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Swedish arms manufacturers’ exports to Gulf states have been criticised after a string of deals by defence giant Saab. Saab’s most recent deal is a $669m contract to provide Saudi Arabia with the Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control system,
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan was in London for talks on 25 October with British Prime Minister David Cameron. Foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has been on a tour of Asia. In Vietnam, he held talks with President Nguyen Minh Triet, prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung and foreign minister Pham Gia Khiem.
Spain seeks tank contract with Saudi Arabia; New UAE naval base opened to secure exports
Ras Al-Khaimah ruler Sheikh Saqr Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi died on 27 October after a long illness. Sheikh Saqr, who was in his early 90s, took power in a bloodless coup in January 1948 and was thought to be one of the world’s longest-serving rulers.
The mandate for the current Federal National Council (FNC) expires in February, but there is still no news on whether the government plans to allow another election. Last week, several FNC members pressed the government to announce arrangements for the election of a new house, and to give the council more power. But the UAE’s ruling Supreme Council has failed to clarify the situation.
The UAE has lifted the ban on Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM)’s BlackBerry mobile phone services, which was due to be imposed on 11 October, saying the company was now in compliance with state regulatory law.
Allegations about Maan Al-Sanea were first made in the New York Supreme Court in a counter-claim after Ahmed Hamad Al-Gosaibi and Brothers (AHAB) was sued by the UAE-based Mashreq Bank, owned by the Al-Ghurair family, which claimed it was owed
The fallout from the dispute between two major Saudi business families continues to concern creditors, regional banks and international monetary authorities. Conventional wisdom has it that issues surrounding the Al-Gosaibi/Maan Al-Sanea defaults will be resolved by the authorities. But the Saudi system’s slow public response to the situation was undermining confidence even before international courts got involved
A dispute between Canada and the UAE over air traffic has cast doubt over the future of the secretive Camp Mirage, believed to be at Al-Minhad airbase in Dubai, an important hub for Canadian operations in Afghanistan and home to some 2,900 troops.
Pakistan, In his father’s footsteps, Returns home after treatment, Regional UN meeting, China visit, US/Canadian security meetings, Dinner in New York
Dubai’s return to the international credit market has been heralded as another sign that the commercial emirate is rebuilding confidence and balance sheets following its debt crisis. Less public is evidence that Abu Dhabi has built up a commanding position in the Dubai economy, much to Sheikh Mohammed’s discomfort
A move by UAE state telecommunications company Etisalat to buy a substantial stake in Kuwaiti telecoms player Zain comes as Abu Dhabi extends its ambitions to buy assets in the region following the global downturn.
Commitments by the United States to strengthen its Gulf allies have been confirmed with the public agreement of a multi-billion dollar defence deal intended to shift the balance of power from tipping into Iran’s favour, while allowing the US to safely reduce its boots-on-the-ground military presence in the region and create jobs at home
A number of Brazilian officials have visited the Gulf in 2010, resulting in several bilateral business announcements. The latest visitor, defence minister Nelson Jobim, was in the UAE for talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince
The Italian export credit agency Sace has guaranteed a $500m loan to General Holding Corporation, owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Sace said the proceeds would be used to expand the existing steel-making plant owned by Emirates Steel Industries (ESI), in the Mussafah industrial area.
