MEED
Issue No 41 9-15 October 2009
View all stories from this issue.
-
Algiers delays metro opening until 2010
The first line of the capital’s underground network was planned to begin operating this month -
Algiers Metro opening is start of new era
When the Algiers Metro finally opens, it will be a significant step forward for the country -
Azzawiya to retender Libyan lube oil blending plant upgrade
State-owned refining company seeks fresh bids after attracting little interest -
Bahraini development board begins low-cost housing drive
Bahrain is inviting the private sector to build 20,000 low-cost homes over the next 10 years as the kingdom tries to reduce the waiting time for affordable housing from 12 years to five -
Commercial gas finds prove elusive in Saudi Arabia
Discoveries of gas in the Empty Quarter have been disappointing and the foreign oil companies that carried out the exploration will have to decide whether to stay on for the long term or cut their losses -
Compromise is key to progress in Omani power sector
To maximise competition, Oman not only extended the bid deadline for two new power plants, but also cut the developers’ work in half -
Consortium buys Qatar engineering firm
Shipping firm sells Q-Con to local and Bahraini companies -
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa on Bahraini reform plans
The chairman of the Economic Development Board has a mission to drive through reform -
Emirates Steel finds backers for extension
Abu Dhabi’s Emirates Steel has extended its $700m bridging loan after persuading four new banks to join its lending group -
Firms struggle to hit Saudi employment targets
Even with a relaxation of the rules on employing Saudi nationals, construction and engineering firms in the kingdom are finding it difficult to meet their quotas -
First Energy to launch $1.2bn polysilicon plant
Bahrain’s First Energy Bank is launching a $1.2bn project to build a manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia to produce polysilicon, used to make solar panels, by the end of the year -
Index launches boost sharia-compliant equities in Saudi Arabia
Indices tracking the performance of sharia-compliant equities listed on the Saudi stock exchange will open up the market to investors worldwide -
Investors need cash guarantees to fund Gulf projects
Mubadala may find that in today’s environment, cash flow is more attractive than its own good name -
Khalifa Abdullah al-Suwaidi
A key figure in the region’s fertiliser sector -
Khalifa port operator seeks tariff increase
Netherlands-based APM Terminals, which operates Bahrain’s Khalifa bin Salman Port, has requested an increase in the charges levied on its users -
Kipco
Kuwait Projects Company Holding is poised to capitalise on growth in largely untapped markets -
Kipco: MEED Assessment
Kuwait Projects Company Holding is poised to capitalise on growth in largely untapped markets -
Kuwaiti cabinet must support reform
Kuwait’s democratic system has become a victim of its own success. Without compliance from the cabinet, Kuwait cannot move ahead -
Michael Hogan
A key figure in the region’s fertiliser sector -
Middle East fertilisers
The six key figures in the region’s fertiliser sector are: Mohamed al-Mady, Khalifa Abdullah al-Suwaidi, Mostafa Terrab, Nassef Sawiris, Michael Hogan and Walid Kurdi -
Mostafa Terrab
A key figure in the region’s fertiliser sector -
Mubadala plans Sowwah Island tall-tower scheme in Abu Dhabi
State-run investment vehicle Mubadala Real Estate is working on early designs and feasibility studies for three more major buildings on its Sowwah Island development in Abu Dhabi -
Nassef Sawiris
A key figure in the region’s fertiliser sector -
Omani utility simplifies power plant tenders
Changes to pricing requirements mean commercial production at Sohar and Barka faces 12-month delay -
Q&A: Samer Khanachet, Chief Operating Officer, Kipco
COO Khanachet explains the company’s approach to the bond markets and its growth ambitions -
Qatar Petroleum seeks contractor for head office
State oil giant invites firms to express interest in deal to build new headquarters at Lusail -
Qatar Petroleum set to award consultancy deal
Qatar Petroleum (QP) is expected to award a three-year engineering service consultancy contract covering all of its projects by the end of October -
Saad debt deal lifts the gloom
The announcement that an agreement is close to being reached over the debts of the troubled Saudi conglomerate is good news for private sector firms seeking funding -
Saudi water utility rethinks contract plans
Saudi Arabia’s state-owned National Water Company (NWC) has changed the order in which it will tender three water management contracts -
Special Report: Saudi Arabia - Sharia stocks attract indices
Saudi banks have suffered considerably from lending to the Saad Group and Ahmad Hamad Algosaibi & Brothers Company. The troubled local conglomerates are thought to owe more than $15bn to banks, which have been forced to increase their provisions for bad debts this year as a result -
Strained relations begin to ease between Riyadh and Damascus
The pivotal relationship between Saudi Arabia and Syria has been poor over the past four years, but King Abdullah’s visit to Damascus may signal the start of an improvement -
Tasameem asks for prices on Dubai towers
Abu Dhabi-based Tasameem Real Estate has invited selected contractors to express interest in providing a cost estimate for a high-rise tower project in Dubai -
Tebodin wins Gasco flare reduction contract
State-owned energy firm Abu Dhabi Gas Industries Company (Gasco) has appointed the Netherlands’ Tebodin to oversee a major project to reduce the amount of gas it burns off at its Habshan processing facilities -
Time for Kuwait to move forward
Kuwait’s new parliament faces the first serious test of its ability to help the development of the economy -
Transparency will boost investment in Saudi Arabia
Far from being a closed market, the Tadawul is becoming a desirable destination for global capital -
Walid Kurdi
A key figure in the region’s fertiliser sector
