MEED Middle East Economic Digest articles from June 2003

MEED Middle East Economic Digest archives from June 2003

Plenty of smoke, but still no gun. (Seven Days).(weapons of mass destruction in Iraq)
June 6, 2003... Seven inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) arrived in Baghdad on 6 June for the first time since the US-led invasion to check reports of looting at the Tuwaitha nuclear facility amid warnings that Iraq could be facing a...

Aqaba summit belies internal divisions. (Seven Days).
June 6, 2003... Shortly before the eruption of the Al-Aqsa intifada in September 2000, a poll conducted by the Israeli daily Haaretz found that the majority of Israeli citizens felt that the greatest threat to the Jewish state was not the Palestinians, nor the...

Iran rejects US rhetoric. (Seven Days).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 4 June issued a defiant response to the recent spate of US accusations and threats against Tehran. Speaking at a gathering to mark the anniversary of the death of his predecessor, Khamenei told crowds in...

The World Bank. (News in Brief: Iran).(Iran receives financing for post-earthquake reconstruction)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The World Bank on 4 June announced the extension of a $180 million loan to Tehran to finance reconstruction following two major earthquakes last year (MEED 28:6:02). The funds will be used to rebuild homes, schools and hospitals. and to...

A Kuwaiti man was sentenced to death on 4 June for the killing of a US citizen in January. (News in Brief: Kuwait).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * A Kuwaiti man was sentenced to death on 4 June for the killing of a US citizen in January. Sami al-Mutairi was found guilty of carrying out the attack on the car of two civilian contractors working for the US military, in which one died and...

Two policemen and one suspected terrorist were killed on 31 May during a shoot out in Riyadh. (News in Brief: Saudi Arabia).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Two policemen and one suspected terrorist were killed on 31 May during a shoot out in Riyadh, as the authorities continued the crackdown sparked by the 12 May suicide attacks in the capital (MEED 16:5:03). The policemen died when fleeing...

Iranian Oil Company. (Time was).(40 years ago)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... 7 June 1963 Kuwait joins a dispute over an offshore oil exploration area in the northern Gulf put out to bid by the Iranian Oil Company -- Iraq also lays claim to the territory

UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar. (Time was).(15 years ago)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... 10 June 1988 UN Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar holds talks with both Baghdad and Tehran in an attempt to bring an end to the Iran-Iraq war

Chief UN arms inspector Richard Butler. (Time was).(5 years ago)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... 5 June 1998 Chief UN arms inspector Richard Butler prepares to unveil a "roadmap" showing Iraq what steps to take to get sanctions lifted

The great Kuwait debate. .(Cover Story)
June 6, 2003... Economic and political changes in Kuwait have long been due. With Saddam Hussain's regime toppled in Iraq and a date set for the next National Assembly (parliament) elections comes the possibility of renewed momentum in the reform process. ...

Bechtel signs up first Iraqi contractor. (Iraq Reconstruction).(Al-Bunnia Trading Co.)
June 6, 2003... Baghdad-based Al-Bunnia Trading Company became on 30 May the first Iraqi contractor to win work on the Iraq capital contract programme, following the signing of a design and build subcontract with main contractor, the US' Bechtel. The...

Jordan Telecom to open data link with Iraq. (Iraq Reconstruction).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Jordan Telecom (JT) is dose to completing the installation of a high-speed fibre optic cable link from. Amman to the border with Iraq which will open up data services from Baghdad. Chief executive officer Pierre Mattel told MEED on 1 June that...

US prepares second stage of oil management contracts. (Iraq Reconstruction).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The US' Department of Defence (DoD) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are close to announcing new contracts for the nest stage in the rehabilitation of Iraq's oil infrastructure. "Right now we are very close to finalising our...

UK consultant engineer Halcrow, has announced plans to open a representative office in Baghdad. (News in Brief).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * UK consultant engineer Halcrow, has announced plans to open a representative office in Baghdad. The office will be backed up by resources from the company's office in Dubai. The firm is already operating in the country, providing civil...

