MEED
Issue No 11 14 - 20 March 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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Abdelhafid Feghouli
Abdelhafid Feghouli is vice-president, downstream, Sonatrach -
Abu Dhabi right to plan ahead to attract investment
The establishment of a joint venture by the Abu Dhabi government-backed Mubadala Development Company and the US’ The John Buck Company is the latest sign that the UAE capital is becoming the Gulf’s leading destination for international real estate investors. -
Agriculture: Shifting to a sustainable strategy
Soaring food import costs and a lack of arable land are forcing the government to change its agricultural policy from encouraging self-sufficiency to adopting sustainable farming techniques. -
Airports: The race to increase capacity
With UAE airports struggling to keep up with the boom in cargo handling, a series of projects are under way to increase capacity. But will they be finished on time? -
Arabtec wins contract for Porto Dubai
Local developer Zabeel Investments has awarded the local Arabtec Construction the estimated AED1bn ($272m) main construction contract for the Porto Dubai project, one of the most controversial schemes in the emirate. -
Baghdad to set up utilities watchdog
Baghdad will establish a single regulator to oversee the water, power, telecoms and postal services by the end of this year, according to former telecoms minister Mohammed Allawi. -
Boumediene Belkacem
Boumediene Belkacem is Vice-president, upstream, Sonatrach -
Cairo plans oil and gas licensing round
Fifth bid round will cover up to 10 onshore and offshore oil and gas concessions in the south. -
Cairo plans two refineries at Ain Sokhna
Cairo is developing plans for two refineries that could increase the country's refining capacity by almost 50 per cent, say industry sources. -
Central Bank of the UAE studies effect of revaluing dirham after 2010
An official at the Central Bank of the UAE has confirmed it has launched a study into a revaluation of the dirham, but insists this will not happen before 2010. -
Citadel finds gold bonanza at Shayban mining project
Drilling reveals first significant find since Riyadh liberalised mining sector. -
Dubai probes potential of capturing CO2
Dubai Petroleum Establishment (DPE), the government-owned oil production company, has launched a study into carbon dioxide (CO2) capture with an international oil company. -
Economy: Working for the common good
While UAE members are successfully following separate paths to economic growth, problems such as inflation could be better solved using a co-ordinated strategy. -
Emirates must tackle free trade
The UAE cabinet reshuffle in February put international policy and trade at the heart of its agenda. -
Energy: Looking for alternatives to gas
Despite having the world’s sixth-largest gas reserves, the UAE is facing a shortfall in supply as demand for electricity generation rapidly increases. -
Energy: Six key people
The key figures in Algeria’s state-run energy sector: Chakib Khelil, Mohamed Meziane, Abdelhafid Feghouli, Sid Ali Betata, Noureddine Cherouati and Boumediene Belkacem. -
Focus on mining is paying off for Riyadh
A Saudi Arabian gold rush could be about to begin, after drilling by one international company revealed unusually large concentrations of the precious metal. -
Governance: A small change in direction
After two years as UAE prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed has reshuffled his cabinet. But the changes have not been as dramatic as many expected. -
Grain exports in Iran set to double with state support
Good weather and state support for farmers will enable Iran to export almost 1 million tonnes of wheat before the end of the food production year on 30 June, more than double previous forecasts. -
Gulf utility companies struggle to find developers for projects
Mounting workloads force contractors to drop out of bidding processes. -
Gulf will put its interests first despite US pressure over Iran
When Washington’s State Department revealed plans in 2006 to set up an office in Dubai to monitor and encourage political change in Iran, the die was cast for a tense period for Gulf political relations. -
Jubail cracker attracts just two bidders
After a tendering process of more than eight months, just two technical bids have been submitted for the $1.3bn contract to build an ethylene cracker for Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem) at Jubail. -
Mubadala joins forces with Chicago property developer
Abu Dhabi government-owned Mubadala Development Company has formed a joint venture with Chicago-based The John Buck Company to develop real estate projects in Abu Dhabi and the Middle East. -
Noureddine Cherouati
Noureddine Cherouati is head, Agence Nationale de Controle & de Regulation des Activites dans le domaine des Hydrocarbures -
Occidental likely partner for Abu Dhabi’s Fujairah plant
Alliance is logical step following agreement to evaluate and develop projects. -
Oman faces up to depleting reserves
Muscat is using advanced technology to get the most of out of its oil fields, while assessing alternative energy sources such as nuclear and solar power. But its main concern is the approaching shortfall in gas. -
Petrofac
The international oil services company is focusing on the Middle East after selling off its US business. -
Petrofac: MEED Assessment
Petrofac is well positioned to continue its recent success -
Ports: Standards slip as demand grows
Falling productivity at the region’s ports has become a major issue for shipping companies as governments focus on increasing capacity, with Dubai’s Jebel Ali leading the way. -
Q&A: Keith Roberts, Chief Financial Officer, Petrofac
CFO Roberts talks about the importance of the Middle East market since selling its US business and the key challenges going forward -
Regional giant starts small
The first sovereign wealth fund to be launched in the kingdom will begin with just $6bn to invest. -
Rivals back out of race for key Ras Laffan contract
The joint venture of Qatar Petroleum (QP) and the US' ExxonMobil Chemical Company is on the verge of making a key award on its multi-billion-dollar petrochemicals complex at Ras Laffan, with only the US' Foster Wheeler, and possibly one other company, left in the race. -
Salalah free zone deal to get go-ahead by end of April
The long-awaited agreement bet-ween the UAE’s Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) International and the Omani government to develop the free zone at Salalah is set to be finalised by the end of April. -
Saudi Arabia starts small with sovereign wealth funds
Sovereign wealth funds are loved and hated with equal fervour. For some, they are a source of market stability at a time of unwelcome volatility; for others, they are a secretive threat to strategic national interests. -
Shortages delay progress on Qatar liquefied natural gas trains
Work on three of the four liquefied natural gas (LNG) trains being built in Qatar has been delayed because of a lack of labour and materials. -
Sid Ali Betata
Sid Ali Betata is Head of Agence Nationale pour la Valorisation des Ressources en Hydrocarbures -
Special report: UAE - Impact of the cabinet reshuffle
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum’s cabinet reshuffle in February is aimed at sustaining momentum on his strategic plan announced in 2007. -
Talks over Al-Zour refinery contracts in Kuwait enter final stages
Awards for four main packages of $14.5bn refinery project delayed until April. -
Tehran in talks over Dubai bourse listing
$90bn holding company could also feature on Frankfurt and Asian bourses to widen investor pool. -
The Allenby Bridge crossing to Ramallah
Entering the West Bank from Jordan requires a degree of deception and inventiveness. -
Tokyo loans Baghdad $290m to redevelop Umm Qasr port
Civil Aviation Authority draws up masterplan for future airline expansion. -
Tourism: Many ways to boost numbers
With Dubai now an established holiday destination, other emirates are keen to grow their tourism industries, and are developing their own strategies to attract visitors. -
US increases pressure on Gulf over Tehran
Financial institutions are the current focus of US efforts to cut ties with Tehran. -
Work to start on West Bank projects
Tenders for airport in Jordan to be issued soon, as drive to attract private investment gets under way. -
Workforces set to double at Dubai firms
Leading construction and engineering companies plan to double their Dubai workforces over the next five years, adding to the skills shortage in the emirate. -
Zain invests $1bn in Darfur network
Zain, the Kuwaiti telecoms company, will spend $1bn improving its network in Sudan, including expansion into war-torn Darfur, after the rival governments in the north and south of the country reached an agreement giving telecoms companies access to areas under their control.
