MEED
Issue No 19 9 - 15 May 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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Amin al-Nasser
A top executive hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter -
Construction workers need to be housed
Firms claim they are being held to ransom by labour camp landlords. If unchecked, rising camp costs will threaten the viability of projects. -
Dubai sets 2012 deadline for canal
Developers have been told the first water must be flowing through the $11bn Arabian Canal by 2012, just four years after excavation works for the 80 kilometre-long waterway are set to start. -
Egyptian index needs new privatisations
The Case 30's rise has been relentless, but investors have not succumbed to hysteria. -
Egypt's stock exchanges among world's fastest growing
The Cairo & Alexandria Stock Exchanges have been among the fastest growing stock markets in the world since relaxing the restrictions on foreign investors. -
Emal signs 30-year gas deal with Adnoc
Contract will provide feedstock for the $5.6bn aluminium smelter at Khalifa Port & Industrial Zone. -
Gulf bourses make fair exchange with Western stock markets
Fledgling Gulf bourses and established Western stock markets are finding that forming alliances bring increasingly attractive benefits. -
Joint venture wins $540m deal to expand Mesaieed port
A joint venture of Belgium's Jan De Nul and Turkey's STFA has been awarded the $540m contract for the expansion of Mesaieed port. -
Jubail export refinery gains final approval
Saudi Aramco and France's Total have given final investment app-roval for the 400,000-barrel-a-day (b/d) Jubail export refinery almost three years after it was first proposed by the state-run company. -
Labour camp shortage raises costs for contractors in UAE
A lack of workers' accommodation is hitting contractors but provides an opportunity for investors. -
Lorenzo Casati
A top executive hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter -
Market strength bolsters Manama
Robust returns, strong growth in initial public offerings and high levels of trading activity despite the global downturn are helping Bahrain maintain its position as the Gulf's financial centre. -
National Commercial Bank to target project finance sector
Bank aims to capture 20 per cent of kingdom's lucrative megaproject financing. -
Oman Air faces decade of losses to enter long-haul market
Oman Air says it could be 10 years before the national carrier turns a profit, as it expands into the international long-haul market. -
Opec cannot ignore concerns of consuming nations
Sympathy for the cartel seems to evaporate by the day over its unwillingness to act over prices. -
Opec loses its grip on oil prices
As the cartel's control over the price of crude slips, it runs the risk of becoming irrelevant. -
Palm Utilities seeks change in Dubai tariff to reflect efficiency
Company claims Dewa fails to consider energy saving at district cooling plants. -
Patrick Allman-Ward
A top executive hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter -
Perseverance pays in Libya's tough market
While the Al-Khaleej steam project has financing, Gecol has failed to secure funds for Tripoli West. -
Pressure builds for reform of KSE
Despite strong performance, Kuwait needs to set up an independent body to settle disputes and regulate its stock market if it is to compete with its regional rivals. -
Q&A: Ali Saleh al-Barrak, CEO, Saudi Electricity Company
Ali Saleh al-Barrak explains the role of Independent power projects (IPPs) in future operations -
Qatar-Bahrain causeway winners face wait to discover value of contracts
Work will be priced after the nine-month design process has been completed. -
Radik Khusnullin
A top executive hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter -
Regulation restores confidence in Tadawul
The introduction of new rules to improve transparency on the Saudi stock exchange is increasing its attractiveness to foreign and domestic investors. -
Riyadh approves $38bn Red Sea tourism plan
Sites in Medina or Jeddah are set to be the first of up to 19 developments aimed at domestic tourists. -
Riyadh curbs spending to slow inflation
The Saudi government is attempting to curb public spending in a bid to ease the kingdom's worsening inflation problem, which hit 9.7 per cent in March. -
Riyadh right to focus on local tourists
There is no suggestion that the kingdom is culturally or socially ready to accept tourism on a mass scale, so Riyadh's focus will be local. -
Salama profits to soar as Islamic insurance demand grows
Salama, the Dubai-based Islamic insurance company, is forecast to grow its net premiums by a third in 2008 on the back of a surge in sharia-compliant insurance, according to market analysts. -
Saudi Arabia Empty Quarter gas: Six key people
The top six executives hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter: Abdulaziz al-Judaimi, Amin al-Nasser, Patrick Allman-Ward, Lorenzo Casati, Shicheng Wang and Radik Khusnullin. -
Saudi Arabian transport studies near completion
Two studies for major transport projects in Saudi Arabia are nearing completion, with the Mecca light-rail project proposal due in September, followed by the feasibility plan for the GCC railway in October. -
Saudi Electricity Company
The state utility is introducing a series of changes to improve efficiency and performance. -
Saudi Electricity Company: MEED Assessment
SEC is improving transmission and distribution networks but existing agreements with developers may cause problems -
Saudi Hollandi considers selling stake on the Tadawul
Saudi Hollandi is considering floating a 40 per cent stake, valued at about $1bn, on the local stock market after struggling to find an international bank to buy into the company. -
Saudi Landbridge to use $1bn of Islamic finance
Project finance for the Saudi Landbridge rail scheme is expected to include an Islamic tranche that will be worth about $1bn, according to one banker close to the project. -
Shell selects firms for Ras Laffan work
The UK/Dutch Shell Group has prequalified a select group of companies for lucrative integrated service contracts on its $16bn-plus Pearl gas-to-liquids (GTL) facility at Ras Laffan. -
Shicheng Wang
A top executive hunting for gas in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter -
Special Report: Capital markets - The drive for credibility
The region’s stock exchanges have had great success in making headlines as they have attempted to boost their profile as regional hubs for international capital. -
Tehran plans cross-border rail link from ports to Basra
Network will open trade route and offer direct line into Iraqi territory. -
Tehran rethinks privatisation plans
Parliament scales back annual target for sell-off of state-owned companies to $5bn from $30bn. -
Tripoli West faces delays as Gecol tries to secure budget
Contractors fear project will be postponed as financing is not yet in place. -
Unrest stalls economic progress in Yemen
Following the collapse of a ceasefire between the Yemeni army and followers of the Zaydi sect, security is once again the key issue facing the government. -
Value doubles on Masi as Moroccan property booms
While key sectors such as telecoms have underperformed, a series of major developments have helped real estate firms increase the value of the Moroccan All-Share index over the past two years.
