Saudi Arabia’s SAR and Etihad Rail of the UAE announced today they will start detailed collaboration. A memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies calls for the adoption of common solutions and the sharing of best practice. Committees including representatives from both companies will…
Author: Edmund O'Sullivan
I am a writer, author, economist and business person. I've reported on and done business in the Middle East since 1979 and travelled throughout the region. I specialist in reporting and writing, economic and media industry consultancy, business development and conference moderation.
Chinese win phase II contract for Dubai Water Canal
Dubai’s Roads &Transport Authority (RTA) today announced it has approved the award of the contract for the second phase of the Dubai Water Canal project including bridges across the canal on Al Wasl and Jumeirah roads. The AED 384m ($100m) contract has been won by China State Corporation.…
Chinese visitors to UAE rise 200 per cent in first quarter
The number of Chinese visitors staying in UAE hotels and hotel apartments rose to 32,259 in the first quarter of 2014, according to figures released today. This was more than 200 per cent higher than the figure recorded in the first…
Iranian petchems to EU still blocked; WSJ
Iranian petrochemical exports are still being blocked by the EU despite the easing of sanctions effective since the start of 2014, the New York daily The Wall Street Journal has reported. Abbas Shea’ri Moghaddam, Iran’s deputy oil minister for petrochemicals,…
Barclays blocked payment to journalist for mentioning Iran
Freelance travel journalist Minty Clinch told the BBC Radio 4’s You & Yours programme this morning that Barclays had blocked a payment into her bank account because it was for an article about Iran. Clinch said that the publisher, the Abu Dhabi…
IMF managing director says middle class has lost ground since Arab Spring
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde speaking in Rabat on 8 May said that the middle class has lost ground in countries affected by Arab Spring uprisings in 2011 and that more needs to be done to reduce the dominance of large…
IMF forecasts GCC budget surpluses to disappear by 2019
The budget surpluses enjoyed by GCC states for more than a decade will be eliminated by 2019, a report in IMF Survey published today shows. The IMF forecasts that Bahrain and Oman will record fiscal deficits this year, which makes them increasingly…
Deloitte and STR Global report Saudi Arabians are top visitors to Dubai
A total of 1.4m Saudi Arabians visited Dubai in 2013 and the kingdom was the leading source of tourists for the emirate in the year, according to the the first Middle East Hotel Market report by Deloitte and STR Global.…
AHIC told hotels exploring F&B contracting out
Hotel brands are increasingly open to the idea of contracting out restaurant management and food and beverage services to specialised service providers, the 10th annual Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah was told this morning. “Using third-party food and…
AHIC told the Middle East region is the world’s most buoyant hotel market
The Middle East was the world’s most buoyant hotel market in the year ending March 2014, STR Global managing director Elizabeth Winkle told the 10th Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) at Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah this morning. “Some of the strongest…