Diabetes Plaguing Middle East

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According to health experts, the level of diabetes in the Middle East is the highest in the world, affecting almost 43 million people. The rising number of people with diabetes will also lead to an increased number of diabetes-related illnesses, the experts warn.

In 1980 only 6 percent of the population of the Middle East was affected with diabetes. In 2014 that number has risen to almost 14 percent of adults over 18 years old. These are the statistics for Type 2 diabetes which is caused by obesity, lack of physical activity, and poor diets, according to the World Health Organization.

According to the first world report on diabetes conducted by the WHO, the prevalence of diabetes has quadrupled worldwide since 1980. Today there are in excess of 422 million adults, mostly living in developing countries, who are suffering from this disease.

Complications caused by diabetes include stroke, heart attack, blindness, kidney failure, and lower limb amputation.

China Pledges Humanitarian Aid to Middle East

Xi Jinping. Photo by Antilong

As the crisis in Syria and elsewhere in the Middle East continues, the plight of refugees and others worsens. China, whose president, Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit in Britain next week, promised additional humanitarian assistance to the embattled Middle East.
The Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Wang Chao announced that China is carefully following the developments in the region, and is ready to add significantly to the 375 million yuan ($54.9 million) it has already given to the region.

Wang explained that the aid will help the refugees flowing out of the countries in conflict as well as reduce their numbers. He also said that President Xi will discuss with his British counterparts a variety of issues of concern to both sides. In the past the countries have cooperated on critical issues such as the Ebola epidemic, the Iran nuclear threat and the trouble in the South Sudan.

“China-Britain relations have surpassed the bilateral scope and adopted strategic significance and global influence,” Wang said.

Wang added that China and Britain will continue to cooperate on issues like world economic growth, global security, and the reform of global governance.

Apple Making Moves to Open Retail Store in Middle East

The Apple Store in Istanbul. Photo by By Robert S Donovan [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The Apple Store in Istanbul. Photo by Robert S Donovan [CC BY 2.0 /licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Apple Inc, the wildly successful consumer electronics mega company, has no retail outlets in the Middle East. All that is about to change, however, at least according to rumors circulating around the region.

Outside of Istanbul, Turkey, Apple has no stores in the Middle East; yet, according to updated jobs listings on their website, Apple is indeed looking for employees in the United Arab Emirates for a few key retail positions. The most likely candidates for Apple stores are Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Apple is looking for workers to fit the descriptions of creative, expert, genius and store leader.

In a related development, Apple posted a listing in March to find a candidate who can forge ahead with retail hiring in the UAE.

Apple gets its products into the ME market via third party outlets and online shopping. Apple has had an online store in the UAE since 2011.

Exactly when and where consumers can expect to see these stores is still a mystery. Rumors are pointing to August 2014 for a possible opening date for Apple, while the Mall of the Emirates is a possible location for Apple’s first store.

Malabar Gold Embarking on Major Global Expansion

Jewelry from Malabar Gold

One of the fastest growing outlets for jewelry in the Middle East, Malabar Gold, announced that it will soon be investing about $700 million to expand its operations so that it will be able to increase its annual sales to three times what they are today.

MP Ahamed, the chairman of the India-based Malabar Group, said on Sunday that this move will make the company the largest jewelry chain in the world, and the number one jewelry brand.

The ambitious plan includes eventually having 220 stores globally, up from 64 today. The hope, according to Ahamed, is that Malabar will employ 15,000 people, up from 6,000 at present. In what will be the third major expansion in the twenty years since the founding of the company, Malabar Gold is rebranding to “Malabar Gold & Diamonds,” looking forward to an increased effort in selling diamond jewelry. The company’s logo was also changed to appeal to a more diverse clientele base and give the company a more updated look and feel.

The company’s new motto is “Celebrate the Beauty of Life.” According to Ahamed, the new motto, the re-branding, and the expansion is all designed to achieve one major goal; to raise the international profile of the group.

"We are undertaking this change to help propel our brand to greater heights and to better serve our discerning customers," commented Ahamed.

Stock Market Stalled as Bahrain Protests Continue

Not only do regimes topple and heads of state crumble in response to massive demonstrations in the Middle East, but so too does the equities market. As protests continue in Bahrain, political uncertainty is causing investors to step back and wait before taking risks on the purchase of stocks.

The Bourses will be open on Thursday in both Bahrain and Qatar but in other Gulf States the markets are scheduled to be closed either for the weekend or for a religious holiday.

Managing Partner of Dubai-based asset management company Frontlane Capital, Hashem Montasser commented on the poor reaction to the Egyptian crisis in the Gulf Region.

“Revolution in Egypt was shrugged off too easily by Gulf markets," he said. "Markets were mispriced in the sense that risk premiums have gone up, but equities prices didn't reflect that. Bahrain has become the catalyst to now re-price Gulf equities."

Calling the attack of an overnight encampment of protesters in a central square in Manama “real terrorism,” the leader of the main Shiite opposition bloc in Bahrain expressed his outrage, and also described seeing at least 50 armored cars traveling in the direction of Pearl Square in Manama.

Montasser added that, as far as investing is concerned, Bahrain has heightened risk for at least the next couple of months."

Sales of Chevy Cars in Middle East Up 9.2% in 2010

Chevrolet’s popularity is soaring in the Middle East as new models and old standards continue to sell, in many cases with double digit growth figures. For instance, the latest cars entering the market in the region are the Cruze, Malibu, Camaro and Traverse, which are all selling well. Full size SUVs and popular pick-up trucks which have always been favorites of Middle Easterners, are selling to double-digit figures. A big favourite, the Suburban, which is one of Chevy's oldest models with 75 years behind it, charted growth of 56% in 2010. Others models also doing well are the Tahoe with a 14% growth, the Avalanche at 39% increased sales, and an amazing 74% growth for the Silverado.

These sales figures for 2010 only confirm what most denizens of the Middle East already know: that Chevrolet is a wildly popular car company among citizens of the region.