Barclays bullish on equities, expectations of recovery on gold are mixed

UAE. "Growth may be anemic, but it's not at stall speed, nor likely to be. Bonds are the assets which are trading expensively, and stocks - even after their rally - look much cheaper.

• Louis Vuitton loses ground as world's most valuable luxury brand
• Saudi Arabia leads equity issuances with listings over US$100 million, finds Deloitte
• Middle East sovereign wealth funds increasingly shifting into private equity, finds Invesco study

Barclays bullish on equities, expectations of recovery on gold are mixed

UAE. "Growth may be anemic, but it's not at stall speed, nor likely to be. Bonds are the assets which are trading expensively, and stocks - even after their rally - look much cheaper.

• Louis Vuitton loses ground as world's most valuable luxury brand
• Australia hits out over lengthy UAE court case
• Kerry heads to Middle East to push peace from Syria to Israel

BlackRock appoints Andrew MacKenzie as Head of iShares Middle East and Africa

UAE. New role will focus on driving sales for iShares across the Middle East and Africa, supporting existing client relationships in the official institutions arena as well as researching and prospecting new clients.

• Arqaam Capital advises Magrabi Retail on its debut investment into Turkey
• Air Arabia signs US$350 million financing deal with QNB Group & CBI
• Nakheel floats tender for ground works at The Pointe at Palm Jumeirah