The US Agency for International Development (USAID). (News in Brief).(cooperative agreements with nonprofits)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced in late May the award of five cooperative agreements to non-governmental organisations for its community action programme (CAP) in Iraq. The five -- Mercy Corps, International Relief...

US Defence Logistics Agency (DLA). (News in Brief).(food supply contracts)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Three Gulf companies have been awarded contracts by the US Defence Logistics Agency (DLA), an agency of the Department of Defence, to supply food and other products to the US military in the region. Kuwait's Public Warehousing Company (PWC)...

The Defence Information Systems Agency, a division of the US Department of Defence (DoD). (News in Brief).(Motorola receives contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The Defence Information Systems Agency, a division of the US Department of Defence (DoD), has confirmed the award of a $15.8 million contract to the US' Motorola to set up a "first responders network" to co-ordinate security efforts in Baghdad,...

Revealed: the seven men who will run Iraq. (Iraq Reconstruction).
June 6, 2003... Five US officials and two Britons are to be appointed to head the seven directorates making up the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) created on 1 June to administer Iraq until a new constitution and representative government is formed,...

USAID issues agriculture RFP. (Iraq Reconstruction).(United States Agency for International Development, request for proposal )(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The US Agency for International Development (USAID) issued on 4 June another request for proposal (RFP) on its Iraq reconstruction programme- For the latest, covering the reconstruction and development of the agriculture sector, contractors...

'Irregularities' discovered at Burgan. (Banking & Finance).(Burgan Bank)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Alleged fraudulent accounting irregularities have been uncovered at Burgan Bank. Note 26 of the bank's financial statements, signed by chairman and managing director, Abdulaziz al-Nabhan, says: "The external auditors identified certain...

Borealis offers debt to the region. (Banking & Finance).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Copenhagen-based Borealis has mandated Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi (BTM) and National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) to lead arrange a $200 million term loan. Syndication will be exclusively targeted at regional financial institutions. It will be...

BIB embraces rescue package. (Banking & Finance).(Bahrain Investment Bank)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Bahrain Investment Bank (BIB) has confirmed in a 4 June statement that its creditors have approved in principal a rescue package offered by Egypt-based Gulf Arab Investment Company (GIAC). The proposal entails an investor group led by GIAC...

Simmons & Simmons. (News in Brief: Qatar).(opens office in Doha)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * London-based legal firm Simmons & Simmons is to open an office in Doha in September. Simmons & Simmons says that it is the first UK Jaw firm to be invited to open an office in Qatar, under a new law which allows the government to grant...

Arab National Bank (ANB). (News in Brief: Saudi Arabia).(financial rating raised)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Cyprus-based ratings agency Capital Intelligence (CI) on 2 June raised the financial strength rating for Arab National Bank (ANB) to A from A-Long and short-term foreign currency ratings were maintained at A- and A2 respectively, with the...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
June 6, 2003... * The MEED league tables of GCC project-related and asset-backed finance have attracted considerable attention, not least for the unique perspective they give of the regional landscape (Banking, MEED Special Report, 21:3:03, pages 21-26)....

First Islamic Investment Bank. (News in Brief).(joint venture with Sunrise Senior Living )(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Regional Bahrain-based First Islamic Investment Bank on 3 June announced the formation of a joint venture with Sunrise Senior Living of the US to acquire indirect interests in a portfolio of three properties in the UK. First Islamic will take...

Arab Insurance Group (Arig). (People).(Khalid Ali al-Bustani named vice chairman)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Khalid Ali al-Bustani, the assistant under-secretary for revenue and budget at the UAE Ministry of Finance & Industry, has been appointed as group vice-chairman of Arab Insurance Group (Arig). Al Bustani joined Arig's board of directors last...

Chiyoda starts Qatargas II FEED. (Oil & Gas).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... A kick-off meeting was held in early June for the front end engineering and design (FEED) package on the Qatar Liquefied Gas Company II (Qatargas II) project. The selected contractor, Japan's Chiyoda Corporation, is due to take about five...

