MEED
Issue No 34 22 - 28 August 2008
View all stories from this issue.
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Abdel Fattah al-Nsour
Abdel Fattah al-Nsour is CEO, Central Electricity Generating Company (Cegco) -
Ahmed Hyasat
Ahmed Hyasat is director general, National Electric Power Company (Nepco) -
Cairo reviews costs of redeveloping ageing rail network
Cairo is being forced to review the cost of redeveloping its rail network after bids for one contract came in well over budget. -
Competition to reshape Qatar's telecoms market
Qataris are expected to switch to Vodafone in their droves when it launches a mobile phone service later this year, but its only rival Qtel plans to counter this by cutting tariffs and offering more services. -
Demand for district cooling soars
The surge in air-conditioning installations is making increased use of district cooling more economical. -
Dollar recovery fails to ease inflation in GCC
Despite hopes that a stronger US currency will reduce economic pressures, high prices are set to continue. -
Dome and Vitol seek oil major to replace Anadarko
Joint venture partners are hoping to rekindle two-year service agreement. -
Dubai invites firms to review rail links
Emirate considers expanding railway, metro and tram networks to serve new developments. -
Dubai reassures market over fraud
Zero-tolerance stance on corruption wins support and calms jitters in the real estate market. -
Firms to line up for Khuff gas acreage
Qatar Petroleum (QP) is inviting 40 companies to bid for the state’s first gas acreage in years, as part of a drive to develop potential deep water reserves in the offshore Khuff reservoir. -
Gulf Air
After months of turmoil, CEO Bjorn Naf is rebuilding the brand by cutting costs and restructuring core operations -
Gulf Air must find its niche
Naf has inherited a poison chalice as CEO at Gulf Air and his efforts to stem losses have been severely hampered by soaring fuel prices. -
Gulf Air: MEED Assessment
Airline requires continued support from Bahrain to compete and expand strongly -
Gulf sovereign funds seek $8.5bn loans
Loan facilities to test the demand of local and international banks for fresh debt from the region. -
Iraq's Korek lags behind global telecoms operators
Doubts remain over whether Korek Telecom has the resources to build a nationwide network to enable it to compete effectively with its two powerful international rivals, Zain and Asiacell. -
Jordan Energy - Six key people
The six key players in the country’s energy sector: Khaldoun Qteishat, Ahmed Hyasat, Abdel Fattah al-Nsour, Khaled Toukan, Malek Kabariti and Maher Hijazin. -
Khaldoun Qteishat
Khaldoun Qteishat is energy and mineral resources minister, Jordan -
Khaled Toukan
Khaled Toukan chairman, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission -
Maghreb telecoms privatisation plans stall
Algeria and Tunisia have been slow to open up their national operators to private investors while Morocco is suffering from a lack of competition. -
Maher Hijazin
Maher Hijazin is director general, Natural Resources Authority -
Malek Kabariti
Malek Kabariti is president, National Energy Research Centre (NERC) -
Marafiq eases conditions on bids for Yanbu power plant
Client aims to help potential bidders secure contracting resources. -
Military tightens its grip on power in Mauritania
The military leaders of the coup deposing President Abdallahi claim they are to hold democratic elections, but it is not clear if the army will relinquish its control. -
Muscat invites bids for work on airport
The Transport & Communication Ministry is inviting firms to submit bids by 3 November for the first main contract on the development of Muscat International Airport. -
Petrofac bids low for onshore field work
UAE-based firm’s offer for Abu Dhabi upstream project estimated to be $100m lower than next best bid. -
Q&A: Bjorn Naf, CEO, Gulf Air
Shareholder support and good staffing allow the airline to stabilise for growth -
Regulator should clean up markets in Qatar
When it launches, Qatar’s new financial regulator will make pursuing rogue traders a priority. -
Revising contracts is the first step in Iraq
Tehran will turn a corner if it adopts a contract model with massive appeal for oil-hungry energy majors. -
Rising dollar is no panacea for GCC inflation
GCC bank governors have made the weak dollar a scapegoat for inflation. Those hoping for any swift reversals of inflation will be disappointed. -
Saudi launch will test Zain’s mettle in mobile phone market
Success of the fledgling subsidiary is critical to the financial health of the group’s entire operations. -
Single regulator to target market abuse in Qatar
Rogue traders are currently going undetected, unpunished and undermining investor confidence. -
Sorouh pays premium for securitisation
Local banks take up $1.1bn real estate debt as international banks remain wary of syndication risks. -
Special Report: Telecoms - The region's top 10 operators
Sometimes it seems that the only telecoms companies operating in the Middle East are Saudi Telecom, the UAE’s Etisalat and Kuwait-based Zain, such is the ability of the three companies to become involved in every takeover, strategic investment, partnership and licence round in the region. However, there is life outside the top three telecoms businesses. -
Tehran considers fresh oil deal terms
National Iranian Oil Company reviews contract proposals for the exploration of the Caspian Sea. -
Telecoms giants struggle for Saudi market share
Saudi Telecom is the most profitable telecoms firm in the region with net profts of $1.8bn in the first half of 2008, but its dominance is set to be challenged by Zain and Etisalat. -
Tripoli considers extending Great Man-Made River project
Libya is considering a further extension to its Great Man-Made River project to significantly increase capacity. -
Tripoli issues tenders on contracts for $7bn rail programme
Tripoli has issued two major tenders for contracts on Libya’s multi-billion dollar railway construction programme. -
Zain raises concerns over terms of Omantel share sale
Kuwaiti telecoms giant Zain is expressing reservations over the Oman government’s terms for the sale of a 25 per cent stake in Omantel, the state-controlled fixed-line and mobile phone operator. -
Ziad Hayek on reforming Lebanon's energy sector
Reforming the energy sector is a priority for the secretary-general of Lebanon’s Higher Council for Privatisation, but progress depends on political stability.
