Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Morocco’s prospects remain bright Morocco’s economy has slowed this year. But this is almost entirely a result of weakness in the agricultural sector, and we expect growth to strengthen in 2019. Moreover, as Morocco continues to... 6th August 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s public finances on the right track Egypt’s public finances are still in a poor state but the government has made progress in cutting the budget deficit in recent years and the debt ratio is now falling. The pace of fiscal consolidation... 1st August 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi growth plateaued in Q2, but pick-up now underway Our GDP Tracker suggests that economic growth in Saudi Arabia plateaued in the first two months of Q2. But rising oil output is now providing a boost to the recovery and we expect that GDP growth will... 31st July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s external position on the mend The improvement in Egypt’s balance of payments position over the past eighteen months should be sustained, providing some support to the pound. Accordingly, inflation should resume its downward trend... 24th July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy lost momentum at the start of Q2 Our GDP Tracker suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy slowed a touch in April, but we think that this will prove temporary. Growth is likely to pick-up sharply over the coming months as the Kingdom... 11th July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: should we worry about rising public FX debt? The sharp rise in the Egyptian government’s foreign currency debt over the past few years is not yet a major cause for concern – the risk of a destabilising fall in the pound appears to be low and the... 4th July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi emerges from recession, recovery to gather pace Saudi Arabia’s economy pulled out of recession in Q1 and we expect the recovery to gain momentum over the coming quarters, supported by fiscal stimulus and a jump in oil output. 2nd July 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt rates on hold, easing cycle to resume in September The Egyptian central bank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold (rather than lower rates) was a response to recently-announced subsidy cuts that will push up inflation. But the easing cycle is... 28th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Bahrain comes back under the spotlight The sell-off in Bahrain’s financial markets this week reflects fears that it is struggling to secure external financing to plug its large twin budget and current account deficits. We still think that... 26th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Gulf: the economic impact of the revised OPEC deal Revisions to OPEC’s oil output agreement will lead to a rise in supplies from the Gulf over the coming months, providing a direct boost to economic growth. Higher production will, however, depress oil... 25th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What would a rise in OPEC output mean for Saudi? The OPEC meeting scheduled to start on Friday will probably result in a compromise to increase oil output and this could provide a boost to Saudi GDP growth of around 1%-pt. Frictions within the group... 20th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi: will an MSCI upgrade drive the Tadawul higher? MSCI’s upcoming decision on whether to include Saudi Arabia in its benchmark emerging market equity indices has been billed as a game changer for the Kingdom’s stock market, but past experience... 19th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s easing cycle to resume later this year A further sharp fall in Egyptian inflation last month has strengthened the case for further interest rate cuts. But policymakers seem hesitant to loosen policy against the backdrop of upcoming subsidy... 11th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Jordan protests unlikely to upend IMF deal Ongoing protests in Jordan have already prompted the resignation of the prime minister and King Abdullah seems to be taking further steps to defuse the situation. The new tax law which triggered the... 6th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy returned to growth in Q1 Our GDP Tracker suggests that the Saudi economy emerged from recession in Q1. More timely data indicate that a raft of public sector bonuses is finally providing some support to the non-oil sector. 5th June 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Should we worry about rising GCC public debt? Government debt across the Gulf has risen sharply over the past few years, but only in the smaller countries of Bahrain and Oman do we consider it to be a major source of concern. Financial support... 1st June 2018 · 1 min read