Bids in for Dolphin pipeline packages. (Oil & Gas).
June 6, 2003... Commercial bids from four international companies were submitted on 1 June for the first two engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) packages on the Dolphin gas project, which covers the sealines and export pipeline work. A further...

BP announces major Suez strike. (Oil & Gas).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... BP Egypt has announced the largest oil discovery in the Gulf of Suez in 14 years. The Saqqara well, which has estimated reserves of 80 million barrels, is the third major discovery the company has made during exploration around the El-Morgan...

Oil prices strong as OPEC meet approaches. (Oil & Gas).
June 6, 2003... Oil prices rose again in the first weak of June on fears that OPEC may cut production at its 11 June meeting, despite tight US stocks and constantly fluctuating reports on the state of the Iraqi oil industry. Brent was trading at $27.52 a...

The client, a consortium led by South Korea's LG Engineering & Construction. (News in Brief: Iran).(Pars Oil and Gas Co. contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors have been invited to prequalify for construction work related to the onshore facilities of phases 9-10 of the South Pars offshore gas scheme. The scope of works on the project covers...

BP Gas Marketing. (News in Brief: Oman).(contract with Oman LNG)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Oman LNG announced in early June a deal to supply the UK'S BP Gas Marketing with up to 4 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) starting from 2004. The gas will be delivered over a six-year period to BPS European markets by Oman LNG in...

Qatar Petroleum (QP). (News in Brief: Qatar).(ends negotiations with Ivanhoe Energy)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Canada's Ivanhoe Energy announced in late May that it had terminated negotiations with Qatar Petroleum (QP) over its planned integrated gas-to-liquids (GTL) project. "We are very disappointed that negotiations have not been successful,...

AI-Hammam Company for Construction & Maintenance (AHC). (News in Brief: Saudi Arabia).(Saudi Aramco contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Saudi Aramco has awarded two contracts related to the upgrade of its Riyadh refinery to the local AI-Hammam Company for Construction & Maintenance (AHC). The first contract, valued at $7 million, covers the replacement of the existing crude...

Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC). (News in Brief: Syria).(exploration and production sharing agreement )(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * State-owned Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) on 31 May announced the signing of an exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA) with a joint venture of Oklahoma-based Devon Energy and Texas's Gulfsands Petroleum for exploration in block...

Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer). (News in Brief: UAE).(contract for export facility)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Technical bids are under evaluation at Abu Dhabi Oil Refining Company (Takreer) for the front end engineering and design (FEED) contract on the new crude oil and condensate export facility at Ruwais. The bidders include Engineers India (EIL)...

Kvaerner E&C, part of the Oslo-based Aker Kvaerner group, and Foster Wheeler, VECO and Parsons. (News in Brief: UAE).(project management contract for gas development project)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Four international companies -- Kvaerner E&C, part of the Oslo-based Aker Kvaerner group, and Foster Wheeler, VECO and Parsons. all US-based -- have responded to an inquiry for a contract to provide project management consultancy (PMC)...

Decision nears on Q-Chem II FEED. (Petrochemicals).(Qatar Chemical Company II)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Qatar Chemical Company II (Q-Chem II) is expected to select by the end of June a front end engineering and design (FEED) contractor for its downstream petrochemical units at Mesaieed. About five international companies are competing for the...

Fresh prices in for ADNOC college. (Construction).(Abu Dhabi National Oil Company)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The local Arabian Construction Company (ACC) is again the low bidder for the main contract to build the petroleum engineering college in Khalifa B city, Abu Dhabi, after six international and local companies submitted revised commercial prices...

European consultants selected for Amran/Aden highway project. (Construction).(Dorsch Consult, Halcrow)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The Public Works & Urban Development Ministry has split the contract to draw up feasibility and detailed design studies for a proposed 459-kilometre-long highway from Amran to Aden. Germany's Dorsch Consult will carry out section 1, covering...

