Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What to look out for in Saudi Arabia’s 2017 budget Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister, Mohammed al-Jadaan, will deliver his maiden budget later this month, which is likely to reinforce the government’s commitment to tighter fiscal policy in order to... 19th December 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Gulf financial markets find support from higher oil prices The rise in oil prices following the recent OPEC deal to cut output has supported financial markets across the Gulf over the past month. Stock markets have perked up and spreads of dollar bonds over... 15th December 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy holds steady in Q3 Our GDP Tracker suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy stabilised in Q3 and was on an improving trend towards the end of the quarter, supported by stronger growth in the oil sector. 7th December 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi interbank rates edge lower, but will rise again soon Interbank interest rates in Saudi Arabia have edged down over the past month as investor sentiment towards the Kingdom has improved and policy moves have helped to ease liquidity constraints at banks... 29th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update President Trump and the implications for the Middle East Two weeks on from Donald Trump’s victory in the US Presidential election and we’re starting to get a sense of the likely shape and priorities of his administration. The inherent contradictions in Mr... 23rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s central bank stands pat, but further rate hikes likely Today’s decision by Egypt’s central bank to keep its key interest unchanged at 14.75% is probably a pause in the tightening cycle. We think the fall in the pound since it was floated will push... 17th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Oil sector supports stabilisation of Saudi economy The latest figures from our Saudi GDP Tracker suggest that the Kingdom’s economy stabilised in Q3, supported by stronger growth in the oil sector. Some more timely indicators have raised fresh... 16th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update How a weaker pound will benefit Egypt’s economy The sharp fall in the Egyptian pound since it was floated earlier this month should help to narrow the country’s current account deficit and support a pick-up in private capital inflows. If backed up... 15th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Where next for the Egyptian pound? The 45% fall in the Egyptian pound against the US dollar over the past week has probably taken it beyond its “fair value”, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a small rebound in the coming days and... 10th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What will Egypt’s pound float mean for inflation? The Central Bank of Egypt’s decision to float the pound last week, coming alongside a raft of subsidy cuts, means inflation is likely to climb to more than 20% in the coming months. The impact is... 7th November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt floats pound, currency falls by 30% against the dollar The decision this morning by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) to finally adopt a floating exchange rate regime is a positive step and moves the government closer to securing a US$12bn financing package... 3rd November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi finance minister’s departure won’t mark end of austerity The decision to replace Saudi Arabia’s finance minister is unlikely to mark a shift in the Kingdom’s approach to dealing with the fallout from lower oil prices. While the outgoing finance minister had... 1st November 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi dollar bond yields edge down following bumper sale The past month has been dominated by Saudi Arabia’s inaugural international bond sale and, in the first few days of trading, yields on the bonds have edged down in line with those in the rest of the... 27th October 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi banks should continue to weather economic headwinds Banks in Saudi Arabia have coped well so far with the fallout from lower oil prices and we think the sector is in a strong position to confront the ongoing economic headwinds over the coming years. 24th October 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update First thoughts on Saudi Arabia’s international bond sale Saudi Arabia’s record-breaking US$17.5bn sale of international bonds will finance around a third of next year’s budget deficit and almost all of the current account shortfall, so the Kingdom’s foreign... 19th October 2016 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia to ease pace of austerity in 2017-18 Saudi Arabia’s upcoming international bond issuance and the recent OPEC agreement have put the spotlight back on to the country’s adjustment to low oil prices. One point that is often overlooked is... 18th October 2016 · 1 min read
