Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi privatisations add to reasons for slow policy adjustment The Saudi government appears to be moving towards privatising a number of state-owned companies which, although not a game changer when it comes to financing the budget deficit, adds to the reasons to... 12th November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia turns to international bond markets to plug shortfall Reports that Saudi Arabia will launch an international bond provides some clarity on how the budget deficit will be financed over the next year – as things stand, we think around 65% will come from... 10th November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Renewed security concerns to hit Egypt’s tourism sector Mounting evidence that the Russian plane crash in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula was caused by a bomb planted by an affiliate of Islamic State is almost inevitably going to deal a hammer blow to Egypt’s... 9th November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update How long will the Gulf’s foreign exchange reserves last? Substantial foreign exchange reserves mean that most of the Gulf economies can afford to adjust gradually to a prolonged period of cheap oil. Kuwait and the UAE are in the strongest position, but... 5th November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi consumer spending to weaken further as fiscal squeeze bites Despite recent media reports espousing the resilience of Saudi consumers in the face of lower oil prices, a number of indicators suggest that household spending in the Kingdom has softened in recent... 4th November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi downgrade puts poor fiscal position in the spotlight The decision by Standard & Poor’s to downgrade Saudi Arabia’s sovereign credit rating on Friday night is hardly surprising in light of the deterioration in the fiscal position this year and lack of a... 2nd November 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Central Bank of Egypt holds rates as external concerns return A renewed focus on Egypt’s external position appears to have been the main reason why the central bank kept the benchmark overnight deposit rate unchanged at 8.75% today, rather than lower rates. The... 29th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian pound devalued, likely to fall further The Egyptian pound was devalued, albeit modestly, over the past few weeks and, while the central bank has brought this process to a halt, we think a further fall in the currency is likely over the... 26th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia’s dollar peg is here to stay Saudi Arabia’s peg to the US dollar is coming under increasing scrutiny but we think fears that the authorities will devalue the riyal are overdone. The Kingdom’s substantial foreign exchange reserves... 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The Gulf, FX reserves and budget spending: a primer Several Gulf countries have turned to their foreign exchange reserves in an effort to finance budget and current account deficits caused by last year’s slump in oil prices, but there seems to be... 21st October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi slowdown underway Our GDP Tracker suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy slowed in August and, with a fiscal squeeze looking increasingly likely, growth looks set to weaken further over the coming quarters. We continue... 20th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s central bank loosens grip on pound, further falls likely For the third time this year the Central Bank of Egypt has loosened its grip on the pound and the currency is likely to fall further over the coming days. We expect it to reach 8.25/US$ by the end of... 19th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What to expect from Egypt’s parliamentary elections Egyptians are scheduled to return to the polls this month to elect a new parliament, which is likely to emerge as a body that is largely aligned with President al-Sisi. As we explain in this Watch, in... 15th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Lebanon defies gravity, for now… The conflict in Syria has taken a heavy toll on Lebanon’s economy over the past few years – the country is hosting more than a million refugees, the key tourism sector is suffering, and the political... 12th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Gulf likely to avoid bank liquidity crunch We think recent concerns that a withdrawal of government deposits from commercial banks will result in a liquidity crunch across the Gulf are overdone. Policymakers have plenty in their toolkit to... 8th October 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia’s FX reserve depletion has further to run The fact that Saudi Arabia is drawing down its foreign exchange reserves should come as little surprise given that the Kingdom is running a current account deficit and also facing sizeable capital... 28th September 2015 · 1 min read
