for_Syria_peace-ZW20130522000095/Qatar's prime minister said that President Bashar al-Assad's must step down if a political end to Syria's civil war is to be achieved, echoing similar remarks from Britain. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:21:43 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130522000095Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Iraq_earns_USD7764bn_from_oil_sales_in_Apr_vs_USD7772bn_in_Mar_oil_ministry-ZW20130522000106/Iraq has earned some USD 7.764 billion from oil sales in April, compared with USD 7.772 billion earned the previous month, the Iraqi oil ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Wed, 22 May 2013 13:13:54 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130522000106Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Etisalat_wont_bid_for_Moroccan_govt_stake_in_Maroc_Telecom__CEO-ZW20130522000092/Emirates Telecommunications Corp.has ruled out buying the Moroccan government's stake in Maroc Telecom should the Abu Dhabi telco secure Vivendi SA's 53%-share in the North African operatorWed, 22 May 2013 11:33:11 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130522000092Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Four_dead_as_clashes_rage_in_Lebanons_Tripoli-ZW20130522000078/At least four people have been killed in clashes in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, a security source told AFP, as fighting raged into a fourth day Wednesday. Wed, 22 May 2013 08:15:27 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130522000078Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/VimpelCom_talks_to_sell_Djezzy_to_Algerian_govt_end_in_failure-ZW20130521000071/Talks between Russian telecommunications company VimpelCom Ltd. (VIP) and the Algerian government regarding the government's potential purchase of Algeria's biggest mobile operator Djezzy have ended in failure.Wed, 22 May 2013 06:30:43 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130521000071Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Apartment_rents_in_Saudi_Arabia_skyrocket_by_30_this_year-ZAWYA20130522035155/In a surprising move, rent prices for apartments and villas shot up by 30%, according to real estate experts.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:53:06 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130522035155Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Doha_Bank_earmarks_AED55bn_for_SMEs_in_UAE-ZAWYA20130522031347/Doha Bank, one of the leading GCC-based banks, said on Tuesday that it had earmarked USD 1.5 billion (AED 5.5 billion) for small and medium enterprises in the UAE.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:52:53 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130522031347Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Dubai_landlords_start_shunning_partying_bachelors-ZAWYA20130522031155/Realty agents claim landlords getting wary of renting out to single men because they "party a lot"Wed, 22 May 2013 04:52:36 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130522031155Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Visafree_travel_for_Emiratis_to_Schengen_countries-GN_21052013_220566/Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, told the Federal National Council yesterday (Tuesday) that the next 12 months will see “positive results” regarding the proposal to exempt UAE citizens from Schengen countries and visas.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:52:12 GMTGulf News GN_21052013_220566Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Ten_more_arrested_in_KSA_in_Iranian_espionage_case-ZAWYA20130522044532/An official spokesman from the Saudi government has confirmed the arrest of 10 people involved in an Iranian espionage cell who were allegedly associated with the same spy network that was dismantled in March of this year by Saudi security officials.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:51:44 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130522044532Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Sharjah_Health_Authority_implements_new_health_scheme_from_June_1-GN_21052013_220547/The Sharjah Health Authority (SHA) has announced the introduction of a new unified health insurance scheme for employees working in the governemnt sectors and their families which will begin in June.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:18:37 GMTGulf News GN_21052013_220547Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Hundreds_of_UAE_jobs_on_offer_at_hospitality_job_fair-ZAWYA20130522031411/Tourism industry in the country seems to be going great guns and industry players, whether big or small, are adding to their headcount to cope with the increasing flow of tourists coming into the country.Wed, 22 May 2013 04:13:45 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130522031411Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Egypt_plans_ration_cards_for_fuel_by_Septemberoil_minster-ZW20130521000050/Egypt, which needs to cut government expenditure, plans to introduce ration cards for subsidized fuel by September, the country's new oil minister Sherif Haddara said Tuesday. Tue, 21 May 2013 13:46:04 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130521000050Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Sudden_halt_in_Syrian_refugees_into_Jordan__UN-ZW20130521000030/The UN said Tuesday the number of Syrian refugees flooding into Jordan had suddenly fallen from several thousand a day to close to zero, warning that fighting may be blocking people in need from coming. Tue, 21 May 2013 12:51:51 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130521000030Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Dubai_DSI_wins_construction_deal_worth_USD460m_in_Saudi_Arabia-ZW20130521000017/Dubai's Drake & Scull International said its general contracting unit has won a SAR 1.73 billion(USD 460 million) contract from Lamar Investment and Real Estate Development Co. in Saudi Arabia. Tue, 21 May 2013 06:25:30 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130521000017Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Qatari_Diar_invests_USD300m_for_hotel_in_Morocco-ZAWYA20130521054434/Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company has plans to venture into a large-scale investment project in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the very near