Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly OPEC+ decision, a flexible EGP, inflation in MENA OPEC+’s decision to cut oil output quotas by 100,000bpd at Monday’s meeting and subsequent comments from the Saudi energy minister highlight the group’s wariness of a global recession and we expect... 8th September 2022 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Egypt Consumer Prices (Aug.) Egypt’s headline inflation rate jumped to a near-four-year high of 14.6% y/y in August as the impact of the weaker pound continued to filtered through. Inflation is likely to rise a little further... 8th September 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s external risks underline need for weaker pound Concerns over Egypt’s external position have grown due to the country’s wide current account deficit, rising short-term external debt and declining FX reserves. While some of the risks are mitigated... 6th September 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response PMIs (Aug.) August’s batch of PMIs showed that activity in the Gulf economies pulled further ahead of their non-Gulf counterparts even as external demand has weakened on the back of softer global growth... 5th September 2022 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly CBE policy moves, OPEC+ meeting, Tunisia default risks The Central Bank of Egypt appears to be pressing ahead with its shift toward a more flexible exchange rate regime, which should also increase the likelihood of Egypt securing an IMF deal. Elsewhere... 1st September 2022 · 8 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Inflationary pressures building Headline inflation has risen further across the region in recent months. This has been most pronounced in the non-Gulf economies which have been particularly exposed to spillovers from the war in... 30th August 2022 · 10 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt’s hurdles to an IMF deal, Saudi threatens oil cut Egypt appears to be edging closer toward reaching a new IMF deal with officials having made positive steps in recent months to address the exchange rate, fiscal policy, and structural reforms, all of... 25th August 2022 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: the costs and benefits of a weaker pound We think that the Egyptian pound needs to fall a lot further which, in the near-term, will push up inflation and harm the sovereign debt position. But it will be key to boosting Egypt’s external... 25th August 2022 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Rapid Response Egypt Interest Rate Decision (Aug.) 18th August 2022 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly All eyes on the Central Bank of Egypt The resignation of Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Tarek Amer yesterday has further increased scrutiny of the country’s exchange rate policy. A weaker pound is clearly needed, preferably under an... 18th August 2022 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: Amer’s resignation raises scrutiny of pound policy The resignation of Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) Governor Tarek Amer points to a growing tension within policymaking circles on the best way to address the country’s external imbalances. We think the... 17th August 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt: PIF steps up investment; CBE rate hike on the cards Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has stepped up investments into Egypt this week that will help to ease external financing concerns. At the same time, electricity rationing will begin next week... 11th August 2022 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Egypt Consumer Prices (Jul.) Egypt’s headline inflation rate picked up to a three-year high of 13.6% y/y in July and we think it will remain above the Central Bank of Egypt’s target range until early 2024. Greater flexibility of... 10th August 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt’s prolonged IMF talks, OPEC+ fallout Egypt’s Finance Minister Mohamed Maait argued this week that any financing agreement with the IMF would be much smaller than the $15bn suggested by some analysts but, if anything, the drawn out nature... 4th August 2022 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response PMIs (Jul.) July’s batch of PMIs were a mixed bag, but the readings reinforce our view that activity in non-oil sectors in the Gulf remains strong. Meanwhile, there were further signs that price pressures are... 3rd August 2022 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian pound has a lot further to fall Spillovers from the war in Ukraine have caused Egypt’s large current account deficit to widen this year and, with the country struggling to attract stable forms of external financing, officials will... 1st August 2022 · 3 mins read