Databank: Economic indicators, 2001.
June 6, 2003... Databank: Economic indicators, 2001 Population GDP per GDP 2001 capita growth GDP (million) ($) (%) Imports Exports Algeria 55,365 ...

Bids in for China Town infrastructure works. (Construction).(United Arab Emirates)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... About eight companies submitted bids on 31 May for the estimated AED 200 million ($54 million) infrastructure package on the proposed China Town project in Dubai. The bidders include the local/UK Dutco Balfour Beatty, Saudi Bin Ladin Group...

Bidders line up for cultural village. (Construction).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Technical bid evaluation is under way for the main package on the cultural village project, which is to be built between the Aladdin Kingdom theme park and the Diplomatic quarter in the West Bay area of Doha. Local and international contractors...

Nine compete for Sur highway work. (Construction).
June 6, 2003... Nine international and local companies bid in late May for contracts on the project to build a coastal road linking Quriyat with the liquefaction facilities of Oman LNG in Sur. In a complicated bidding process, contractors were invited to...

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). (News in Brief: Qatar).(air base contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has issued a further solicitation of interest for the Millennium Village project at the Al-Udeid air base. Companies have been given until 16 June to respond to the solicitation, which came a month after...

The Marina Garden: laidback luxury. (Advertisement Feature).(residential project in Beirut)
June 6, 2003... Within the energetic bustle of the cosmopolitan city that is Beirut, is an unexpected oasis of natural serenity. The address on everybody's lips is Beirut's latest feat in reconstruction, Marina Towers. The exceptional residential project is...

Bids in for Al-Khiran township. (Construction).(contracts)
June 6, 2003... Bids are under evaluation from local companies for two infrastructure packages on the first-phase development of the proposed Al-Khiran township project (MEED 25:4:03). Mohamed Abdulmohsin Kharafi & Sons has submitted a low bid of KD 27.9...

Davis Langdon signs up to fight Beirut floods. (Construction).
June 6, 2003... Davis Langdon Lebanon has been appointed project manager for a $126 million programme to upgrade Beirut's drainage systems to prevent the city from flooding. The Council for Development & Reconstruction (COR) programme to separate the city's...

US Army Corps of Engineers. (News in Brief: Bahrain).(contract for naval base expansion)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Seventeen companies have registered interest with the US Army Corns of Engineers to carry out the $1 0 million-25 million expansion of the US Naval base in Manama. The project involves the design and construction of a new service support...

Hyder Consulting. (News in Brief: Bahrain).(design services contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The UK's was awarded in late May the contract to provide detailed design services for the extension of the existing highway to the site of the proposed Bahrain racetrack. Four other consultants priced the job. The project, which is to be...

Panorama Contracting & Engineering Services. (News in Brief: Bahrain).(contract with Aluminium Bahrain)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The local Panorama Contracting & Engineering Services was awarded in late May the contract to build water disposal tanks to serve the coke calcination facility at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba). The contract, valued at BD 3.5 million ($9 million),...

American University of Cairo (AUC). (News in Brief: Egypt).(campus construction contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * More than 30 international and local contractors have submitted applications to prequalify for the $300 million new campus project, which will involve the construction of new facilities for the American University of Cairo (AUC) on a 250-acre...

HOK Planning Group. (News in Brief: Kuwait).(joint venture receives contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * A joint venture of Toronto-based HOK Planning Group and the local Gulf Consult signed on 2 June the contract to provide consultancy services for the proposed Bubiyan island development project The joint venture will be assisted by the Kuwait...

Al-Faraa Contracting. (News in Brief: UAE).(contract for police complex)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The local Al-Faraa Contracting has been awarded a contract for the first-phase works covering the construction of a new police accommodation and residential complex in Abu Dhabi. Worth AED 70 million ($19 million), the 20-month contract calls...

Dutco Balfour Beatty. (News in Brief: UAE).(road reconstruction contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The local/UK Dutco Balfour Beatty has submitted a low bid for the contract to demolish and reconstruct the third interchange on Shaikh Zayed highway in Dubai. Its offer of AED 86 million ($26 million) is about 11 per cent lower than the next...

