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Shane McGinley

News Editor

An award-winning editor with over 20 years of experience in the media industry, across newspapers, magazines, digital, TV and radio. A resident of Dubai since 2008, Shane has held senior roles at some of the Gulf’s biggest media outlets, including Head of News at Expo 2020 Dubai, Editorial Director of Arabian Business, and Head of Editorial Content for Emerging Businesses at Thomson Reuters Middle East. He attended the International Journalists Seminar at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York City as one of the winners of the Citi Journalistic Excellence Awards 2015, representing the UAE

Shane McGinley
Katrina Kaif for Etihad

Moving from Kidman to Kaif, Etihad looks east

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has appointed Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif as its new brand ambassador, showing the Abu Dhabi carrier’s increased focus on the fast-growing eastern markets. The association was unveiled through a series of videos showcased on social channels. Amina Taher, vice-president of brand, marketing and sponsorship at Etihad Airways, […]

Set up companies Qatar

Qatar kicks back after post-World Cup slump

There has been a rise in international companies considering a move to Qatar following a post-World Cup slump. Experts believe the spike in interest is partly due to the UAE’s decision to introduce corporate tax as well as an update to Qatar’s Single Window system, which was launched in 2019 to help companies set up […]

India's onion harvest was hit by poor rainfall, so its government moved to protect domestic supply

Gulf’s many-layered reaction to India’s new onion export tax

Omani farmers could be one of the few beneficiaries of India’s decision to impose a 40 percent export duty on onions, while UAE restaurateurs are bracing for another hike in food costs. India is the world’s biggest exporter of onions, but a lack of rain this summer has affected harvests and prices have already risen […]

Wealthy London districts such as Kensington are attractive to Gulf investors, but they must consider the tax implications of buying property there

Gulf property buyers in the dark over UK ‘death tax’

Whether it is a second home in Kensington or an apartment for their children studying at university, Gulf investors have spent billions on UK property over the decades – but many are oblivious to the tax implications, especially when it comes to inheritance tax. His Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) applies 40 percent inheritance tax […]

Taxi in UAE caught in flooding

UAE invests in battle against severe flooding

UAE government bodies and residents are working proactively to combat the impact of severe flooding, as climate change leads to increased levels of rainfall. Dubai Municipality said it received more than 100 emergency calls at the weekend as a result of severe weather conditions, and the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) has warned that heavy […]

Visitors to Saudi Arabia perform the Umrah pilgrimage

Saudi expands online visa programme in tourism drive

Saudi Arabia has added eight new countries to its list of nationalities that can apply for a tourist visa online, as the kingdom aims to attract 100 million visitors per year by 2030. The addition of Albania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, South Africa, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to the e-visa system allows people from these countries […]

PepsiCo, Deloitte, PwC, Tim Hortons and Bosch are among the multinational firms that have set up regional HQs in Riyadh

Looming deadline sees scramble for Riyadh offices

As an end of year deadline for setting up regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia looms, international companies are taking lower grade Riyadh office space due to a shortage of availability in prime locations. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced in February 2021 plans to transform Riyadh into one of the top cities in the world, […]

Workers in rice field

UAE restaurants feel the squeeze from rice restrictions

The UAE has banned the export of rice for four months, and while most restaurant owners have sufficient excess stock in place, some are concerned supply chain disruptions will lead to increased costs. The Gulf state said the ban will cover rice of all varieties, including brown rice, fully or partially milled rice and broken […]

Jane Fonda strike

Hollywood strikes a blow to Mena film industry

When it came to creating the epic sunset scenes for the upcoming Dune movie sequel, director Denis Villeneuve chose the sand dunes of Jordan and Abu Dhabi to stand in for the futuristic desert planet of Arrakis.  Local fans sitting down to watch the movie this November should relish the occasion, as it may be […]

UAE PC sales

Sales slump ‘does not signal end’ for PCs in UAE

The ongoing decline in PC sales in the UAE reflects a worldwide trend of decreasing shipments of desktop computers, say analysts. Global shipments of PCs shrunk by 16.6 percent year on year to 59.7 million in the second quarter of this year. It marked the seventh consecutive global quarterly decline. Local UAE industry experts say […]

Russian investors and developers are buying up rows of villas and homes in Dubai to rent to Russian nationals

