http://www.ft.com/world/mideast/financehttp://www.ft.com/rss/world/mideast/financeFT.com - World, Middle East - Financeen© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.support@ft.comWed, 23 Jul 2008 17:22 BSTThu, 24 Jul 2008 20:25:56 BSTNewspapers15http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/world/mideast/finance(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e37aba6e-58c8-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e37aba6e-58c8-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlYou would think Saudi Arabia's stock exchange would be soaring but in fact it is languishingWed, 23 Jul 2008 16:44 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ee923a08-58c8-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ee923a08-58c8-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlThe head of HSBC's wholesale business in the Middle East and its Islamic finance unit says the region is central to the bank's plansWed, 23 Jul 2008 17:22 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2af09fcc-580f-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2af09fcc-580f-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlTo many Israelis, the geology of the Middle East has always seemed unfair. While other countries in the region have been raking in hydrocarbon riches for decades, Israel has searched for oil and gas largely in vainTue, 22 Jul 2008 23:03 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9afa5bea-581f-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9afa5bea-581f-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlMubadala, Abu Dhabi's increasingly powerful state investment vehicle, said it planned to become one of General Electric's biggest institutional investors as it announced a series of deals with the US group, including a $8bn joint venture to set up a commercial finance businessTue, 22 Jul 2008 21:11 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e3e1bfa0-5343-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e3e1bfa0-5343-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlThe credit crunch is easing a shortage of finance professionals in Dubai and other Middle East centresWed, 16 Jul 2008 16:27 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1b6e9f2e-5344-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1b6e9f2e-5344-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlA deeper, wider market is necessary to attract institutional investors to Dubai's exchange, and retail investors will probably have to be induced back tooWed, 16 Jul 2008 15:55 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/168bb92c-4dd3-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/168bb92c-4dd3-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlSpurred by an influx of international institutional money, banks are striving to expand their research teams to meet the requirements of investors who demand hard analysisWed, 9 Jul 2008 18:29 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9f58ed4-4dd2-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d9f58ed4-4dd2-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlA United Arab Emirates-German venture is building a sturgeon fish farm in Abu Dhabi which aims to provide a lucrative export opportunity as it seeks to diversify away from oilWed, 9 Jul 2008 17:49 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43b48840-4b1f-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/43b48840-4b1f-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlAbu Dhabi has reignited speculation that the United Arab Emirates, one of the world's main holders of dollar-denominated assets, might break its peg to the US dollarMon, 7 Jul 2008 18:38 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0657a0c4-4c3f-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/0657a0c4-4c3f-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlNew entrants and the expansion plans of existing large Islamic banks are straining the dwindling stock of bankers familiar with Islamic financeMon, 7 Jul 2008 18:35 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1df332e8-4c3f-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1df332e8-4c3f-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlDuring the past few weeks many big banks have moved some of their most senior bankers to the Middle East as their traditional sources of revenue in Europe have dried upMon, 7 Jul 2008 18:26 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4c6a06fa-4baf-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4c6a06fa-4baf-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlThe Gulf state's finance ministry hopes to raise a premium to the $1.1bn market value of the stake in Oman Telecommunications Company as its privatisation continuesMon, 7 Jul 2008 02:09 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e0c488b6-4b7d-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e0c488b6-4b7d-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlEven as Syria is looking to restore ties with the west, reflected in improved diplomatic relations with France, Damascus has been careful to foster relations with other powersSun, 6 Jul 2008 23:22 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c47e8c72-4b93-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c47e8c72-4b93-11dd-a490-000077b07658.htmlThe Qatari Investment Authority is talking to potential new partners, including Blackstone, about possible ways to recapitalise Four Seasons HealthcareSun, 6 Jul 2008 22:55 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b9441ac-484a-11dd-a851-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6b9441ac-484a-11dd-a851-000077b07658.htmlThe Saudi regulator has given institutional trading a boost by introducing book-running and licensing brokeragesWed, 2 Jul 2008 17:34 BST