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Experts Debate Dubai’s Post-Recession Property Boom – Another Bubble or Sustained Recovery?

More than 750 senior real estate professionals prepped for Global Real Estate Summit and MENA Mortgage and Affordable Housing Congress Dubai, UAE, 11 August, 2013: With all sectors of the Dubai property market now gaining momentum in making a healthy

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Barking Up the Wrong Tree in St. Petersburg: G20 Hijacked by Syria Conflict

The world leaders gathered today in St. Petersburg for the G20 summit were supposed to discuss the slowdown of global economic growth and ways to combat tax evasion. This agenda has now been largely supplanted by developments in Syria and

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Small Egypt Farmers Catch the Eye of Agribusiness: IFAD Finds Key to Success

Twenty-odd years ago, groups of dispossessed farmers and unemployed youth were resettled on smallholdings in Upper Egypt. Authorities told the new arrivals to go till the desert soil. Plots – sandboxes really – of one to two hectares were duly

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Christopher Colford, World Bank: Competitive Cities Can Meet the Challenge of Job Creation

Focusing policies on competitive industries can provide jobs for the impoverished, hungry, restive urban millions As magnets for talent and crucibles of creativity, dynamic cities are the pacesetters for innovation in this era of relentless global competition. Vibrant metropolitan regions

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Looking for a Fig Leaf: US & UK Mull Punitive Action against Syria

Here we go again. The US and Britain are whipping themselves once more into a frenzy over the actions of an evil strongman in the Middle East. This time around the recipient of American and British ire is Syrian president

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Connecting a Country: Iraq Gears Up for a Telecoms Leap

In Iraq the budding telecom sector is to spearhead the country’s drive to full economic recovery. The Baghdad government has adopted a series of policies to encourage the sector’s growth through innovation and the early adoption of new technologies. The

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Use of Chemical Weapons in Damascus: UN Voices Deep Shock and Concern

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his shock at reports of alleged use of chemical weapons in Syria’s Damascus suburbs yesterday, as a United Nations team continues to investigate the matter in other parts of the war-torn country. Following a late-day closed-door

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Facebook Zero: Connecting the World

As Facebook is looking for growth it increasingly turns to Africa, India and the Middle East. These are about the only places left with vast markets and a pent-up demand for the services of the social network. Elsewhere on earth

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The Magic Number to Watch in Dubai: 2020

For Dubai the magic number is 2020. This is of course when the city-state hopes to host the World Expo. However, 2020 is also to herald the arrival of a new era. The emirate’s rulers seem decided to propel Dubai

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Empty Threats: Little to Fear from the Chattering Classes

Western intelligence services are sounding the alarm over a possible terrorist attack soon to strike Yemen or another country in the Middle East. Spying agencies noted a significant increase of “chatter” prompting the US government to close its embassy in

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