Gulf state

Assy Al Helani cancels concert in Qatar

Beirut - Michal Hadad

Sources revealed that Lebanese singer Assy Al Helani will not participate in a new concert in Qatar in coincidence with the New Year season, saying that he was scheduled to participate in a concert in the Gulf State. They said that his concert was scheduled to be presented by a large number of prominent figures. The sources have not revealed the reasonsRead more

Emir accuses blockade countries of wanting 'regime change'

Washington - Emirates Voice

Qatar's emir in an intervew airing Sunday accused Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies of seeking to topple his government with its nearly five month old political and economic embargo of the tiny Gulf state. "They want a regime change. It's... so obvious," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani told CBS' 60 Minutes. "History as well tells us, teaches us they triedRead more

Qatar's rating outlook now negative Qatar's rating outlook now negative

Abu Dhabi - Emirates Voice

Moody's Investor Service on Wednesday changed the outlook on Qatar's rating to negative from stable citing "economic and financial risks" arising from the Gulf state's ongoing dispute with a group of countries, including three GCC states and Egypt. The ratings agency, which believes that "a quick resolution is unlikely and that the stalemate may continue" for some time, stopped shortRead more

Saudi King met with Kuwaiti Emir to discuss

Riyadh - Saeed Al Ghamedi

Saudi King Salman Bin Abdel Aziz met with Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah on Tuesday to discuss the recent developments on the regional level and the bilateral relations between the two countries. Meanwhile, Bahraini King Hamad Bin Eissa is scheduled to conduct a visit to Jeddah to meet with King Salman on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia’s foreignRead more

Qatar slaps travel ban on rights lawyer

Dubai - AFP

Authorities in Qatar have barred a prominent human rights lawyer and former justice minister from leaving the country, a rights group said on Friday. Najeeb al-Nuaimi was also a lead defence lawyer in ousted Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's trial, and has since voluntarily defended prisoners of conscience in the Gulf state. "Authorities in Qatar prevented... Nuaimi from travelling without informingRead more

Minister faces confidence vote over sports ban

Kuwait - Arab Today

Opposition lawmakers in Kuwait on Tuesday filed for the information and youth minister to face a confidence vote after blaming him for causing a 15-month international sports ban. The move came after a marathon 10-hour questioning in parliament of Sheikh Salman Humoud Al-Sabah, a member of the ruling family, for also failing to lift the ban. The confidence vote willRead more

Kuwait jails Filipina for joining Daesh jihadists

Kuwait City - Arab Today

A Kuwaiti court on Monday sentenced a Filipino woman to 10 years in jail after convicting her of joining the Islamic State jihadist group and plotting attacks. The ruling, which is not final, also calls for deporting the 32-year old after serving her term. The woman was arrested in August, two months after arriving in the oil-rich Gulf state toRead more

Gulf corporate earnings slide 8% in H1

Kuwait City - Arab Today

The earnings of Gulf-listed firms dropped eight percent in the first half of 2016 due to low oil prices and a lack of liquidity, a report said Sunday. Net profits of over 650 firms on the region's bourses reached $32.8 billion in the six months against $35.6 billion for the same period of 2015, said Kuwait Financial Centre Markaz. AllRead more