Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi: weak Q1, recovery to resume over rest of 2021 Saudi Arabia’s economy is likely to have suffered a fresh downturn in Q1 on the back of oil production cuts and tighter virus containment measures. But with the vaccine roll out picking up pace and... 4th May 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Central Bank of Egypt to keep rates on hold, for now The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) opted to keep interest rates on hold at its meeting today and, with inflation likely to rise over the coming months, we think policymakers will keep rates unchanged... 28th April 2021 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Revisiting the risks in the UAE’s banking sector The UAE banking sector’s non-performing loan ratio has hit its highest level since 2005, although banks’ high level of profitability coming into the crisis has helped to shield them so far. And strong... 14th April 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Tighter virus restrictions weigh on Saudi recovery Saudi Arabia’s tightening of COVID-19 restrictions has weighed on activity in the non-oil sector and the voluntary oil output cut has hit the hydrocarbon sector too. But, with the vaccine rollout... 30th March 2021 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt's public finances on the right track Despite the recent rise in bond yields, we think that Egypt’s public debt ratio will resume its downward trend in the coming years. 24th March 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi still failing to entice foreign investors The Saudi government’s efforts to improve the Kingdom’s business environment and attract foreign direct investment in recent years haven’t had the desired effect. One result is that the government is... 4th March 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi recovery remains weak at start of 2021 Saudi Arabia’s economic recovery has continued to be slow going as the tightening of COVID-19 restrictions has weighed on activity. The slow start to the vaccine rollout and the Kingdom’s voluntary... 1st March 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Lebanon: no signs of a turnaround A severe COVID-19 outbreak has added to the long list of troubles in Lebanon and, given renewed social unrest and the fact that talks with both the IMF and international creditors are at a standstill... 17th February 2021 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi unemployment rate to fall only gradually Saudi Arabia’s unemployment rate has risen sharply in the past year and, while we expect it to fall back, the weak recovery means that it might take many years before it gets close to its pre-pandemic... 10th February 2021 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update CBE to keep rates on hold until later this year The Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) opted to keep interest rates on hold at its first meeting of the year and, with inflation set to rise over the next 6-9 months, we think policymakers will keep rates... 4th February 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Dubai: a final hurdle before entering the home straight The economic recovery in Dubai is going to be put on ice as a worsening COVID-19 outbreak results in increased precautionary behaviour and tighter containment measures. But if the strong start to the... 27th January 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi recovery struggling to gather momentum Saudi Arabia’s economic struggled at the end of last year and a combination of a slow start to the vaccination programme, voluntary oil output cuts and tight fiscal policy means that the outlook for... 19th January 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: rising inflation to keep easing cycle on pause Egyptian inflation is likely to rise over the next 6-9 months due to stronger food and fuel inflation, as well as a weaker pound, which will prevent the central bank from resuming its easing cycle for... 13th January 2021 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update End to Qatar blockade not an economic gamechanger The announcement that Saudi Arabia will remove its three-year blockade of Qatar will help to strengthen political ties in the Gulf, but the direct economic benefits from the détente are likely to be... 5th January 2021 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What to look out for in 2021 The roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines and easing of containment measures will boost all the MENA economies next year, although this will be quicker in the Gulf countries which have greater access to... 21st December 2020 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi budget: keeping a tight grip on the purse strings The Saudi 2021 budget shows that the recent improvement in the oil market hasn’t swayed officials to alter their plans to keep fiscal policy tight in the coming years. This will help to keep the... 16th December 2020 · 3 mins read
