The growing number of registered green buildings in the GCC has helped transform the construction industry in the region and boosted the creation of healthy buildings, said an expert in energy efficient buildings.

 

Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani said on Friday that he wanted the Lebanese state to preserve its unity, freedom, and sovereignty in the face of pressures and adverse circumstances.

 

Qatar Insurance Company (QIC), the country's largest underwriter, is set to launch a new subsidiary specialising in life and medical insurance before the end of this year, QIC Group President and CEO, Khalifa Abdullah Al Subaey told reporters here yesterday.

 

Property market sources say the deadline of November given to businesses and professionals operating from villas to move out would lead to parking problems in busy business districts like the towers area in West Bay or areas along the C and D Ring Roads.

 

Villa rents are likely to plummet further as businesses other than beauty parlours, nurseries and health clinics currently operating from villas in residential areas have been asked by the government to move to commercial premises from November this year.

 

Salam International Limited (SIIL) has posted net profits of QR70.9m in the first half (H1) of this year, up from QR64.4m in the corresponding period of 2009. A company statement said yesterday that SIIL's board of directors met yesterday and approved the half-yearly 'consolidated financial statements.

 

Strong net buying support from foreign institutional investors pushed Qatari stocks up yesterday despite selling pressure from retail Qatari investors.

 

The first half of 2010 has demonstrated that the EMEA hotel investment market is starting to pick up, with growth expected to accelerate even more in the second half of 2010 according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels.

 

Kuwait's Agility rose to a seven-week high on Wednesday after saying the US Attorney's Office wants to dismiss an indictment against a unit of the logistics provider.

 

al khaliji held its first half 2010 investor conference and analyst meeting today in Doha. The investor conference was attended by Robin McCall, acting Chief Executive Officer and Christiaan de Beer, Group Chief Financial Officer.

 

Qatar Insurance Company (QIC), the country's largest underwriter, is set to launch a new subsidiary specialising in life and medical insurance before the end of this year, QIC Group President and CEO, Khalifa Abdullah Al Subaey told reporters here yesterday.

 

This is a PDF report.

 

Strong net buying support from foreign institutional investors pushed Qatari stocks up yesterday despite selling pressure from retail Qatari investors.

 

The GCC aggregate primary bond market, which includes bonds and sukuk, decreased to USD24.2 billion in H1 2010, down by 32% compared to the respective period of 2009. The majority of issuances occurred in the month of April, with 17 issuances and USD6.1 billion, raising 25.1% of H1 2010 total issuances value. Conventional issuances raised the largest amount during H1 2010 representing 82.9% of the total value raised, and five times the total value of sukuk issued during the s [. . .]

 

Kuwait's Agility rose to a seven-week high on Wednesday after saying the US Attorney's Office wants to dismiss an indictment against a unit of the logistics provider.

 

al khaliji held its first half 2010 investor conference and analyst meeting today in Doha. The investor conference was attended by Robin McCall, acting Chief Executive Officer and Christiaan de Beer, Group Chief Financial Officer.

 

Click here to read Abstract.

 

Commercial Bank of Qatar has reported a net profit of QR818 million for the first half of 2010, 13 per cent lower than the same period in 2009.

 

Large cap and fundamentally formidable Industries Qatar (IQ), which is one of the top holding companies in the region, led in terms of trading value on the Qatari bourse in the first six months of the current year.

 

Commercial Bank of Qatar ("Commercialbank" or "the Bank"), the largest private sector bank in Qatar, announces its financial results for the half-year ended 30 June 2010. The Bank delivered a net profit of QR 818 million in the first half of 2010, 13% lower than the same period in 2009.

 

Saudi stocks scored fresh gains at the start of the week but dipped later due to profit-taking.

 

This is a PDF report.

 

Strong net buying support from foreign institutional investors pushed Qatari stocks up yesterday despite selling pressure from retail Qatari investors.

 

The GCC aggregate primary bond market, which includes bonds and sukuk, decreased to USD24.2 billion in H1 2010, down by 32% compared to the respective period of 2009. The majority of issuances occurred in the month of April, with 17 issuances and USD6.1 billion, raising 25.1% of H1 2010 total issuances value. Conventional issuances raised the largest amount during H1 2010 representing 82.9% of the total value raised, and five times the total value of sukuk issued during the s [. . .]

