Search Results for: UAE
10 results out of 299 results found for 'UAE'.
UAE REAL ESTATE MARKET STABILISES AFTER SLUMP - BUT MAJOR GROWTH NOT EXPECTED
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT
THE REAL estate market in the Gulf has started to bottom out, with prices stabilising in the commercial and residential categories. However, empty properties still abound, there is more supply than demand and few new projects are being undertaken.…
AIRLINE CARRIER GROWTH PROMPTS MAJOR AIRPORT EXPANSIONS IN DUBAI
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT
DUE largely to the surging growth of Dubai-based airline carriers Emirates and flydubai, government-owned operator and manager Dubai Airports is currently juggling the development of the new Al Maktoum International Airport at logistics hub Dubai World Central (DWC), as well as the USD7.8 billion expansion of the Dubai International Airport (DXB).…
UPRISINGS RAISE SPRING HOPES FOR ARABIC PUBLISHERS
BY PAUL COCHRANE IN BEIRUT
THE ‘ARAB Spring’ uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) over the past year have had a mixed effect on Arabic publishing. Book sales have plunged due to instability, and while some countries have loosened up on censorship, others have clamped down.…
TOUGH TIMES STILL AHEAD FOR PAINT SECTOR IN GULF
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT
BACK in the noughties, the Gulf was one of the fastest growing regions for paint companies, thriving on an unprecedented construction boom. But then the financial crisis hit in late 2008, ending years of double-digit growth for paint manufacturers in Gulf countries.…
A GREENER ENERGY MIX IN THE GULF TAKES SHAPE
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN ABU DHABI
IT sounds completely bizarre, given their dominant role as global energy players, but the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are facing a chronic energy shortage, with domestic demand growing by an estimated 8.5% and investment in power systems failing to keep pace.…
A BUMPER YEAR FOR SYRIA, AT LEAST IN TERMS OF OLIVE OIL
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT
THE SYRIAN economy is in bad shape: sanctions have been slapped on the country by the United States and the European Union (EU), and the uprisings that began in March last year continue unabated. But while one of Syria’s main revenue earners – fossil fuel oil – has been affected by instability and international sanctions, its olive oil sector has had its best year ever harvest, estimated at 200,000 tonnes.…
UPRISINGS CUT BOTH WAYS FOR LEBANESE PRINTERS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
UPRISINGS in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) this year have hit demand for printers in Lebanon, which has long been the printing hub of the region. Lebanese printers canvassed privately for Print Week MEA report that the upheavals have seen demand from Egypt and Syria decline, while transportation has been marginally affected from Lebanon due to the situation in neighbouring Syria.…
DIRTY MONEY FLOWS EAST AS WEST TIGHTENS ITS AML SYSTEMS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
THE WESTERN financial system is undergoing profound change, of weakened trust in the sector, heightened tax regulations, pressure to curb banking secrecy and tougher regulatory compliance. As a result, the owners of legal and extra-legal capital who are looking for a safe haven for their money are starting to consider destinations outside the established offshore jurisdictions – the less regulated financial centres of the Middle East and Asia.…
TURKEY HAS HIGH AMBITIONS TO GROW LARGE OILS AND FATS SECTOR
BY PAUL COCHRANE
TURKEY is the fifth largest importer of oils and oilseeds in the world, with demand being driven by its burgeoning economy, sizable food export industry, and a population of 74.8 million people. But while its demand for vegetable oils is outstripping local production, in olive oil production the country has set its sights on rising up the global rankings from its current fifth place to become the second largest producer.…
FINANCING ESPIONAGE - MOVING MONEY AROUND THE WORLD'S SPY NETWORKS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
INTELLIGENCE agencies by their very nature are secretive. So too are budgetary expenses and the ways in which agencies finance operations, especially in foreign jurisdictions and where they carry out so-called ‘black ops’. The techniques to quietly transfer funds do not in fact differ that widely from organised crime or terrorist groups, using banking services, front companies, charities and the like.…