Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi Arabia hints at OPEC deal extension Recent comments from Saudi Arabia’s Oil Minister, Khalid al-Falih, suggest that OPEC is edging towards an agreement to extend its oil production cuts when it meets in Vienna next month. Having ruled... 21st April 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Recent dip in oil prices not a major concern for the Gulf The recent drop in oil prices, from around US$56pb at the start of March to just over US$51pb at present, is unlikely to be a major cause for alarm in the Gulf. For one thing, oil prices are still... 29th March 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Gulf’s non-oil sectors show signs of recovery The latest activity data suggest that non-oil sectors in the two largest Gulf economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are starting to recover from their slumps in early 2016. Both countries have been... 20th February 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Investors give Egypt the thumbs up Egypt’s recent economic reforms received a warm welcome from investors earlier this month, as the country successfully issued US$4bn of international bonds. The sale was almost double the amount that... 26th January 2017 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Reasons to remain sceptical of “major shift” in Saudi oil policy The recent agreement reached by OPEC and other oil producers to cut output has prompted speculation of a major shift in Saudi Arabia’s oil policy, but we remain cautious. After all, the Kingdom has... 14th December 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Egypt’s pound float: short-term pain, long-term gain The 50% fall in the Egyptian pound against the US dollar since the central bank floated the currency at the start of November will cause economic growth to slow sharply in the coming quarters... 28th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Egypt edges closer to IMF deal as shortages bite The Egyptian government has inched closer to an IMF financing package over the past month after securing a US$2bn deposit from Saudi Arabia. This makes up a third of the bilateral financing that the... 26th October 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi Arabia likely to stick with fiscal austerity There have been signs in recent weeks that the sharp slowdown in the Saudi economy caused by fiscal austerity may have prompted the authorities to look at alternative solutions to deal with the... 22nd September 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Gulf non-oil sectors struggle as austerity bites The past month has brought further evidence that non-oil sectors in the Gulf are suffering as low oil prices have started to hit home. The picture is most stark in Saudi Arabia, where official data... 18th August 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Egypt: fresh devaluation on the way Speculation has mounted in recent weeks that the Egyptian pound could be on the cusp of (another) devaluation. The initial rumours were sparked by the central bank governor, Tarek Amer, who suggested... 25th July 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack MENA countries go calling to the IMF The return of several countries to the IMF for financial support over the past month underlines the severity of long-standing balance of payments problems in parts of the region. In Jordan and Tunisia... 30th June 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack MENA countries go calling to the IMF The return of several countries to the IMF for financial support over the past month underlines the severity of long-standing balance of payments problems in parts of the region. In Jordan and Tunisia... 30th June 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Few surprises expected at OPEC meeting This week’s OPEC meeting in Vienna is likely to pass without any major surprises. Policymakers should be a little happier heading into the meeting than they were at the previous one in December –... 31st May 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Gulf countries continue adjustment to cheap oil Saudi Arabia’s ambitious plans to overhaul its economy have grabbed the headlines in recent days, but the past month has seen a number of other Gulf countries announce further measures to deal with... 29th April 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Egypt’s central bank makes long-awaited devaluation The Egyptian central bank’s decision to devalue the pound this month ended months of growing speculation that a move in the currency was on the cards. In the near term, this will bring some pain. The... 30th March 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi Arabia not about to change tack on oil policy Recent comments from Saudi Arabia’s veteran Oil Minister Ali al- Naimi have dashed hopes that had been growing in some quarters that the Kingdom was about to shift direction on its oil market policy... 25th February 2016 · 1 min read
