UAE

DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates’ central bank said on Sunday it had reduced banks’ reserve requirements for demand deposits by 50% to support the country’s economy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The aggregate value of all capital and liquidity measures adopted by the central bank since March 14 is 256 billion dirhams ($69.70 billion), the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates (CBUAE) said in a statement.

DUBAI (Reuters) - The oil ministry of the internationally-recognized, Saudi-backed government in Yemen said on Sunday the Iran-aligned Houthi group had attacked an oil pipeline pumping station in the province of Ma’rib, the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The pipeline is operated by the Safer oil company, owned by the Yemeni government, SPA said, without giving details on the attack, but there has been no oil pumped through that pipeline for years.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s president said on Sunday “low-risk” economic activities would resume from April 11 in the Middle Eastern country worst-affected by the new coronavirus.

Iran has been struggling to curb the spread of the highly infectious respiratory disease known as COVID-19 but authorities are also concerned that measures to curb public life to contain the virus could wreck an already sanctions-hit economy.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Aramco has appointed Mark Weinberger to its board of directors as an independent board member, replacing Andrew Gould, the company said in a statement on Sunday.

Weinberger was the global Chairman and CEO of EY (previously known as Ernst & Young) from 2013 to 2019.

He currently serves as a director on the boards of Johnson & Johnson and Metlife as well as being a member on several boards of trustees, including the United States Council for International Business (USCIB).

DUBAI (Reuters) - Transit through Bahrain International Airport is open again for international travelers, Manama-based Gulf Air said on Saturday, though entry to the country is limited to Bahrainis and other residents during the coronavirus pandemic.

“In compliance with the new regulations issued by the Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority, we are welcoming back transit passengers through Bahrain International Airport. Arrival into Bahrain remains restricted to nationals and residents,” the airline said on Twitter.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s death toll from the coronavirus outbreak climbed to 3,452 on Saturday, with 158 more fatalities recorded over the past 24 hours, Health Ministry Spokesman Kianoush Jahanpur said.

The total number of cases diagnosed with the disease reached 55,743, of whom 4,103 are in critical condition, he said on state TV. Iran is the country worst affected by the pandemic in the Middle East.

DUBAI/MOSCOW (Reuters) - OPEC and Russia have postponed a meeting planned for Monday until later next week, OPEC sources said on Saturday, as a row intensified between Moscow and Saudi Arabia over who is to blame for plunging oil prices.

The meeting’s delay came despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, known as OPEC+, to urgently stabilize global oil markets.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Saudi Arabia sharply criticized Russia on Saturday over what it described as Moscow blaming the kingdom for the collapse in global energy prices, showing the tensions ahead of an emergency meeting of OPEC and other oil producers.

DUBAI, Apr 2 (NNN-WAM) — Dubai Municipality withdrew six types of hand sanitizers that were non-compliant with the approved specifications, against the backdrop of an intensive inspection campaign, to verify the safety of antimicrobial products, including hand sanitizers circulating in the local market.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A senior Saudi official Wednesday urged more than 1 million Muslims intending to perform the hajj to delay making plans this year — comments suggesting the pilgrimage could be cancelled due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

In February, the kingdom took the extraordinary decision to close off the holy cities of Mecca and Medina to foreigners over the virus, a step which wasn’t taken even during the 1918 flu epidemic that killed tens of millions worldwide.