Minister blames dollar peg for strikes
Reason for wave of protests is falling value of dirham due to link to dollar, UAE labour minister says.

UAE flatly rejects citizenship for foreign workers
Labour minister rules out expats gaining citizenship after living in Emirates for five years.

Palestine firm plans $200mn Arab town
Affordable housing for 25,000 people to be built north of Ramallah in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Al Jazeera to cover Haj pilgrimage
Move raises concern that the Arab network is toning down critical coverage of Saudi affairs.

UAE trains sights on terror funding
Central bank says public-private partnership the way forward in fight against money laundering.

Sabic resists pressure to hike salaries
Petrochemical giant offering alternatives such as training and foreign postings.

Iraq, Syria rekindle oil pipe dream
Countries agree to accelerate efforts to re-activate pipeline linking Kirkuk fields to Mediterranean.

Tecom pores over $5m film festival lawsuit
Legal experts are studying claims by former CEO that he was 'maliciously ousted'.

Ahmadinejad invited to Haj
Saudi king invites Iranian president to make Mecca pilgrimage for first time in countries' history.

Minimum wage still under review
No decision yet on whether UAE will introduce minimum wage, study currently underway, minister says.

Gulf states move to limit currency speculation
Qatar tightens lending curbs while matching Fed cut along UAE, Saudi and Bahrain.

Triple car bombs kill 25, injure 151
Explosions in Iraq's southern Shi'ite city of Amara deal blow to claims of stability in south of country.

Israeli incursion overshadows peace process
Israel, Palestine peace talks marred by Israeli settlement expansion and Gaza violence.

MPs blast police over shoe crackdown
Tehran police chief criticised by clerics for 'excessive zeal' over drive against women who wear high boots.

Nakheel joins Istithmar to expand hotels group
Dubai World consolidates hotel business under one banner to create single integrated investment firm.