Al-Hamed Development & Construction. (News in Brief: UAE).(car park contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The local Al-Hamed Development & Construction has submitted a low bid of AED 74.9 million ($20.4 million) for a contract to build and maintain a car park in Abu Dhabi. Al-Hamad's offer is about 14 per cent lower than the next quote of AED 85...

The Industry & Technology Ministry. (Industry).(allocates land for tantalum processing plant)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The Industry & Technology Ministry has allocated the local/Australian joint venture Tantalum Egypt a 14-square-kilometre plot of land at Abu Dabbab on which to construct a processing plant end storage facilities for its tantalum mining project....

The invitation to bid (ITB). (Industry).(calcined coke plant)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... The invitation to bid (ITB) documents are due to be released by 20 June for the concession to set up a proposed calcined coke plant at the Shuaiba industrial area. Six groups of local and international companies are prequalified to bid. The...

Gulf Air boosts fleet: the leased aircraft will boost Gulf Air's fleet size by 10 pre cent. (Transport).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Regional carrier Gulf Air announced in early June the introduction of three additional aircraft to its passenger fleet. The carrier will take delivery this summer of two leased A340-300s, which it plans to fly on long-haul services and a...

First steps taken in outsourcing of port customs. (Transport).(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Companies applied for prequalification by 28 May for a concession to develop, operate and manage customs operations at the seaports of Shuwaikh and Shuaiba. The contract will include: the handling and inspection of goods and containers at...

Doosan wins Rehah conversion: more power contracts pending as Amman prepares to recive gas. (Power & Water).(Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... South Korea's Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Company has received a letter of intent for the conversion of the Rehab power station to combined cycle. The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, due to be signed with...

Eleven prequalified for major sewerage tenders. (Power & Water).(Kuwait)
June 6, 2003... Eleven local companies have been prequalified to submit bids by 6 July for two major sewerage contracts. The larger of the two contracts, valued at KD 35 million ($116 million), involves an 80,000-cubic-metre expansion of the Jahra sewage...

NCC closes in on PP3. (Power & Water).(National Contracting Co., PP3 power plant expansion )
June 6, 2003... The local National Contracting Company (NCC) is the low bidder on the Jeddah PP3 power plant expansion project following the opening of commercial bids by the client, Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), at the end of May. The contract is expected...

Award imminent on 3,100-MW power project. (Power & Water).(Iran Power Development Co. contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... A $750 million contract is to be finalised by the end of June for the installation of 3,100 MW of new power capacity at four different plants across the country. Two consortia bid for the project late last year and one is now understood to be...

Germany's Siemens. (News in Brief: Egypt).(gas turbine contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Germany's Siemens has officially announced the award of a Eur 150 million ($175.5 million) contract to supply four 250-MW gas turbines for the Nuberiya power project, after submitting the lowest commercial bid for the contract in February....

JGC Corporation. (News in Brief: Saudi Arabia).(contract for Berri cogeneration project)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Japan's JGC Corporation signed on 27 May the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Berri cogeneration project. The estimated $160 million-170 million contract calls for the construction of a 300-MW plant, to be...

Union Water & Electricity Company (UWEC). (News in Brief: UAE).(project management contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The two shortlisted firms for the project management consultancy contract on the Fujairah phase-II project submitted revised bids in early June. Germany's Fichtner and the UK's Mott MacDonald were shortlisted in May after commercial bids were...

Bids in for Omantel consultancy: Danes bid low for enterprise transformation work. (Telecoms & IT).(Andersen Management International receives contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... Denmark's Andersen Management International is low bidder at RO 348,000 ($915,789) for the contract to provide consultancy services for the enterprise transformation of Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel). Eight other international...

IMF commends Rabat, but urges more reform: Fears persist that terrorist attacks will hit growth this year. (Economy).(International Monetary Fund)
June 6, 2003... Improved business confidence as a result of government commitment to economic reform helped Morocco achieve real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 4.5 per cent in 2002, despite difficult global economic conditions, says the IMF in the...

The Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW). (News in Brief: Bahrain).(contract for power and desalination project)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The Ministry of Electricity & Water (MEW) has invited bidders for the consultancy contract on phase 3 of the Hidd power and desalination project to submit revised prices by 15 June. The decision came five months after six international...

Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company. (News in Brief: Kuwait).(desalination plant contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The Ministry of Electricity & Water sought approval in late May from the State Audit Bureau to award a KO 76.7 million ($254 million) contract to build the first phase of the proposed Subiya desalination plant. The South Korean/Japanese team...

Hyundai Heavy Industries. (News in Brief: Kuwait).(receives contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * The Ministry of Electricity & Water awarded on 31 May three contracts, totalling KO 10.3 million ($34 million), for the supply and installation of three substations at various locations. The largest contract, worth KO 4.5 million ($15...

Hassan bin Juma bin Baker Trading & Contracting. (News in Brief: Qatar).(General Electricity and Water Corp. contract)(Brief Article)
June 6, 2003... * Oman's Hassan bin Juma bin Baker Trading & Contracting has been awarded a OR 59 million ($16.2 million) contract by Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation )Kahramaa) to build four reservoirs at various locations. Each reservoir will...

First Iran Fund takes root in Manama. (Companies & Markets).(Iranian Foreign Investment Co.)
June 6, 2003... State-owned Iranian Foreign Investment Company (IFIC) has established a Eur 50 million ($58.5 million) investment fund in Bahrain, the first vehicle to be established enabling foreign portfolio investment in the Tehran Stock Exchange (TSE). The...

Amman hits new high. (Companies & Markets).(Amman Stock Exchange)
June 6, 2003... The AMMAN STOCK EXCHANGE reached an all-time high on 4 June, closing at 196.23, up 15 per cant since the beginning of the year. The local Atlas Investment Group attributed the rise to new investors taking long positions on blue chip stocks in...

Coming together. (Special Report Insurance).(Middle East)
June 6, 2003... With global reinsurance capacity in short supply, many believe it is time for the Middle East's insurance companies to shoulder more of the underwriting burden themselves. Richard Thompson reports on demands for consolidation in the Middle...

The bubble bursts. (Special Report Japan).(economic conditions)
June 6, 2003... Two years into his premiership, Junichiro Koizumi's reform programme has failed to pay off. Japan's economy is in downward spiral, and the close relationship between banking and big business is at the root of the decline. Catherine Richards...

Contracts.(Middle East)
June 6, 2003... Contracts More than $5,685 million worth of contracts were awarded in the Middle East in May, according to this checklist compiled from MEED reports. If you want details of your organisation to be included, please send information to...

Databank: Economic forecasts, 2002-2003.
June 6, 2003... Databank: Economic forecasts, 2002-2003 Real GDP growth Current account (%) ($ million) 2002 2003 2002 2003 ...

Currency exchange rates.
June 6, 2003... Currency exchange rates S [pounds sterling] [euro] 1 0.61 0.85 Algeria (AD) 78.67 128.89 ...

Blix accuses Pentagon of smears. (Seven Days).(Hans Blix)(Brief Article)
June 13, 2003... Head of the UN Monitoring, Verification & Inspections Commission (Unmovic), Hans Blix, on 10 June made an outspoken attack on certain members of the Bush administration for the way in which he was treated during the lead-up to the war in Iraq....

First bitter fruits of the roadmap. (Seven Days).(Brief Article)
June 13, 2003... Less than a week after the US-backed peace plan took its first tentative steps at Aqaba, hopes of an end to the conflict stumbled on 10 June as the Israeli army launched a pre-empfive missile strike against Hamas leader Abdelaziz Rantissi....

Demonstrators return to the streets of Tehran. (Seven Days).(Brief Article)
June 13, 2003... Several thousand protesters demonstrated on two consecutive nights on 10 and 11 June at Tebran University campus in what some analysts say could be the beginning of a summer of student unrest. The protesters were demonstrating against the...