
Kuwait's Heisco wins pipeline deal in Neutral Zone
The contract has a value of around 19.8 million Kuwaiti dinars ($65 million) and involves work for 'subsea pipeline replacement,' the heavy engineering industries and shipbuilding company 'Heisco' said in a bourse statement on Monday.
The deal was awarded by Al-Kafji Joint Operations, which manages oil and gas production in onshore and offshore areas in the oil-rich Zone.
'Our company has received a letter of award from the Joint Operations for the project subsea pipeline replacement,' Heisco said without providing project details.
(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
(anoop.menon@lseg.com)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Why retirement planning needs to go beyond gratuity
For decades, retirement planning was a conversation that began elsewhere. In the UAE, a globally mobile population meant many expatriates viewed their time here as a chapter, not a destination. The end-of-service benefit was a buffer, not a strategy. But this narrative is shifting – and rapidly. Today, more expatriates are choosing to put down roots in the UAE. As life expectancy increases, many professionals are building longer, more permanent careers in the Gulf. Meanwhile, policymakers and businesses alike are reimagining how to support residents who wish to retire in the country they now call home. The traditional gratuity-based EOSB, while important, was never designed to provide long-term financial security. A basic EOSB – capped at two years' basic salary – falls far short of the 12-times annual salary rule-of-thumb required for a secure retirement. And yet, for most expatriates, it remains the only formal structure supporting their post-career lives, without pursuing other financial alternatives. The Mercer Marsh Benefits 2025 Health on Demand report reveals that more than half (53 per cent) of employees in the UAE are extremely or very concerned about their financial ability to retire. At the same time, 81 per cent said they would be happy if their employer helped them start planning for health and care needs in retirement. The desire is clear. So is the gap. Encouragingly, governments across the region are taking notice. In the UAE, frameworks such as the Dubai International Financial Centre's Employee Workplace Savings scheme and the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation's alternative EOSB system reflect a growing commitment to financial resilience and retirement adequacy. These schemes introduce elements of portability, transparency and long-term planning that the current EOSB system lacks. But policy alone cannot shift outcomes. Businesses must also adapt − starting with how they design and deliver employee benefits. Flexible contribution schemes Retirement provision is emerging as a key opportunity for both employers and employees – and also a strategic lever to differentiate and retain talent. In the face of cost-of-living pressures, financial stress is becoming a more common side effect of everyday life – and stress has business consequences. Productivity, engagement and retention can be impacted when employees are financially insecure. So, what can employers do? A starting point is to broaden the conversation around retirement beyond EOSB. Flexible contribution schemes – such as defined contribution plans – can align benefits with modern career trajectories. These allow for both employer and employee contributions, potentially including voluntary top-ups, and provide more transparency and control for workers. Removing the open-ended EOSB liability going forward would also de-risk unfunded obligations and improve cash outflow management for businesses. Equally important is education. Financial literacy programmes, savings tools and retirement planning resources empower employees to make informed choices. This is especially critical for younger professionals, who are increasingly evaluating employers based on their ability to support long-term well-being – not just salaries. About 81 per cent of employees in the Middle East would be less likely to leave their employer if retirement support was part of their benefits package, according to the Mercer Global Talent Trends 2025 report. And 43 per cent said it would increase their sense of commitment to the organisation. Time for a regional model The Gulf, with its long-term outlook to policy and societal development, is well-placed to lead in the retirement space. Governments are investing in future-ready infrastructure and diversifying economies at speed. As more professionals stay longer, the region has an opportunity to model a new approach to expatriate retirement – one that combines the dynamism of the private sector with the stability of long-term savings. By building tailored models that reflect this changing demographic, organisations can offer much more than just employment. They can offer security. As chief executives and business leaders, we have an opportunity to support our greatest assets. By investing in smart, flexible and future-focused benefits, we can support our people more meaningfully, compete for top talent globally and strengthen the economic fabric of the UAE for generations to come.


