Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian equities rally It has been a quiet month for financial markets in the Middle East, with most stock markets treading water and bond yields staying low. The one exception is the Egyptian equity index, which rose... 28th May 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Recovery in oil prices doesn’t alter outlook for region’s oil producers The steady recovery in oil prices over the past couple of months will clearly be welcomed by the MENA region’s oil producers and provides some encouragement for the Gulf countries that their oil... 21st May 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy strengthens as oil sector rebounds Our GDP Tracker suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy strengthened further in March as the oil sector returned to growth and consumer spending remained buoyant. But we expect this rebound to fizzle out... 19th May 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia can afford to ride out a period of low oil prices We think concerns that Saudi Arabia is drawing down its savings to maintain spending in the face of lower oil prices misses the point that these buffers were built up precisely for a time like this... 14th May 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Qatar to remain a strong performer, but downside risks mounting Qatar was the MENA region’s best performing economy last year and, with low oil prices unlikely to derail the government’s investment programme, we expect it to grow at a decent clip of 5.0-5.5% in... 7th May 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Central Bank of Egypt shifts attention back on to inflation Interest rate decisions by the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) are notoriously difficult to predict but it seems that, having been distracted by balance of payments concerns over the past few years... 30th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The implications of the Saudi government reshuffle The reshuffle at the top of Saudi Arabia’s government probably has more political than economic implications. In particular, it means that any hopes for a swift end to the Yemen conflict have probably... 29th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Equities in the Gulf rebound as Yemen fears ease While the crisis in Yemen has dragged on, stock markets in the Gulf have rebounded in the past month as fears that it could trigger a broader regional conflict have eased. 28th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Central Bank of Egypt stands pat as inflation rises The decision by the Central Bank of Egypt to leave interest rates unchanged today was a close call, but it looks like the recent rise in inflation tipped the balance on the MPC away from lowering... 23rd April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update “Accession bonus” leads to pick-up in Saudi consumer spending With inflation at an eight-year low and public sector workers receiving a bonus following King Salman’s recent accession to the throne, household spending in Saudi Arabia appears to have gathered... 21st April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy picks up, but unlikely to last for long Our GDP Tracker suggests that Saudi Arabia’s economy strengthened in February as the drag from the oil sector eased further and activity in the non-oil sector picked up. But this is likely to prove... 16th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Algeria’s economy to hit a crunch point sooner rather than later Algeria is among the most vulnerable economies in the MENA region to lower oil prices and, while large FX savings mean it should be able to muddle through for the next few years, the economy will... 15th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update North Africa: 5-6% growth achievable, but reforms are crucial The outlook for the North African economies of Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia has brightened over the last twelve months and we expect growth to strengthen again this year. Further ahead, low income... 13th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Assessing the impact of a potential nuclear deal with Iran There are many details that still need to be ironed out, but earlier this month Iran and the West moved another step closer to securing an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear programme. As we explain in... 9th April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi Arabia simply taking a long-term view of the oil market Saudi Arabia’s lack of a response to the plunge in oil prices has triggered a torrent of conspiracy theories, including plots to hurt Russia and Iran. These have been given extra prominence in light... 1st April 2015 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Yemen crisis weighs on region’s equity markets The unfolding crisis in Yemen and the launch of air strikes by Saudi Arabia and its allies on the Houthi rebels has triggered a sell-off in equity markets across the MENA region over the past week or... 31st March 2015 · 1 min read
