In Tuesday's Middle East papers

22 December 2009 05:00  [Source: ICIS news]

OMAN TRIBUNE

Front page

GCC meet on e-gov under way
The three-day first-ever GCC e-Government conference started in Muscat on Monday to discuss closer cooperation and coordination of strategic policymaking to ensure the benefits of e-Governance in the region.

Pact, MoUs signed with Croatia
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said hosted a special dinner for Croatian President Stjepan Mesic at Bait Al Barakah on Monday.

Business

Crude braves dollar’s gains to settle above $73
Oil held firm above $73 a barrel on Monday after a 1% rise in the previous session as Iranian troops partly withdrew from a disputed oil area in Iraq, reducing tensions between two major crude exporters.

Brigade Group to buy Omani marbles worth $750,000
India based Brigade Enterprises will buy around 40 containers of marbles valued at approx $750,000 from an Omani company, the Omani Centre for Investment Promotion and Export Development (Ociped) said on Monday.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Front page

Abu Dhabi First sweeps ADCCI elections
Abu Dhabi First, led by businessman Khalfan Saeed Al Kaabi made a clean sweep at the elections for the board of directors of Abu Dhabi Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

Iran makes new bid for improving ties with Arabs
Iran made a new offer for resolving tensions with Arab nations, an Egyptian official said on Monday, and Egypt’s president flew to the Gulf region in an unexpected visit to discuss the proposal with his allies.

Business

Support for Dubai to be ‘studied’ properly: Mansouri
The UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri said that further federal support for Dubai should be "studied" in a proper manner.

$172bn investments likely in ME airports
Middle East airports are currently investing $86bn in expansion plans and this will double after 2025, with the major airports in the region aggressively pursuing the goal of becoming a global hub, according to a new study from the multi-disciplinary research group Frost and Sullivan.

ARAB NEWS

Front page

Record SR540bn govt spending set
Saudi Arabia on Monday unveiled the largest budget in its history, projecting expenditures at SR540bn ($144bn) and revenues at SR470bn ($125bn).

Kingdom successful in enforcing copyright law
The Kingdom has been successful in implementing copyright laws, said an official from the Ministry of Culture and Information on Monday.

Business

OPEC set to tackle oil stock levels at Angola meeting
OPEC oil producers said on Monday they would seek to curb high crude stock levels at their first meeting in new oil power Angola and played down the prospect of a surge from Iraq’s recovering oil fields.

Expert calls for power distribution automation
A top British executive working in the energy sector has called for the implementation of power distribution automation to reduce operating costs, boost efficiency and enhance customer service in the Kingdom.

TEHRAN TIMES

Front page

The promotion of security in Lebanon is a priority for Iran
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has said helping to promote unity, security, and stability in the entire region, and particularly in Lebanon, is part of Iran’s foreign policy.

Ken Loach comedy joins Fajr filmfest lineup
The latest film by British director Ken Loach "Looking for Eric" will go on screen at the 28th Fajr International Film Festival.

Business

Japan’s economy rides coattails of China
Japan’s exports fell at the slowest pace in more than a year in November as the world’s second-largest economy benefited from a recovery in Asian powerhouse China, data showed on Monday.

Developing economies can help cure global imbalances
China can no longer behave like China, because the US intends to behave much more like China, according to Larry Summers, director of US President Barack Obama’s National Economic Council.

ALJAZEERA

Front page

Israel deadlock over prisoner swap
A marathon meeting of the Israeli cabinet to discuss a possible exchange of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for an Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip, has ended without agreement.

Europe shivers under heavy snowfall
Plunging temperatures and heavy snows have caused the deaths of at least 80 people across Europe.

Business

Last-minute Dutch bid for Saab
Dutch specialist automaker Spyker Cars has submitted a revised last-minute offer to buy the Saab car firm from General Motors, offering hope that thousands of jobs could be saved.

Dubai World holds debt talks
Dubai World, Dubai’s heavily-indebted conglomerate, has begun talks with its lenders over a request to restructure $22bn in debt.

THE DAILY STAR

Front page

Syrian worker dead as shots fired at bus in Tripoli
Unidentified gunmen fired shots on Monday at a bus carrying Syrian workers in north Lebanon, leaving one dead, less than a day after an historic round of reconciliation talks between Beirut and Damascus.

Bus attack tops Cabinet’s first agenda
The Lebanese Cabinet condemned on Monday the attack on a bus in north Lebanon that killed a Syrian worker, as Defence Minister Elias Murr and Interior Minister Ziad Baroud briefed ministers on the ongoing investigations.

Business

Beirut ranks 52nd globally in house prices, 53rd in rental yield
The Global Property Guide’s annual report on real-estate investment trends around the world indicated that Beirut ranked in the 52nd place among 91 markets globally and in third place in the MENA region in terms of the price of a 120-square-meter apartment, as reported by Lebanon This Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group.

UN urges sustainable approach to ESCWA’s rural development
Experts from UN-ESCWA region as well as national, regional and international organizations met on Monday at the UN headquarters in Beirut to discuss the need to adopt a sustainable livelihoods approach for promoting rural development in the ESCWA region.

GULF DAILY NEWS

Front page

Turning point
His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Economic Development Board Chairman, yesterday praised the patriotic fervour marking celebrations of His Majesty King Hamad’s 10th Accession Day and Bahrain’s 38th National Day.

Sacked staff in plea to ministry
Two employees, who were allegedly sacked after the illegal formation of a trade union, are seeking the help of the Labour Ministry to be reinstated.

Business

Oman tourism sector seeks new markets
Oman Tourism is currently identifying new international markets to appeal to, a top Oman Air official said.

Argas wins $373m contracts
Saudi Aramco has awarded two seismic contracts to explore offshore oil and gas reserves worth 1.40bn Saudi riyals ($373.3m) to Arabian Geophysical and Surveying (Argas).

By: Staff Reporter
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