MEED
Issue No 26 25-1 July 2010
View all stories from this issue.
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Abdullatif al-Shalash
Abdullatif al-Shalash is managing director, Dar al-Arkan Real Estate Development Company -
Abu Dhabi receives bids for stadium contract
The 65,000-seater stadium will be built at Capital City District -
Baghdad looks for foreign companies to build $550m sports city
Iraq offers unprecedented incentives to build 360-acre Basra Sports City -
Bahrain receives advisory bids for renewables pilot project
Pilot facility to use both solar and wind power technology -
Banking: Bad loans and falling assets hit growth in the GCC
Asset growth at the 20 largest banks in the GCC slowed sharply in 2009. The recovery will be gradual particularly as non-performing loans have still yet to peak -
Beirut lenders steer clear of crisis
With high deposits and low levels of non-performing loans, Lebanese banks have seen profits continue to rise, and they are now expanding in emerging markets to diversify revenue streams -
Bids in for $200m Iraq cement plant rehabilitation
Construction tenders under review with decision due in August for Karbala Cement Plant in Iraq -
Borouge invites contractors to bid on specialist plastics plant
Winning bidder will build cross-linked polyethylene facilities -
Challenges continue for GCC banks
With a sector-wide drop in profits during 2009, the region’s banks have shifted their focus to preserving core operations and improving risk management -
Egypt’s $3.5bn Mostorod refinery hit by financing delays
Financing delayed until early July -
Egypt's banks driven by borrowing from the urban middle-class
Egypt’s banking system is benefiting from the increased appetite for borrowing among the urban middle-class elite -
Emirates Steel considers new location for planned steel plate project
Abu Dhabi steel company changes plans for new flat product plant at Taweelah -
Essam Kalthoum
Essam Kalthoum -
Fahd al-Rasheed
Fahd al-Rasheed is chief executive officer, The Economic City (Emaar EC) -
Firms line up for $2bn of Abu Dhabi sulphur facilities
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company subsidiaries tendering three deals worth a total of $3bn -
Five firms bid on $111m Duqm airport contract
Deal was re-tendered after changes to design -
Gaza: Tunnel economy struggles on
The partial easing of the blockade on Gaza’s land borders will offer little relief after more than 10 years of economic isolation -
GCC banks in recovery mode
Most regional banks will post slight increase in assets and profits, but focus will be on recovery not growth -
GCC moves on sustainable power
Projects activity set to increase as Gulf governments execute sustainable agendas -
Ghassan al-Sulaiman
Ghassan al-Sulaiman is chairman, City Centre Development Company (CCDC) -
Interview: Ahmad Aweideh, chief executive, Palestine Securities Exchange
With trading restricted by unstable politics, Palestine’s stock exchange has benefited from one of the most liberal regulatory frameworks in the region -
Iran overhauls capital market legislation
Foreign investors’ holding increased to 20 per cent -
Karim Jabbour
Karim Jabbour -
Kuwait looks to its future in 2010
Plans to move ahead with major privatisation schemes shows the state is serious about development -
Kuwait: Testing private-sector reform
Kuwait is moving ahead with privatisation plans and successful completion will be crucial -
Lenders face margin squeeze in GCC
Firms are set to sign more than $26bn of project financing in 2010; competition among local lenders is depressing margins to a point where finance deals are no longer profitable -
Oman starts search for new Block 60 operator
UK’s BG Group quit the gas concession on 12 June -
Partners plan $100m Abu Dhabi aluminium rod plant tender
Joint venture partners to invite bids for planned 150,000 tonne a year aluminium rod facilty at Taweelah -
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud is chairman, Kingdom Holding -
Q&A: Ziad Azzam, CEO, Taaleem
Managing schools for both public and private sector owners is a key area for growth, says Azzam -
Qatar National Hotels puts twin towers project on hold
Company is unsure if $500m project will proceed -
Qatar to invite bids for Lusail Expressway
The contract will cover bridges, slip roads and tunnels -
Rabat asks for new prices on Safi power project
New site study prompts call for fresh bids -
Requests for qualification submitted for Qurayyah power plant
Project will add 1,800MW to the Saudi Arabia grid -
Riyadh commits $266m to university projects
Tenders for new university projects to be issued by the end of 2010 -
Riyadh invests in security
Interior Ministry’s $6bn contract marks shift in construction focus; Kingdom is facing huge shortage of civil services infrastructure -
Saudi Arabia real estate
Six key figures developing real estate projects in the kingdom: Prince Alwaleed bin Talal al-Saud, Karim Jabbour, Ghassan al-Sulaiman, Fahd al-Rasheed, Abdullatif al-Shalash and Essam Kalthoum -
Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry tenders biggest ever construction contract
Bids due on 26 July for $6bn deal to build security compounds in Saudi Arabia -
Saudi firms close over $15bn of finance in June
Huge deals mark beginning of boom year for Saudi project finance -
Special Report: Banking - Bad debts hit Gulf banks
A slowdown in asset growth and increased exposure to non-performing loans hits growth at the GCC Top 20 banks -
Taaleem
The UAE education services provider is expanding to focus on management services -
Taaleem: MEED Assessment
In the short term, one of the biggest challenges for Taaleem will be managing its cost structure -
Taweelah steel shift makes sense
There are many compelling reasons for rethinking plant location