 

Kuwait's Agility rose to a seven-week high on Wednesday after saying the US Attorney's Office wants to dismiss an indictment against a unit of the logistics provider.

 

Click here to read Abstract.

 

But for the underdevelopment of the life segment, Saudi Arabia would be the most attractive prospect forinternational insurance companies that are looking to operate in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)countries. Virtually all other trends are favourable and the market has been opened up to foreigncompetition. New laws are promoting the development of health insurance. Saudi Arabia?s economy haswithstood the downturn in energy prices through 2009 well.Saudi Arabia?s insuranc [. . .]

 

Kuwait?s insurance sector is one in which much needs to change if the country is to shake its status assomething of a backwater. As BMI?s discussion on the economic and political outlook makes clear,progress towards economic reform and liberalisation continues at a slow pace, at a time when inwardsinvestment has been constrained by a challenging political environment. This is evidently not a market inwhich foreign insurers have felt the need for a lowering of barriers to entr [. . .]

 

On paper, Egypt?s insurance market is one of the most promising in the Middle East. By virtually allmeasures, it is underdeveloped. However, and in complete contrast to the nearby Gulf Co-operationCouncil (GCC) countries, which have (far) higher per capita incomes than Egypt and which are mostlyeasier places in which to do business, there is already a significant life sector. The prospects for theeconomy, which was largely isolated from the impact of the global financial cris [. . .]

 

We believe that conditions are ripe for a further short-term rally in the Egyptian stock market in 3Q2010. Rising global risk appetite and overall positive 2Q2010 earnings releases will likely be the immediate catalysts, and we expect that retail investors will join the rally as volumes pick up. We believe that large cap stocks offer relatively little scope for sustained performance, having done well earlier this year, and so we expect a shift into small/mid cap names as the rally continues.

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks closed little changed on Friday, but Wall Street wrapped up its best month in a year after the earnings season rounded the final turn with a group of strong results that offset the impact of poor economic data.

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks are unlikely to break above a key technical level next week unless monthly jobs data and consumer company results paint a more promising picture of the recovery.

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs Group Inc is the bank many Americans love to hate, but one group just plain loves it: its employees.

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's personal finances recovered in 2009, disclosure forms released by the central bank on Friday showed.

 

 

 

 

 

Malaysian sharia finance experts, backed by the central bank, are studying possible conflicts between civil and Islamic law amid a raft of high-profile legal disputes which have dampened the industry's appeal. Legal wrangles have taken centre stage in Islamic finance in the last year as

 

Germany's financial market watchdog is investigating a newspaper report alleging that an Iranian-owned bank in Germany is helping the Islamic Republic do business linked to its nuclear program, the government said on Monday. According to the Wall Street Journal, the European-Iranian Trade

 

UPDATE 2: Dubai's DFM ends 0.03 lower; Abu Dhabi's bourse finishes 0.06 lower at 2,546 points.

 

Man behind Saudi Arabia's biggest bank transfers shares to family members.

 

UPDATE 2: Dubai's DFM ends 0.03 lower; Abu Dhabi's bourse finishes 0.06 lower at 2,546 points.

 

Man behind Saudi Arabia's biggest bank transfers shares to family members.

 

Gulf state searching for new buyers amid projections of a fall in US's LNG demand.

 

Government seeking to boost economic growth through developing infrastructure.

 

Investment company was closed down because of 'commercial law violations'.

 

Qatar scheduled to raise its annual capacity to produce LNG to 77m tons from 54m.

 

UPDATE 6: Al-Rajhi, SABB and Riyad banks all rise as bourse shows slight gain.

 

The Gulf Arab state's central bank must approve the bank's intention to sell bonds.

 

Ruling said that Virgin Mobile would not be a third operator in the Gulf state.

 

UPDATE 5: Stocks down 3.6% while DFM drops 3.3% to weigh on Dubai index.

 

Damian Reilly asks what the real benefits are of holding the football tournament in the Gulf state in 2022.

 

From Harrods to Harare, Qatar has been on a $75bn spending spree. How far and how long can it keep going?

 

Net income in 6 months to June-end seen rising from £281m in year-earlier period.

 

Capital markets expert Steve Drake on the key role of regulators in improving corporate governance in the GCC.