Corporate Communication Specialist Zahran Zahir Al Ruqeishi of the Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC) said, “The need (for rationing) is not just from the ‘saving money’ point of view, but also due to environmental factors.” Al Ruqeishi emphasized that consumers are for the most part unaware that the indiscriminate use of electricity leads to exorbitant…
Category Archives: Regional
Aspect Software Appoints Sanjay Gupta to Lead Asian and Middle East Efforts
In order to strengthen its reach to Asia and the Middle East, Aspect Software appointed Sanjay Gupta as managing director for India, Middle East and SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.) One of the world’s leading providers of customer contact and enterprise workforce optimization, Aspect would like to extend its reach more successfully into…
Middle East Economic Recovery Prompting Private Equity Firms to Sell Assets
Signs of economic recovery are in the air as several private equity firms in the Middle East prepare to leave a variety of investment vehicles in the coming weeks and months, according to executives in the industry. After the economic challenge of the Arab Spring, compounded by the international financial crisis, investors now feel the…
TRI Hospitality Survey Reveals Dubai Hotels Doing Well
TRI Hospitality Consulting conducted a HotStats survey which showed that UAE hotels had excellent improvement in performance in all the relevant indicators in January of 2012. The strong performance was partly attributed to increased tourism for the Dubai Shopping Festival. According to the survey Dubai hotels outperformed the other MENA markets by a wide margin….
Iran Displays Sajjil Missile During Military Parade
The 31st anniversary of the commencement of the Iraq-Iran war was marked last week with a spectacular military parade complete with a display of Iran’s growing arsenal of short and medium range ballistic missiles. The solid-fuel Sajjil was brought back for another year, after its parading last year was such a success. The Sajjil missile…
Syria Cracks Down on Rebels Near Turkish Border
Violence has stepped up a notch or two in Syria as the government continues to crackdown harshly on anti-government protestors across the country. One hundred people or more have already died just this past week in the Syrian regime’s attempts to suppress rebels in the face of growing concern and criticism within the international community….
HSBC Planning Job Cuts in Six Middle Eastern Countries
Beginning of Major Lay-Off Plan The bank which calls itself “The World’s Local Bank,” HSBC, has decided to lay-off at least 200 employees in six countries in the Middle East. The job cut of 200 in the region is just the beginning of a major reduction in worldwide employees reaching as many as 30,000 cuts…
Putting on the Ritz in Abu Dhabi
Those visiting Abu Dhabi will soon be able to do so in even more style. That’s because they are projecting to have the First Ritz-Carlton finished in the area by the end of 2011. Abu Dhabi National Hotels is spearheading the work, with CEO Richard Riley. Pushing for an Opening As Riley told Hotelier Middle…
Current Investment Climate in Arab Countries
According to the Arab Institute for Investment Guarantee and Credit Export 2010 report, 18 Arab states acquiesced approximately $64.3bn worth of investments compared to $83.9bn the year before. In addition, it was confirmed in the report that the foreign direct investment flows the Arab countries received went down by $19.7bn. According to a news report…
Sales Soar in Middle East for General Motors
The giant car manufacturer General Motors posted a rise of 22% in sales during the first half of the fiscal year, throughout the Middle East, in comparison to the same time-frame last year. Total car sales were reported to be 67,624 for the region. GM Sales Soaring Sales are recorded at the dealer outlets which…
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Independent Middle East News
- Salam Fayyad Resigns April 11, 2013by Mahmoud Abu Ghosh Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has reportedly tendered his resignation, after intense criticism against him within the Western-backed Palestinian Authority. It is not yet clear whether PA President Mahmoud Abbas will accept Fayyad’s resignation at this time, although the two have been at odds on several issues. PA offi […]
- Jordan & PA Coordinating Takeover of Jerusalem April 1, 2013by Eitam Abadi Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas signed an agreement on Sunday confirming their “common goal to defending” Jerusalem and their opposition to efforts to “Judaize” Israel’s ancient capital city. PA Religious Affairs Minister Mahmoud al-Habash said the agreement confirmed Jordan’s role as protector of the […]
- Palestinian Sentenced to 6 Months for Facebook ‘Like’ March 30, 2013by Mahmoud Abu Ghosh A Palestinian man who clicked “Like” on a Facebook status criticizing a high ranking official of the Western-backed Palestinian Authority has been sentenced to six months in a PA prison facility. Anas Ismail, 29, of Salfit, near Nablus, was found guilty of “libel and slander.” Ismail said that the PA’s American-trained […]
- PA Sentences Journalist to Year in Prison March 28, 2013by Mahmoud Abu Ghosh Palestinian journalist Mamdouh Hamamreh from Bethlehem was sentenced on Thursday to one year in prison for “insulting” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Facebook. He is the second Palestinian to receive this sentence on the same charges since the beginning of 2013. In early February, 26-year-old Anas Awwad from the village […]
- US Arming Syrian Rebels Through Regional Proxies March 26, 2013by Mahmoud Abu Ghosh Western-backed governments in the Middle East have dramatically increased military aid to the Free Syrian Army in recent months, the New York Times reported on Monday. America’s Central Intelligence Agency has been aiding these efforts, the newspaper added, citing air traffic data and interviews with unnamed officials as well as commande […]
- Salam Fayyad Resigns April 11, 2013