LONDON (AFP) - The emir of Qatar has expressed an interest in the auction house Christie's as the Gulf state seeks to establish itself as a cultural centre, in comments to a newspaper published Monday.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani told the Financial Times that he would not hold back if an opportunity came up to bid for the auction house and fine art business.
"We are building a museum and [...]
DUBAI (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund on Sunday urged higher government spending in the oil-rich Gulf countries in 2011, with recovering crude prices easing the pressure on post-crisis financial stimulus.
"Where fiscal space is available, particularly in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council)... and signs of either self-sustaining private sector activity or overheating are absent, fiscal po [...]
ABU DHABI (AFP) - Lebanese film "Here Comes the Rain" (Shatti Ya Dini) that tells the story of missing persons from the country's civil war won a Black Pearl award at the Abu Dhabi Film Festival on Friday.
"I dedicate my film to all those who are in love with freedom and peace in Lebanon," said director Bahij Hojeij, after his film won the 100,000 dollar prize in the Best Narrative Film f [...]
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwait has added at least 12 billion barrels of crude oil to its reserves, which are estimated at over 100 billion barrels, following a comprehensive study, a newspaper reported on Thursday.
Citing well-informed oil sources, Al-Jarida daily said the new oil was found in Greater Burgan, the world's second largest oilfield after Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, with reserves es [...]
DUBAI (AFP) - The Federal Supreme Court in the United Arab Emirates has ruled that a man can beat his wife and young children as long as no marks are left, The National newspaper reported on Monday.
The court ruled that "a man has the right to discipline his wife and children provided he does not leave physical marks," the Abu Dhabi-owned newspaper reported in its online edition.
"Althou [...]
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwaiti writer-director Fajer al-Saeed has been questioned over accusations that she tried to overthrow the Gulf state's government through a television comedy show, her lawyer said on Sunday.
"She was questioned by the public prosecutor on Thursday over a complaint by the information ministry and was released without bail," Faisal al-Enezi told AFP.
The prosecutor accused [...]
KUWAIT CITY (AFP) - Kuwaiti coastguards have arrested eight Iraqi fishermen for violating the emirate's territorial waters in the second such incident in a week, the interior ministry said on Saturday.
The Kuwaitis intercepted an Iraqi vessel off Bubyan Island, north of Kuwait City, and arrested all eight men onboard, said a statement, cited by the official KUNA news agency.
The ministry sai [...]
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ABU DHABI (AFP) - Abu Dhabi on Thursday opened the fourth edition of its international film festival with the latest work of an outspoken Iranian filmmaker who was freed on bail after three months in an Iranian jail.
"The Accordion", by Jafar Panahi, is a short film shot in Tehran recounts the adventures of two young street musicians who can no longer play after an incident in which their instr [...]
DUBAI (AFP) - Environmental awareness needs to be increased in Gulf states, which the WWF says have among the highest per capita ecological footprints in the world, an Emirates Wildlife Society official said Thursday.
"We believe that there's a lot more awareness that needs to happen," said the society's policy director Tanzeed Alam, when asked what needs to be done to decrease Gulf states' gen [...]
DUBAI (AFP) - The United Arab Emirates is tipped to post lower-than-expected economic growth of 2.9 percent in 2011, a bank said Thursday, blaming slower investments and global demand.
"We now expect a weaker acceleration in real GDP" in 2011, EFG-Hermes investment bank said in a quarterly report, while maintaining its gross domestic product estimate at 1.7 percent for this year.
The forecast [...]
Passengers jump out of plane in India after bad landing
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