The Agricultural Bank announced Tuesday its readiness to provide necessary funding for agricultural schemes once various mechanisms for irrigated schemes are completed in Al-Rahad, Al-Suki, Sinnar and Gezira.

The meeting held at the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation affirmed the importance of micro-finance on time for cultivation in these schemes.

Representatives of the irrigated schemes and the two States submitted their plans for funding.

The meeting stressed the need to complete structures in some schemes and to speed up formation of managements and boards of directors...

Minister of petroleum stressed Tuesday on the importance of relations between Sudan and the Republic of Romania so as to renew and develop economic relations between the two countries that witnessed historical relations since years ago.

Speaking at the first Sudanese Romanian economic forum in Khartoum Dr. Awad Al Jaz said Sudan is open for investment and the Sudanese people and Romanian can benefit from these relations: "You have come at the right time and the right place."
Minister of Petroleum said if Romania began its oil industry before 150 years, Sudan has begun it with different...

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has allocated €500,000 to GOAL to help them respond to the urgent needs of tens of thousands of refugees in the Maban region of South Sudan.

This funding is in addition to an initial €200,000 provided to GOAL by Irish Aid for the same crisis in December, the DFA said.

GOAL is currently implementing an emergency programme to support a growing displaced population in Maban County in Upper Nile State, where refugee numbers are expected to reach 75,000 over the coming weeks.

Recent conflict in the nearby Blue Nile State, which...

The Sennar State’s locality of Senja held yesterday a conference on the development of Dindir National Park under the auspices of First Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, and the supervision of the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, in collaboration with Sennar, Blue Nile and Gedarif states, under the theme 'Protection, Development and Promotion.'

The conference debated work papers prepared by federal and states’ ministries on good polices on the management of Dindir Reserve, director general of tourism in Sennar State, Mohamed Abdallah said. A number of experts and specialists...

First Vice President, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha reiterated the government commitment to enforce President's decisions regarding improving the teachers' conditions to enable them conduct their role in professional manner.

While addressing the Education Conference concluding session, Taha announced the formation of a mechanism to study the recommendations of the conference prior its implementation according to priorities agreed upon.

He affirmed the acceptance of adding an additional school year in the education ladder pending reviewing the proposals forwarded in this regard.

Taha...

A British Court has ruled that an oil tanker carrying oil, which South Sudan claims was exported illegally by North Sudan, should be unloaded in Japan, shipping sources have told the Reuters news agency.

Since seceding from Sudan in July last year South Sudan has been unable to agree a new oil deal with Khartoum and last month stopped all production, accusing the north of siphoning off oil and seizing its oil in Port Sudan.

Landlocked South Sudan has threatened to sue any company who buys it’s oil from north Sudan.

The tanker, which has yet to be given permission to dock...

The board of Mabanee Real Estate Company endorsed the financial statements of the last fiscal year which ended on Dec. 31, 2011 wherein the company achieved profits worth 20.78 million Kuwaiti dinars. This was part of a press release on Tuesday.

The earnings per share (EPS) was estimated at 37.62 Kuwaiti fils and the company achieved 11 percent growth when compared with the previous fiscal year 2010. During 2010 the company achieved profits worth KD 18.67 million and an EPS of 33.79 fils.
The total assets increased by 20 percent while the"...

Workforce localisation has long been a goal for the government in the UAE and across the Gulf region. This intent was reinforced by the Minister of Labour, HE Saqr Ghobash Saeed Ghobash in April last year when stringent labour laws were passed requiring businesses to increase their intake of Emirati staff in skilled labour positions. Companies that fail to meet percentage quotas can be fined up to Dhs20000.

Du predicts that they will reach 28% Emiratisation by the end of this year, and aim to increase that figure to 38% by the end of 2015. Financial incentives and shorter working hours...

These recognitions have prompted the government and public sectors to intensify preparations for tourism-related events and developments for the New Year via the formation of a committee to plot the tourism itinerary for 2012. The Oman Ministry of Tourism aims to increase the GDP contribution of tourism from 2% in 2011 to around 3.5% in 2015 and is eyeing a 10 per cent growth for the sector in 2012.

Meanwhile, Oman's capital Muscat has been ranked the second best city in the world to visit in 2012 by 'Lonely Planet,' the popular travel guide publisher affiliated with the British Broadcasting...

The Mayor of Jeddah, Dr. Hani Abu Ras, will officially inaugurate The Big 5 Saudi 2012 scheduled to take place in Jeddah on March 10-13.

With budgets for projects sitting at $1.1 trillion in Saudi’s construction sector at present, more than 500 exhibitors from over 35 countries will be showcasing their expertise during the four-day event.

The mayor will be meeting with international dignitaries before taking a guided tour of the event, which takes place for the second consecutive year and has doubled in size in order to accommodate demand from the building and construction...