Art-City Life

Saudi Arabia's General Authority Of Civil Aviation, or GACA, is still studying a plan that would allow Gulf airline companies to operate domestic flights in the kingdom, an official said.

An increasing number of accident cases during Ramadan and an annual seasonal lull has led to severe blood shortage in Dubai hospitals, said a senior official on Monday.

Rioting experienced in London and elsewhere in the country over the last weeks may not have any lasting negative effect on the investments being made by GCC residents in the UK real estate sector. Speaking to Emirates 24|7, property experts in the UAE believe this is not a huge disaster and the impact on estimated investments will be minimal.

A healthy year-on-year rise of 59 per cent in the UAE's exports in April boosted the non-oil trade size to Dh68.9 billion, showing a 17 per cent year-on-year growth, on the back of strong industrial output and competitiveness of exports in international markets.

Dubai-based Hawkamah Institute for Corporate Governance, its sister institute Mudara Institute of Directors and the Kuala Lumpur-based ICLIF Leadership and Governance Centre (formerly known as the International Centre for Leadership in Finance ) joined forces to develop and implement a practical programme for regional bank boards to raise awareness and build their capacity to fulfil their fiduciary duties as directors.

The finance ministers from the Arab world will meet in Abu Dhabi on September 7, to discuss current economic issues facing the region.

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange, or DGCX announced on Monday that its year-to-date (YTD) volumes surpassed the two million contracts mark on August 12, 2011, the first time since inception.

A boost in villa demand has more than offset a continued decline in apartment sales to lift Dubai's listless residential market, Landmark Advisory, a real estate consultancy, said ?on Monday.

Livestock prices in the UAE have shot up by three-and-a-half times over the past few weeks following export ban by India and Pakistan.

The UAE Central Bank appears to be maintaining its policy of diversifying its investments abroad to avert any loss resulting from sudden financial turbulence in global markets by sticking to a proportionate distribution of its assets.

Al Rashid Trading and Contracting Company has signed an agreement with UAE-based Advance Rail Group (ARG) to strategically bid for SR3 billion railway projects in Saudi Arabia.

As Landmark Advisory predicted, there has been a solid rise in interest in residential sales across Dubai in certain established and prime residential areas such as Downtown Dubai and Emirates Living (Lakes, and Meadows). Moreover, over the past 12 months, the astute research and analysis division of Landmark Properties have observed three distinct submarkets emerging within Dubai's residential market; prime, secondary and tertiary.

EPPCO Lubricants signed an exclusive seven-year supply agreement with Fast Rent A Car, the leading provider of leased transport in the UAE.

In an affirmation of its growing international presence and reputation as a key business hub in the Middle East, Dubai Airport Freezone recently participated in a series of exhibitions and seminars across South Korea, Taiwan and Manchester (UK).

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) today announced that its year-to-date (YTD) volumes surpassed the two million contracts mark on August 12, 2011, the first time since inception.

Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, or ADIB, announced on Sunday that it will postpone personal financing installments for the month of August for all customers.

Shuaa Asset Management on Sunday announced a 50 per cent jump in assets under management, or AUM, that crossed Dh1 billion mark.

United Arab Bank (UAB), the Sharjah-based bank, is expanding its retail portfolio by adding five new branches this year, a senior official of the bank quoted.

The euro's appreciation against the dollar aided in reducing the losses of GCC domestic funds to less than one per cent in the first six months of the year.

The UAE's first domestic passenger airline is expected to launch operations in the first quarter of next year.