Sunday 27 April 2014

Why the European Parliament matters - YouTube

Why the European Parliament matters - YouTube: ""



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MIDEAST STOCKS-Most Gulf markets weak but Dubai, Saudi rise | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters

MIDEAST STOCKS-Most Gulf markets weak but Dubai, Saudi rise | Agricultural Commodities | Reuters:



" Dubai, lifted by property-related stocks, and Saudi Arabia, supported by food producer Almarai, were the only gaining share markets in an otherwise weak Gulf on Sunday.



The main Dubai index climbed 0.6 percent, largely on the back of real estate developer Emaar Properties and builder Arabtec Holding.



Trading volume was moderate, however, and fell by about 40 percent from Thursday's level - possibly a sign that some investors have started withdrawing from the market in anticipation of a downward correction after this year's huge gain of 52 percent.



Shares in Emaar, which fell 1.4 percent in the previous session after the firm's annual shareholder meeting did not hike the 2013 dividend beyond the board's proposal as some investors had hoped, closed up 1.9 percent. At 11.00 dirhams, the stock came close to the six-year high of 11.15 dirhams which it hit last week."



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Turkey to become global energy hub: World Bank director - ENERGY

Turkey to become global energy hub: World Bank director - ENERGY:



"Turkey has a good chance of becoming an energy hub if it maintains the historical gains it made in the last decade, Martin Raiser, country director for Turkey of the World Bank, said on Friday.



“Turkey has taken major steps in the past decade and nearly half of them were to implement independent regulatory institutions to strengthen the rule of law to improve business opportunities,” Raiser told Anadolu Agency during the International Energy and Environment Fair and Conference in Istanbul.



“It is very important for the government to restore the confidence that investors have in the quality of the regulatory framework and the independence of the regulatory agencies, whether it is the EMRA [Energy Market Regulatory Authority] in energy sector, or the BRSA [Bank Regulation and Supervision Agency] in the banking sector, or the Central Bank in monetary policy,” he said. "



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BR Shetty: The return of the prodigal son | The National

BR Shetty: The return of the prodigal son | The National:



"BR Shetty cuts a fine figure as he strides into the lobby of the Taj hotel in Mangalore dressed in an elegant gold-coloured kurta.



The hotel manager immediately recognises Mr Shetty and rushes to greet him before I get the chance to introduce myself to the chief executive and managing director of the remittance firm, UAE Exchange, and the founding partner and chief executive of the healthcare company, NMC, based in Abu Dhabi.



According to this year’s Forbes rich list, Mr Shetty is one of eight billionaires in the UAE, with a wealth of US$1 billion."



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UAE should be concerned about property flipping, says Emaar chairman | The National

UAE should be concerned about property flipping, says Emaar chairman | The National:



"The Emaar chairman, Mohammed Alabbar, has warned about off-plan sales as the Government and other developers take steps to reduce speculation on property prices.



“We need to learn from the mistakes of the past,” Mr Alabbar said at Emaar’s annual general meeting last week in Dubai. “We need to be concerned about flipping.”



Flipping was in part blamed for the extent of the housing market crisis in 2008 – when speculators bought unfinished properties and sold them on to third parties within a short time, inflating property prices."



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Etihad waiting to affirm position in Virgin Australia | GulfNews.com

Etihad waiting to affirm position in Virgin Australia | GulfNews.com:



"Etihad Airways took a 3.96 per cent stake in Virgin Australia almost two years ago on the open market. The move signalled a series of “creep investments”, which took Etihad to eventually hold a 19.9 per cent stake in the Australian carrier.



Today, (Saturday), the Abu Dhabi government-backed airline is waiting on regulatory approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) to lift its stake past 20 per cent. It has been waiting several months as the FIRB completes its due diligence processes.



Equity stake partnership are not unique for Etihad, it has stakes in six other airlines. But the Virgin Australia partnership is different from the others."



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Etihad waiting to affirm position in Virgin Australia | GulfNews.com

Etihad waiting to affirm position in Virgin Australia | GulfNews.com:



"Etihad Airways took a 3.96 per cent stake in Virgin Australia almost two years ago on the open market. The move signalled a series of “creep investments”, which took Etihad to eventually hold a 19.9 per cent stake in the Australian carrier.



Today, (Saturday), the Abu Dhabi government-backed airline is waiting on regulatory approval from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) to lift its stake past 20 per cent. It has been waiting several months as the FIRB completes its due diligence processes.



Equity stake partnership are not unique for Etihad, it has stakes in six other airlines. But the Virgin Australia partnership is different from the others."



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Aster working its way towards mid-sized IPO | GulfNews.com

Aster working its way towards mid-sized IPO | GulfNews.com:



"Aster DM Healthcare is looking at a mid-sized IPO in the range of $200-250 million (Dh734-918 million) with the listing to be decided among three candidates — Nasdaq Dubai, a stock exchange in India or on the London bourse. A decision on the likely date to go public will be decided within the company’s current financial year, which ends March 31, 2015.



“A lot of positive energy will get generated on the Indian stock exchange if a clear verdict emerges post the current general elections there,” said Dr Azad Moopen, chairman and managing director at Aster. “Market multiples in India for health care entities are getting better and likely to go up further.



“At the same time, a listing in London gives an international profile; and there’s also Nasdaq Dubai whose prospects can only go up with all that’s happening within the UAE/Gulf.”"



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