The National
12 hours ago
- The National
Plenty of scope for trade between Turkey and Syria, says head of revived business council
Syrian and Turkish business leaders should put aside fears about increasing economic ties, the head of the newly re-established Syria-Turkey Business Council has said. Turkish companies, while looking at huge opportunities in Syria's reconstruction and economic renewal, are concerned about investing in a country with nearly 14 years of civil war behind it, while in Syria there is concern that its neighbour's economic superiority will leave domestic businesses on the sidelines, Syrian businessman Hussam Eddin Tatari told The National in Istanbul. 'These fears are rational, but they are not a reality. As long as we have great areas for mutual benefits, we will work in those areas,' said Mr Tatari, who runs a large textiles factory in the south-eastern Turkish city of Kahramanmaras. 'The scope for mutual benefits is very large but the work needs to be organised, data needs to be gathered and distributed to businesspeople on both sides.' A delegation of dozens of businessmen from Syria, led by Minister of Economy and Industry Mohammed Nidaal Al Shaar, is visiting Turkey as the neighbours seek closer trade and political ties. In a meeting with Syrian and Turkish business leaders in Istanbul, Mr Al Shaar welcomed 'balanced' economic co-operation with Turkey. The relationship should be 'sincere and balanced – the most important thing is that it is balanced,' he said. Mohammed Saud Cheikh Alkar, president of Aleppo's Chamber of Commerce, said he was less concerned than others about Turkey dominating Syria's economy. 'Our people don't want to just be consumers; there can be commercial exchange between us and all countries of the world, including our brotherly neighbour Turkey,' he told The National. 'But we must develop ourselves, and join the global economic cycle.' The Syria-Turkey Business Council was re-established on Tuesday during meetings in Ankara, where Turkish and Syrian officials signed a series of agreements to improve customs procedures, co-operation on industrial zones, and infrastructure reconstruction. Turkish banks are also considering opportunities in Syria, although none has officially began operating there. 'A positive atmosphere is blowing in our economic relations with Syria in the new era,' Turkey's Trade Minister Omer Bolat said in a speech. Turkey is aiming for a modern economic partnership agreement to replace the free trade agreement with Syria, which has been de facto inoperative since the uprising against former dictator Bashar Al Assad began in 2011. Turkey has long supported groups opposed to Mr Al Assad and welcomed his removal into exile in December last year. The two countries aim to increase trade volume in the short term to $5 billion – nearly double the trade volume of $2.6 billion last year, which mostly comprised Turkish exports to opposition-held areas of Syria by land crossings. Turkey was among the first countries to reopen its embassy in Damascus after the fall of Mr Al Assad. Defence Ministry sources in Ankara recently confirmed that they are responding to requests from the Syrian capital to train and equip its new army. This month, Azerbaijani gas began to flow into Syria through Turkey, to power a 1,200-megawatt power plant and improve electricity supply for nearly five million Syrian households. Construction is a key sector of interest for Turkish firms in Syria, given the need for rebuilding infrastructure, factories and homes damaged and destroyed in the conflict, Syrian and Turkish officials said. The estimated cost of reconstruction has varied from $250 billion and $500 billion. Labour intensive industries such as textiles and agriculture are also core targets, according to Mr Tatari. He has no plans to close his textile factory in Turkey, but is rebuilding a plant in Syria that was destroyed in the war. 'My plan is that it will be ready for production by the end of the year,' he told The National. Representatives from Syrian ministries and chambers of commerce said they were keen to draw on the experience of their northern neighbour, whose economy is worth $1.3 trillion and has a large manufacturing base, despite inflation running at 35 per cent. Mr Alkar dismissed concerns that Syria would slip back into cycles of corruption that dominated Syrian industry under Mr Al Assad. 'It needs time to change the corruption that the [former] regime sowed, and which led to the destruction of intellectual structures of our society, which contains a lot of good,' he said.


Zawya
12 hours ago
- Zawya
Saudi Re posts 17% higher profits in H1-25; revenues cross $196.7mln
Saudi Reinsurance Company (Saudi Re) generated net profits after Zakat attributable to shareholders worth SAR 87.99 million in the first half (H1) of 2025, up 16.89% year-on-year (YoY) from SAR 75.27 million. Insurance revenues soared by 52.93% to SAR 738.18 million in H1-25 from SAR 482.69 million in H1-24, according to the financial results. The earnings per share (EPS) amounted to SAR 0.76 as of 30 June 2025, against SAR 0.84 in the year-ago period. Financials for Q2 In the second quarter (Q2) of 2025, Saudi Re's net profits hiked by 20.92% to SAR 52.58 million from SAR 43.48 million in Q2-24. Insurance revenues stood at SAR 414.77 million in April-June 2025, an annual leap of 50.42% from SAR 275.74 million a year earlier. Quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), the Q2-25 net profits jumped by 48.50% compared to SAR 35.40 million in Q1-25, whereas the insurance revenues grew by 28.25% from SAR 323.40 million. All Rights Reserved - Mubasher Info © 2005 - 2025 Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (