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UMM GUDAIR, Kuwait — Kuwait began operating its first-ever solar power plant on Wednesday at the Umm Gudair oil field, a landmark for the OPEC member country as it seeks to diversify its sources of energy to meet fast-rising local demand.

The 30-million Kuwaiti dinar ($99 million) project, Sidrah 500, will produce 10 megawatts (MW) of electricity, half of which will be supplied to the public electricity network.

The other half will be used to supply the oil field itself, which is owned by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), a subsidiary of state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC).

Kuwait announced plans last year to generate 15 per cent of its energy needs via renewable sources by 2030.

Consumption of electricity is rising rapidly in Kuwait, as throughout the rest of the Gulf region. The country’s electricity and water minister estimated last year that demand would reach 30,000MW per day by 2030.

In a speech at the project launch, KOC Chief Executive Jamal Ja’afar told reporters that Sidrah 500 represented the country’s first step towards that goal.

“We hope that by 2020 we can make 20 per cent of the electricity which will be needed to run KOC from alternative energy,” he said.

The opening of the plant follows increased interest in renewables in Kuwait and across the Gulf region in recent years, as the scale of the consumption challenge has become clear.

The Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research signed a contract last year with Spain’s TSK to establish the country’s first solar thermal energy plant, with a planned production capacity of 50MW.

The institute’s Shaqaya initiative is also planning solar and wind projects in the northwest of the country.

Abu Dhabi-based green energy firm Masdar has invested more than $1.7 billion in renewable energy projects since it was established a decade ago. 

BRUSSELS — European leaders voiced hope for a breakthrough Wednesday in troubled negotiations for a landmark EU-Canada free trade deal, despite a word of caution from a Belgian region holding out on key terms. 

Canadian and European Union leaders warn that the EU's international standing, already battered by Britain's shock June Brexit vote, will suffer another blow if seven years of trade negotiations go to waste because of internal Belgian politics.

However, EU leaders sounded optimistic that Belgium's federal government would finally win over holdouts in its French-speaking communities and endorse a deal that requires unanimous approval from all 28 EU member states.

Belgium's centre-right federal government as well as its Dutch-speaking and French-speaking community leaders, including those from the southern region of Wallonia, resumed the latest of many rounds of talks in Brussels in a bid to break the deadlock.

"I trust that an agreement will be reached in the course of today with Belgium, Wallonia and other parts of the country," European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker told the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

But Juncker did not know if the deal would be reached in time to go ahead with a scheduled signing summit on Thursday with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

'Summit still possible' 

Donald Tusk, the European Council president who would host the summit, told the European Parliament he hoped the agreement would be finalised soon.

"The summit tomorrow is still possible," Tusk added.

Tusk also warned that the EU would undermine its global standing "if we cannot make the case for free trade with a country like Canada, the most European country outside Europe and a close friend and ally".

The European Commission, the EU executive, and the European Council, which groups the member states, are pushing hard for the deal with Canada known as the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA).

The pact would link the EU's single market of 500 million people — the world's biggest — with the 10th largest global economy in what would be the most ambitious such tie-up yet.

Hinging on the outcome are trade negotiations with other countries, including those with the United States which are also in difficulty.

Leaders of Wallonia, a 3.5 million-strong region south of Brussels, want guarantees CETA will not harm local interests.

Critics especially oppose terms of the deal intended to protect international investors which they say could allow them to force governments to change laws against the wishes of the people.

"There remain two important subjects, even if we have advanced on many things," the socialist head of Wallonia's government Paul Magnette told reporters Wednesday, referring to the investment clause and agriculture issues.

Magnette has repeatedly warned that he will break off the talks if he keeps receiving "ultimatums" to strike a quick deal.

If the Belgian talks reach consensus later Wednesday, the documents would have to be sent for review first to the ambassadors of the 28 EU member states and then back to the various layers of government, including the parliament in Wallonia.

CETA has become a lightning rod for growing popular opposition to international trade deals, chief among them the even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP.

PARIS — Wallonia Premier Paul Magnette said the Belgian region was not opposed to a planned EU-Canada free trade deal in itself but that an arbitration scheme needed to be dropped and public services protected.

All 28 EU governments support the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), but Belgium cannot give assent without backing from five sub-federal administrations. French-speaking Wallonia has steadfastly opposed it.

"Let's be clear, I'm not a herald of anti-globalisation, I want a deal," Magnette told French daily Liberation in an interview published on Tuesday.

But he said a court system specifically created to resolve disputes between investors and governments could be exploited by big business to dictate public policy.

"I would prefer that this entity disappears pure and simple and that we rely on our courts," he said. "Or at the very least, if we want an arbitration court, it must provide equivalent guarantees to domestic ones."

Magnette referred to a mechanism known as Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), which allows foreign companies to challenge state interference, such as expropriation.

Typically, the lawsuit is brought before a panel of private arbitrators, its members appointed by the investor and state in dispute. The mechanism has been criticised because of lawsuits brought by companies against tighter rules on public health, environmental and labour standards.

Magnette said Canada agreed with Wallonia on this issue. "In truth, it's a debate that is purely internal to the European Union," he said.

Magnette said Wallonia was ready to accept a legally binding amendment to CETA that would interpret provisions on arbitration courts, public services and enironmental legislation, although it would have preferred a complete re-negotiation.

ANKARA — Turkey will seek bids in January to build and operate a 10 billion lira ($3.25b) suspension bridge over the Dardanelles Straits and has already received interest from Asian and Turkish contractors, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday.

Construction on the 3.7km bridge named "Canakkale 1915" is expected to start on March 18, 2017 — the anniversary of one of the Ottoman Empire's final victories — and take around five years to complete, Yildirim told reporters.

"Works have been completed for the Canakkale 1915 bridge. We will hold a tender and take offers on January 26," Yildirim said in comments broadcast live on television, estimating the construction cost alone at around 10 billion liras.

Turkey has forged ahead with ambitious infrastructure projects under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, including one of the world's largest suspension bridges across the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul which opened in August.

Other planned megaprojects include the world's biggest airport in Istanbul and a huge canal that would render a large chunk of the city an island.

Yildirim said the time frame in which contractors could complete the Canakkale bridge and how quickly they would hand operating rights over to the state would be factors in considering the bids. Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Turkish groups had shown interest in the project, he said.

Turks mark what they call the Canakkale war on March 18, when Ottoman forces repelled an Allied World War I assault on the Dardanelles — the sole maritime outlet for arch foe Russia — sinking a French battleship and destroying British warships.

BRUSSELS — EU president Donald Tusk said he and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believe a summit on a landmark EU-Canada trade accord can go ahead as planned Thursday, even though Belgium has yet to sign off on the deal.

"Together with PM Justin Trudeau, we think Thursday's summit still possible. We encourage all parties to find a solution. There's yet time," Tusk tweeted on Monday.

Tusk gave no further information in his tweet and officials were not immediately available to clarify whether his statement meant that the trade pact would be signed on Thursday in Brussels, as originally planned, or whether it would involve more talks.

Earlier, Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said objections by several regional administrations meant he could not endorse the agreement, which requires all 28 European Union member states to approve.

"We are not in a position to sign CETA," Michel said after brief talks with the country's regional leaders in Brussels broke up without an accord on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Leaders of Wallonia, a 3.5 million strong French-speaking region south of the capital Brussels, have led opposition to CETA, arguing they need more binding reassurances that local interests will not suffer as a result.

Tusk on Sunday had called for answer from Belgium by late Monday so he could then call Trudeau and tell him whether or not to come to Brussels for the signing ceremony.

Wallonia leader Paul Magnette said as he left Monday's talks that he could not endorse the accord under what he called the pressure of an ultimatum. 

"It is evident that in the current circumstances, we cannot give a 'yes' today," he said.

AMMAN — Witnessing increased travel during Hajj season and the Eid Al Adha holiday, Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed 774,306 passengers during September 2016, resulting in a marked 9.3 per cent increase in passenger traffic (PAX) in comparison to the same month last year.

According to figures released by Airport International Group — the Jordanian company responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of QAIA — the Airport’s top five routes during the month of September were from Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Cairo and Riyadh.

During September, QAIA registered a 2 per cent year-on-year climb in aircraft movements (ACM); receiving 6,929 ACM as opposed to last year’s 6,796 ACM. Conversely, the Airport witnessed a notable 14.7 per cent drop in cargo traffic, handling 7,083 tonnes of cargo throughout the month set against the 8,308 tonnes handled in September 2015. 

As of the end of September, the Airport has welcomed a total of 5,850,651 passengers in 2016, giving rise to a 5.7 per cent year-to-date (YTD) increase in PAX compared to the same period last year. Similarly, QAIA has registered a total of 56,923 ACM and 75,287 tonnes of handled cargo so far this year, causing YTD increases of 4.2 per cent and 2.3 per cent, respectively.

“In addition to the boost in travel seen at the close of the Hajj season, September also witnessed increased leisure travel during the ensuing nine-day Eid Al Adha holiday, which provided regional travellers with plenty of time to journey abroad,” said Airport International Group CEO, Kjeld Binger. 

“On the heels of the inauguration of the second phase of QAIA’s New Terminal Project, our outlook for the remainder of the year remains positive, as we look forward to building on our progress and continuing to reaffirm the Airport’s position as Jordan’s prime gateway to the world,” he added.

AMMAN — Umniah's network was ranked as the fastest network in Jordan, according to Speedtest by Ookla, which came up with the result after testing and verifying hundreds of thousands of consumer-initiated tests.