future, an official source told Zawya.Tue, 21 May 2013 05:58:45 GMTZawya ZAWYA20130521054434Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Fifth_of_firms_in_Saudi_Arabia_still_in_red_zone-ZAWYA20130521031104/25% of Saudi firms are still in the red zone two years after the implementation of Nitaqat program, said Ahmed Al-Hemaidan, undersecretary at the Ministry of Labor, stressing the fact that they are bound to move to the green zone once penalties are imposed on them.Tue, 21 May 2013 05:42:43 GMTArab News ZAWYA20130521031104Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Bank_statement_required_to_sponsor_family_in_Dubai-GN_20052013_210508/Residents wishing to sponsor family members in Dubai now have to submit their bank statements to the residency department, Gulf News has learnt.Tue, 21 May 2013 04:38:01 GMTGulf News GN_20052013_210508Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/UAE_public_and_private_sectors_to_get_holiday_on_June_6-ZAWYA20130521031132/Thursday, June 6, has been declared a holiday for the public and private sectors, extending the weekend to three days.Tue, 21 May 2013 04:37:55 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130521031132Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Middle_East_construction_dispute_values_fall_42_yoy-ZAWYA20130521031607/Even though construction disputes in the Middle East have dropped by 42% to USD 65 million in 2012 from USD 112.5 million in 2011, the value remains the highest in the world.Tue, 21 May 2013 04:34:27 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130521031607Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Arabtec_workers_back_at_work_after_protest-GN_20052013_210551/Thousands of workers employed by Dubai’s largest construction firm, Arabtec, who stopped work demanding a salary increase and overtime pay are back at their worksites after being promised their issues will be sorted out.Tue, 21 May 2013 04:19:59 GMTGulf News GN_20052013_210551Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Escrow_accounts_cannot_be_attached_Dubai_Land_Dept-ZAWYA20130521031442/In the first of its meeting in years, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) answered queries of developers to even assuring them that "escrow accounts cannot be attached by any order".Tue, 21 May 2013 04:16:43 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130521031442Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Air_Arabia_signs_USD350m_loan_deal_for_10_aircraft-ZW20130520000047/Air Arabia, the low-cost carrier based in the United Arab Emirates, has signed a USD 350 million financing agreement to help buy 10 new aircraft from Airbus. Mon, 20 May 2013 13:54:19 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130520000047Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Kuwait_replaces_executives_in_oil_sector_shakeup-ZW20130520000040/New executives have been appointed for the subsidiaries of Kuwait Petroleum Corp, after a new KPC chief was named, the national oil firm said Monday. Mon, 20 May 2013 11:43:01 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130520000040Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Algeria_plans_to_build_first_nuclear_plant_by_2025_report-ZW20130520000034/Algeria plans to build its first nuclear power plant by 2025 in a bid to diversify its energy resources and meet soaring demand for electricity, the country's Energy and Mines Minister said.Mon, 20 May 2013 09:08:01 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130520000034Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Egypt_appoints_new_CEO_for_stateowned_oil_firm-ZW20130520000031/Egypt's oil ministry Monday named Tarek El-Barkatawy chief executive of state-owned Egyptian General Petroleum Corp., or EGPC, at a time when the country is facing a severe fuel shortage.Mon, 20 May 2013 07:49:08 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130520000031Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Syria_gunfire_hits_Israeloccupied_Golan_army-ZW20130520000004/Shots fired from Syria hit the central Israel-occupied Golan Heights overnight, a military spokeswoman said Monday morning. They caused no harm or damage. Mon, 20 May 2013 05:31:17 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130520000004Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Unlikely_alliance_to_oppose_Egypts_rulers-ZW20130519000063/Two ideologically opposed Egyptian political groups are banding together to check the ruling Muslim Brotherhood's growing power and challenge it in the coming parliamentary elections.Mon, 20 May 2013 05:03:39 GMTZawya Dow Jones News ZW20130519000063Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/GCC_is_13th_largest_world_economy-ZAWYA20130520031519/Gulf hydrocarbon producers emerged as the 13th most powerful economy in the world in 2011 while strong oil prices allowed them to become the fifth largest exporter with the highest trade surplus, according to a Bahraini minister.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:58:25 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130520031519Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/DIFC_Investments_names_new_chief_executive_of_DIFC_Properties-ZAWYA20130520033108/Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) today announced the appointment of Brett Schafer as CEO of DIFC Properties.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:57:15 GMTEmirates 24|7 ZAWYA20130520033108Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/The_University_of_Dubai_campus_to_be_completed_in_June_2015-GN_19052013_200533/The University of Dubai announced plans for a new campus and programs at its 11th graduation ceremony held at the Culture and Scientific Association Auditorium in Al Mamzar yesterday.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:36:42 GMTGulf News GN_19052013_200533Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/Dubai_Metro_steams_ahead-GN_19052013_200531/Dubai Metro has continued to rise in popularity, attracting more commuters everyday.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:29:20 GMTGulf News GN_19052013_200531Openhttp://www.zawya.com/story/UAE_expat_holidays_trigger_airfare_price_hike-GN_19052013_200537/Airfares have increased by 20-40% this summer depending on the destination, according to travel agents.Mon, 20 May 2013 04:28:32 GMTGulf News GN_19052013_200537Open