MEED
Issue No 28 10 - 16 July 2009
View all stories from this issue.
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A crushing blow to Baghdad's oil plans
Iraq's June licensing round ended in embarrassment for the Oil Ministry, with just one deal awarded. -
A vote of confidence in Lebanese real estate sector
Following the election of a new president in June and strong profit growth in 2008, optimism in Lebanon's real estate sector is growing. -
Abu Dhabi considers oil-fired plants
Growing gas deficit is forcing the emirate's electricity authority to look at alternative feedstocks. -
Abu Dhabi opens bidding on key oil and gas projects
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) is negotiating hard with contractors to reduce costs on three major schemes. -
Abu Dhabi signs two key Ruwais deals
Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) has awarded the two remaining project management contracts for the multi-billion-dollar project to expand its refinery at Ruwais. -
Aramco and Dow invite firms to prequalify for Ras Tanura
Planned $20bn petrochemicals complex makes progress with first construction package. -
Aramco makes U-turn over Yanbu joint venture terms
Oil majors will no longer need to partner local firms on process packages. -
Aramco seeks interest in study centre
State-owned oil company Saudi Aramco is inviting selected contractors to prequalify for the two main construction deals on the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre in Riyadh. -
Baghdad must soften oil terms
Energy companies accuse Iraq of driving too hard a bargain over the amount it is prepared to pay. -
Bahrain holds talks over Muharraq wastewater plant
A total of 10 groups expressed interest in the planned Muharraq wastewater treatment plant project by attending meetings with Bahrain's Works Ministry on 7 July. -
Bank bailout is working in Qatar
Unless other governments decide to follow Doha's lead, there is little chance it will mark the start of a wider construction sector revival. -
Banks seek better returns on Shuweihat project in Abu Dhabi
Banks considering offering loans to the $3.2bn Shuweihat 2 power project in Abu Dhabi have told the project's sponsor, Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Authority (Adwea), that it will have to offer improved terms if they are to back the deal. -
Cairo rewrites rules for listed companies
Corporate governance code will increase power of non-executive directors to hold firms to account. -
Design work starts on expansion of Dubai International airport
UAE airports operator Dubai Airports has started design work on the expansion of Terminal 2 at Dubai International airport, which will bring total capacity at the site to its maximum of 80 million passengers a year. -
Developers in the Gulf focus on affordability
With the global economic downturn destroying the value of luxury Gulf properties, developers are concentrating on fulfilling demand from those on lower incomes. -
Downtown Cairo to be pedestrianised
Investment bank Beltone Financial seeks funding for plan to redevelop area on the east bank of the Nile. -
Dubai's industrial areas
In the emirate’s once thriving industrial areas, labour camps now stand empty and the streets are dumping grounds for cars that cannot be sold. -
Emirates Steel asks banks for extension on $700m loan
Firm seeks further nine months to repay debt as competition for financing grows. -
Emirates willing to pay the price for power
The ministry acknowledged that burning liquid fuels carries high economic and environmental costs. -
Energy projects push in Abu Dhabi will raise prices
Abu Dhabi plans to award $28bn worth of oil and gas deals between March 2009 and March 2010. There is a danger that Adnoc could become a victim of its own success. -
Five bidders compete for Syrian independent power project
Five companies and bidding groups have submitted prequalification documents to Syria's Public Establishment for Electricity Generation & Transmission (PEEGT) for what would be the country's first independent power project (IPP). -
Hidden benefits of falling housing prices in Emirates
The collapse in Dubai's office and residential real estate sectors since their peak in the summer of 2008 is making the emirate a more affordable place to live and do business. -
Housing shortage in Qatar turns to oversupply
Qatar's real estate sector has for years struggled to keep up with the influx of expatriates, but it now needs to maintain population growth to avoid having homes standing empty. -
Manama addresses housing costs
As activity in Bahrain's real estate sector slows, private developers are scaling back their ambitious plans, while the government is committing funding and land for affordable homes. -
Mubadala invites nine groups to bid for Cleveland Clinic in Abu Dhabi
State-run investment vehicle Mubadala Development Company is inviting at least nine prequalified groups to bid for the AED5bn ($1.36bn) main construction contract on the Cleveland Clinic project in Abu Dhabi. -
National rail link in Amman enters design stage
Amman has launched the final design phase for a JD4.5bn ($6.4bn) railway running the length of the country. -
Q&A: Abdulla al-Thani, Executive Chairman, Thani Investments
The company expanded from the real estate sector into hydrocarbons and mining -
Qatar National Bank tenders Doha corniche skyscraper
Firms have until 10 September to bid for contract to build high-rise headquarters. -
Saudi Arabia needs a mortgage law
Without the mortgage law, there is little incentive for developers to build low-cost homes. -
Saudia to spin off ground handling unit
Carrier to merge division with local firms despite calls from Shura Council to abandon privatisation strategy. -
Solving the Saudi housing shortfall
With a rapidly growing population, the kingdom faces a shortage of 1 million housing units by 2012 unless urgent action is taken to address the problem. -
Solving the Saudi housing shortfall
With a rapidly growing population, the kingdom faces a shortage of 1 million housing units by 2012 unless urgent action is taken to address the problem. -
Special Report: Real Estate - Revival of Gulf low-cost housing
For anyone unfamiliar with the Gulf’s real estate sector, the news that there is strong demand for affordable housing may come as a surprise. -
Sukuk show signs of recovery
The Islamic bonds market is bouncing back from the impact of the global financial crisis. -
Thani Investments
The Dubai-based company is pioneering private development in the energy and mining sectors. -
Thani Investments: MEED Assessment
There are unlikely to be any significant changes in ownership within the company -
UAE banking & finance lawyers
The six leading lawyers in the Middle East banking and finance sector: Bimal Desai, Peter Avery, Essam al-Tamimi, Neil Cuthbert, Jonathan Inman and Nadim Khan. -
Yemen LNG's Joel Fort on benefits of gas export project
The head of the company hopes the gas export project will benefit both its shareholders and the host country.