Around 300,000 consumer-initiated tests in 19 Jordanian cities were verified and checked during the first six months of 2016, Eric Emerson, representative of Speedtest by Ookla, said at a press conference Monday.

"These tests are conducted by the users themselves on various types of devices and operating systems…The analysis of the data showed that Umniah's network is the fastest in Jordan compared to the other operators," he added.

To determine the fastest networks, US-based Ookla, which is a global Internet testing and metrics service, analyses the fastest Internet available in each country, including mobile devices, and ranks the country’s networks by average download speed. 

Umniah's CEO Ziad Shatara said the company will boost investments in the network to meet rising demand on data.

"Last year, Umniah invested $300 million to create new 3G and 4G LTE networks, as well as Broadband Fixed LTE," he said during the press conference.

These investments are expected to reach $500 million by the end of 2017, he added.

Increasing viewership of video content is driving demand on faster Internet services, he indicated. 

By the end of the first quarter of this year, the number of Internet users in Jordan reached almost 6 million and is expected to grow significantly with the launch of Fourth Generation (4G) services.

By the end of March this year, Internet penetration stood at 76 per cent, with some 5.9 million users, compared to 75 per cent at the end of 2014, according to a report by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission.

The report showed that there were 1.9 million Internet subscribers in Jordan by the end of March — an Internet subscription penetration rate of about 25 per cent. 

Of the total Internet subscribers, some 1.5 million were mobile broadband subscribers, followed by ADSL (218,459 subscribers) and WiMax (121,754 subscribers), according to the report.

Speedtest.net is a web service that provides free analysis of Internet access performance metrics, such as connection data rate and latency. It was founded by Ookla in 2006, and is based in Seattle, Washington.

AMMAN — Although only 10 per cent of Jordan’s trade is with India, the figure is still significant, and hosting “one of the global economic giants” will lead to more venues of cooperation, said a senior official on Sunday.

Addressing a seminar titled “India — Surging Ahead”, Minister of State for Economic Affairs Yusuf Mansur said: “India’s economic success story is based on willpower more so than resources. India decided to be inclusive, to include all to participate in the economic process.”

“In Jordan…, we have made reforms, aimed at inclusiveness, speeding up investments whether domestic or foreign. Now we are making reforms that are aimed at quick wins and successes, not for us, but for the private sector, because it’s our belief that it’s the private sector that drives the economy,” the minister said, addressing Jordanian and Indian businesspeople.

“Where there’s a wealthy private sector, likewise there will be a wealthy government,” Mansur noted at the seminar, organised by the Indian embassy in Jordan in cooperation with the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA).

In spite of the refugee burden, Jordan’s economy remains resilient. An economy that has absorbed 20 per cent of its population in refugees within four years is capable of sustaining itself, the minister said.

“We will be looking for speedy recovery... That’s our motto for this era,” he indicated. 

Citing the Jordan Compact, which was adopted at the London donor conference last February and which details donors’ pledges to Jordan and the Kingdom’s commitments towards the Syrian refugees, the minister urged the business community to use the opportunity at hand to invest in Jordan.

He urged businessmen to benefit from the recently adopted relaxed rules of origin for Jordanian exports to Europe, keeping in mind that 15 per cent of the manpower should be Syrian. 

In her opening remarks, Indian Ambassador to Jordan Shubhdarshini Tripathi, highlighted investment-friendly measures adopted in India. Underscoring a 7.6 per cent growth rate, macro-economic stability and shrinking inflation, she said India recorded an almost 40 per cent increase in foreign direct investments in the last fiscal year. Also, $55 billion have been invested in India in the same period, she added.

Regarding Indo-Jordanian trade ties, Tripathi said both countries need to diversify trade, noting that “aggressive steps” need to be taken in this regard.

“We have two major raw materials available with us, the first is the synergies and the complementarities that we share between India and Jordan, which can be worked at, and second is the goodwill, which already exists,” she noted.

The joint trade volume stood at $2.2 billion in 2015, according to embassy figures. 

Addressing the seminar, Senator Munther Haddadin said despite all constraints, Jordan “is an exception” in the region in terms of law and stability. He urged the business community to invest in Jordan and benefit from its human resources and geographic central location.

At the event, Abdul Halim Abdin, JBA secretary general said although Jordan has many trade agreements with the West and the EU, many industries in Jordan are small and medium-scale enterprises which are interested in investing in India and vice versa. He encouraged further work in the sector.

RIYADH — Saudi Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said on Sunday that the current cycle of falling crude prices is close to an end as market fundamentals improve.

Oil prices are currently hovering at around $50 per barrel after hitting a 10-year low of less than $30 in January, down from a peak of more than $100 in mid-2014.

"The current down cycle is nearing an end," Falih told a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak on Sunday after a Gulf ministerial meeting in Riyadh.

"Market fundamentals, in terms of supply and demand, have begun to improve," Falih said, adding: "We are optimistic that oil prices will continue to improve in the future."

Qatar's energy minister, Mohammed Al Sada, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the OPEC oil exporting cartel, also said the "difficult phase is over".

"Although the market is heading to being balanced, it needs our joint effort, and we all agreed that we need to take measures to bring back this balance," he said. 

Novak said he and his Gulf counterparts had discussed ways to "develop the best mechanism to solve the issue of stabilisation".

"We have reached an unprecedented level in our relations and cooperation" with Saudi Arabia, he told reporters, adding that he agreed with Falih "to continue to work and remain in continuous contact to achieve... concrete mechanisms".

OPEC has invited Russia and key non-members to a meeting later this month as the cartel and Moscow seek to tighten cooperation to boost historically low crude prices.

The invitation was announced after a meeting between top OPEC energy ministers and Novak in Istanbul, aimed at advancing joint efforts to bolster oil prices whose lows have hurt the highly dependent economies of crude producers.

The cartel and Russia will meet on Monday, ahead of the OPEC technical meeting in Vienna on October 28-29, to which Russia and others have been invited.

Last month at a meeting in Algiers, the cartel agreed its first production cut in eight years, although it remains to be seen how this will be complied with and implemented.

President Nicolas Maduro of OPEC member Venezuela was in Riyadh on Sunday for talks a day after calling in Iran for increased cooperation between oil-rich nations to stabilise prices.

Maduro, who is also due to visit Qatar on a Middle East tour, currently faces an economic and political crisis at home, compounded by the collapsing price of oil.

BRUSSELS — The head of the European parliament and Canada's trade minister held last-ditch talks Saturday, aimed at salvaging a trade deal threatened by a Belgian region's refusal to sign on.

EU assembly chief Martin Schulz also planned an 11th-hour huddle with Paul Magnette, head of Wallonia's Socialist government which is blocking the agreement between Ottawa and the 28-nation European Union.

The Brussels meetings are aimed at "reviving CETA talks. We can't stop at the last mile", Schulz wrote on Twitter, referring to the agreement's name.

CETA would link the EU market of 500 million people with the world's 10th biggest economy.

"We have done our job, it's now up to the European Union to finish theirs," countered Canada's Chrystia Freeland after the talks with Schulz, adding that she was returning to Toronto on Saturday.

"I really hope that the Europeans can bring it to a conclusion and that I can come back in a few days with my prime minister to sign the agreement," she said, cited by Belgium's Belga news agency. 

The accord was initially scheduled to be signed next Thursday with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Brussels — and Schulz said that that date remained in the diary.

"The problems are on the Europeans' table and we have to try to resolve them," he said. "This meeting was very constructive and will perhaps be decisive.” 

"I remain optimistic."

Canada blasted the European Union on Friday as incapable of signing international agreements, as talks to persuade Wallonia to sign up to the huge trade deal broke down.

Freeland's comments fed into warnings that the EU, beset by rising anti-globalisation sentiment, may never be able to land any other deals including one with the United States.

"It seems obvious to me, to Canada, that the European Union is incapable now of having an international agreement, even with a country with such European values as Canada, and even with a country as kind and patient as Canada," Freeland said Friday.

'Democracy takes time' 

Wallonia's government chief Magnette told AFP on Friday that his Belgian region needed more time but that there was still scope for an agreement.

"Democracy takes a little time,” Magnette said. "I wasn't asking for months, but you can't carry out a parliamentary process in two days."

The Walloon parliament earlier this week refused to let the federal Belgian government approve the deal between Canada and the European Union, which needs to be backed by all 28 EU member states.

Belgium has seven elected assemblies: the geographic regions of Wallonia, Flanders and Brussels; the three linguistic communities; as well as a parliament and senate at the federal level.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said she was still hopeful a deal could be reached.

"We have engaged wholeheartedly with Wallonia the last days. Truly sad talks have been halted. Still hope to find solution in order to sign CETA," the Swede said on Twitter.

The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with Canada is opposed by anti-globalisation groups who say it is a test model to push through an even more controversial EU-US trade deal called TTIP, talks on which have also stalled.

There have been protests against both deals in several cities.

Magnette on Friday pointed in particular to a highly controversial investment protection scheme buried in the deal that has drawn the fury of activists, and which is also involved in TTIP.

Wallonia enjoyed support from activist groups like Greenpeace which charged that the deal risked satisfying "corporate greed" and trampling on people's rights and health standards on both sides of the Atlantic.

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Friday dismissed warnings that the EU-Canada deal raised serious questions about whether London could strike a similar agreement after Brexit.