Retail

Waitrose to enter Dubai in early 2008

Britain-based supermarket chain Waitrose has signed a licensing deal with Spinneys, a Dubai-based store operator, to open more than 20 sites in the United Arab Emirates by 2010. This would be Waitrose's first venture out of Britain. The first store is slated to open in Dubai in April 2008.

Egyptian Gulf Bank allocates EŁ310m to retail banking segment

The Egyptian Gulf Bank has allocated EŁ310m to a new investment vehicle in retail banking services to finance car loans, credit cards, education and personal loans, and purchases of durable goods.

Gulf food market beckons India

A huge market exists for Indian agricultural and processed food products in the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The value of trade in these products between India and the Gulf has grown from US$5.5 billion in 2001 to US$48.6 billion at the end of 2006. Agricultural and processed food exports from India to the UAE alone amounted to over US$273m in 2004-2005.