Middle East

London, Jul 13: Dubai property transactions plunged by 23 percent in the second quarter, according to a report from Chestertons. But the weak property market is good news for renters who benefitted from a 2 percent decline in rents for both apartment and villas over the quarter, the estate agency said. The Dubai property market has remained in the doldrums for about three years as weak oil prices

Jeddah, Jul 12: Qatar and the United States have signed an agreement to help combat "terrorism financing" during a visit to Doha by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Tillerson made the announcement on Tuesday during a joint news conference in the Qatari capital. Tillerson is in Doha pushing for dialogue to resolve a dispute

Kuwait City, Jul 11: An Indian overseas employee, Mukesh Kumar working at Al-Lewaa Security Service of Farwaniya in Kuwait was suspended from his job with immediate effect for his allegedly provocative post on Facebook. The company confirmed his suspension over mail. Kumar wrote on his timeline that Indian Hindus should boycott the essential commodities like cosmetics, clothes, garage from the

Kuwait, Jul 11: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has arrived in Kuwait at the start of a four-day visit to Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to help seek a resolution to the ongoing Gulf crisis. On Monday evening, Tillerson met with the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah and other senior Kuwaiti officials to discuss the ongoing efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute. "We are trying to

Kuwait City, Jul 10: US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is expected to arrive in Kuwait on Monday to help seek a resolution to the crisis between Qatar and four Arab states. Tillerson will "meet with senior Kuwait officials to discuss the ongoing efforts to resolve the Gulf dispute", the state department said in a statement. His presence in the region leaves open the possibility that he may try

Mosul, Jul 9: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory in the "liberated" city of Mosul today, his office said, in the biggest defeat yet for the Islamic State group. Abadi "arrives in the liberated city of Mosul and congratulates the heroic fighters and the Iraqi people on the achievement of the major victory," his office said in a statement. The announcement comes after a gruelling

Jeddah, Jul 9: King Salman on Saturday vowed to punish those who dare to harm Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Press Agency reported. In phone calls to the relatives of the policemen who where killed in Qatif this week, the king said Saudi Arabia was firmly determined to face whoever dares to harm the stability and security of the nation and hold them accountable. On Saturday morning, a security patrol in

Muscat, Jul 8: The Central Bank of Oman ordered all local commercial banks and exchange companies to trade the Qatari riyal at the official exchange rate. "The Central Bank of Oman will also accept Qatari riyals and provide exchange services if needed," the statement said. The Qatari currency came under pressure as Gulf commercial banks began to hold off on dealing with Qatari banks because of the

Jeddah, Jul 7: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have vowed to take 'political, economic and legal measures' after Qatar's refusal to accept a list of demands presented by the four countries. In a joint statement released late on Thursday, the Saudi-led group also blamed Qatar for "continuing to seek to sabotage and undermine the security and stability in the Gulf region".

Cairo, Jul 6: Four Arab states calling for combating terrorism vowed Wednesday to maintain their boycott of Qatar, criticizing its “negative” response to their list of demands to end the diplomatic crisis. Doha’s response, they said, was “not serious” and betrayed Qatar’s “failure” to realize the gravity of the situation. The announcement followed a meeting by foreign ministers from the four