Russians bucking trend in Dubai with bigger, pricier homes

Russian buyers are bucking the trend in Dubai real estate and buying bigger, more expensive houses as they make the emirate their new permanent home. Residential property prices in the emirate climbed at their fastest rate in almost a decade in the first half of this year. Villas topped previous records set in 2014. Property […]

UAE tax revenues

Tax revenues fail to offset $4bn drop in UAE federal balance

The UAE federal government’s balance sheet decreased by nearly $4 billion, or 38 percent, year on year in the first quarter of 2023, even though tax revenues rose 12 percent. Data from the UAE Government Finance Statistics Report for the first quarter of 2023, published on Tuesday by the UAE Ministry of Finance, found that […]

DHL

DHL buys Turkish firm to tap into e-commerce sector

DHL Group has bought Turkish parcel delivery company MNG Kargo, as the German logistics giant looks to tap into Turkey’s fast-growing ecommerce industry. “E-commerce remains one of the biggest growth drivers for logistics services and especially for parcel volumes,” CEO Tobias Meyer said. “We, therefore, continuously work to expand our footprint.” DHL will buy MNG […]

Weak global growth in 2024 could prompt further Opec+ cuts if the oil market shifts decisively into surplus, said Fitch Ratings

Oil cuts take $11bn bite out of Saudi exports

Saudi Arabia’s decision to scale back oil production cut the kingdom’s total exports in the last year by $11 billion, according to data published on Tuesday by the General Authority for Statistics. Overall merchandise exports from Saudi Arabia amounted to SAR 97.1 billion ($25.89 billion) in May 2023, down 32.1 percent year on year. The […]

The Jumeirah Lake Towers area is proving popular with Norwegian investors looking for commercial property

Norwegians return to Dubai commercial property sector

Norwegian investors were the second-largest group active in Dubai’s commercial real estate in the second quarter of the year, marking a dramatic return after being largely absent since before the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of sales transactions in Dubai’s commercial sector reached 3,080 in the second quarter of 2023, a year-on-year increase of 22 percent, […]

UAE passports

UAE passports gain most visa-free access since 2013

The UAE’s passport has recorded the biggest improvement over the last decade in access to global markets, as the Gulf state develops international tourism and trade. Figures from the Henley Passport Index show that Emirati passport holders enjoy access to 179 out of 226 countries and territories without requiring a visa in advance. This places […]

Qiddiya tourism school

Gulf loses out as world’s richest invest closer to home

Wealthy family offices are focusing more on their home markets rather than the Middle East this year. Investments in the region are therefore set to decrease sharply in the short-term, a senior executive at Swiss global wealth manager UBS told AGBI. Maximilian Kunkel, chief investment officer for the global family and institutional wealth team at […]

Dubai, construction workers, pandemic

Dubai real estate still playing catch-up after pandemic

Dubai’s real estate market is experiencing soaring demand but the supply shortfall from the Covid pandemic is still having an impact and is likely to remain for at least another two years, experts have said. Residential property prices in the emirate climbed at their fastest rate in almost a decade in the first half of […]

Arada Sharjah Masaar

Sharjah real estate sales surge from Dubai spillover

The loosening of buying rules and a steady spillover of tenants from Dubai has boosted real estate sales in its neighbouring emirate Sharjah. Arada, a master developer in the emirate, has reported a 186 percent increase in sales during the first half of this year. It sold a total of 1,616 homes worth a total […]

MMI's stores have reported double-digital sales growth since Dubai's alcohol tax cut

Dubai alcohol tax cut saving swallowed by most venues

Six months after Dubai suspended its 30 percent sales tax on alcohol, most hospitality venues have not passed on savings to consumers – but retailers have, driving up sales. Mike Glen, managing director at Maritime and Mercantile International (MMI), one of the main alcohol distributors in the emirate, estimates that only around 30 percent of […]

Egypt startup funding

Egypt’s currency slump deters startup investors

Egypt’s economic woes have led to a 70 percent decline in the number of startup funding deals in the first half of the year. The country’s currency devaluation and other ongoing economic challenges are deterring investors, industry experts said. Funding for startups across the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) fell 21 percent year-on-year to […]

Royal Jet aircraft Abu Dhabi Video length: 05:43

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet expands into Asia

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet is expanding into Asia with plans to acquire a share of a private aviation business located close to Kuala Lumpur. It is buying the Malaysian aviation business operated by Sapura Resources Berhad at Subang International Airport. “We are keen to expand our business in Asia,” Mohammed Husain Ahmed, CEO of Royal […]