Business

Global port terminal operator Gulftainer, recorded an 8 percent growth in container volume in 2014, handling a total of 6.4 million twenty-foot-equivalent units (TEUs) across its global operations portfolio. Gulftainer is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sharjah-based Crescent Enterprises and operates Sharjah Container Terminal (SCT) located at Port Khaled in the heart of the city of Sharjah, Khorfakkan Container Terminal (KCT) ...

Expo Centre Sharjah chief executive officer Saif Mohammed Al Midfa has been elected as the chairman of Arabian Gulf Chapter of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the leading association for the global exhibition industry. The IAEE’s Gulf chapter represents the region’s US$1.3 billion (AED 4.8b) meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) industry. IAEE is the largest association ...

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) and Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, have signed an MoU to promote Sharjah’s strategic projects and brands across the globe. The MoU, signed by Mr Adel A. Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, and HE Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, ...

Sharjah Islamic Bank (SIB) issued an unsecured US$ 500 million (AED 1.8b) 5-year Islamic bond or sukuk on Tuesday, which was oversubscribed by more than seven times. According to SIB, the bank’s fourth sukuk received around 120 orders worth US$ 3.6 billion (AED 13 b). Sharjah Islamic Bank issued its first successful Islamic bond in 2006 and currently has two sukuk, one US$400 million ...

India’s largest manufacturer of polymer emulsions for paints and coatings, textiles and adhesives has officially opened a new US$ 51 million (AED 187m) emulsions plant in Sharjah’s Hamriyah Free Zone Authority (HFZA) commencing operations in April. Visen Industries Ltd. (VIL) is the market leader in India with regular customers like Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac and Jotun Paints. The ...

Forty-nine homeowners have taken possession of new properties in the US$1.36 billion (AED5 b) Al Zahia mixed-use gated community development in Sharjah. According to the developers, fifty-one homes have been completed, including two show homes, and another 197 units will be built by Q2 2016. Developed by Majid Al Futtaim and owned by the government company Sharjah Holding, the community ...

Sharjah-based property company, JMS Property Development and Management, has announced the launch of a mixed use, multi-purpose property development in Sharjah’s popular Al Nadha district. The AED 700 million (US$191 m) development, called Al Rayyan, will include residential, commercial and retail units covering a total of 251,000 square metres (2,700,000 sq. ft.). Designed by architectural firm B&H, Al Rayyan will ...

Sharjah-headquartered Air Arabia (AIRARABI:DFM), the largest low-cost carrier operator in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced a net profit of AED 566 million (US$ 154m) for 2014, up 30 percent on its net profit for 2013. The airline’s turnover for 2014 increased by 17 percent to AED 3.7 billion (US$ 1b), driven by growth in passenger numbers. Air ...

The UAE’s first full-service freehold residential plots have been announced in Sharjah by Shoumous Properties, a joint venture between Albatha Real Estate and Moafaq Al Gaddah (MAG) Group. Unlike the many other freehold residential developments in the United Arab Emirates, the Shoumous Residential Complex will allow investors to build and sell their own homes according to Sharjah’s real estate regulations. ...

The United Arab Emirates registered strong growth in private sector production, purchasing and employment during January, according to HSBC‘s monthly Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), compiled by Markit, a global financial information and services company. Experts predict a slowing in some economic activity during this year as a result of lower oil prices, however January’s index showed a three-month high. The ...