INTERNATIONAL. HalMart, Malaysia's first integrated halal retail outlet, said it plans to open 100 overseas outlets within the next two years, through franchises and a licensing programme.
INTERNATIONAL. Bahrain has maintained its position as a key insurance hub and continues to post growth in its insurance market despite a prolonged period of political turbulence.
UAE. "The general trading atmosphere is sufficiently negative for gold to enable sellers to have a firm grip on the market. However, I fail to see how the rally in the stock markets can be put into any sensible relation to the economic plight of the underlying countries."