Middle East & North Africa Economics Update GCC summit reveals lack of unity on economic policy Given the political turmoil in the Arab world and growing concerns of a conflict with Iran, it is unsurprising that politics took centre stage at the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) 32nd Summit this... 21st December 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Clouds gather over North Africa Successful elections in Tunisia and Morocco, and initially in Egypt, have been overshadowed by a marked deterioration in economic conditions in North Africa. Indeed, Egypt is at a growing risk of a... 20th December 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Focus The GCC’s fiscal plans may prove unsustainable This year’s fiscal stimulus packages in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have increased the risk of a spending squeeze in the next 10 to 20 years. Admittedly, enormous foreign currency... 14th December 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: teetering on the edge of a full-blown economic crisis The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces’ (SCAF) dithering over securing external financial assistance has left Egypt teetering on the edge of a full-blown economic crisis. The central bank’s... 7th December 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Egypt erupts The past month has been dominated by events in Egypt. Renewed clashes between protestors and the security forces, coupled with the resignation of the interim government, have left parliamentary... 22nd November 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Employment schemes in the GCC: silver bullet or damp squib? The recent moves by the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to increase the participation of their citizens in the private sector jobs market, notably Saudi Arabia’s Nitiqat scheme, are... 3rd November 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Financing risks rise in the resource-poor countries The combination of deepening problems in advanced economies and the legacy of political unrest earlier this year has heightened the risk of fiscal and balance of payments crises in the resource-poor... 2nd November 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Qatar hedges its bets With oil prices likely to fall further next year, the Qatari authorities’ decision to hedge part of their 2012 oil exports looks wise. While the government’s balance sheet is amongst the healthiest in... 28th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update After Gaddafi, what next for the ‘Arab Spring’? The fact that there was no market reaction to the death of Libya’s former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, is no surprise. That said, today’s events could reduce political risks in the Middle East and North... 21st October 2011 · 1 min read
Global Economics Focus Sovereign Debt: are the emerging markets immune? Emerging markets are not immune from the deepening debt crisis in the developed world, but most are well-placed to deal with the fallout. China faces a difficult structural transition of its own but... 21st October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Oil-rich states well prepared to face the global crisis The drop in PMIs in Saudi Arabia and the UAE provide the first signs that the Gulf States are being hit by the on-going problems in the developed world. But the oil-rich countries have strong balance... 20th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Resource-poor countries most at risk from a global crisis The global economic crisis will affect the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through a deterioration in world trade, falls in commodity prices and a drop in capital inflows. We expect that... 14th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update IMF aid crucial to heading off an external financing crisis North Africa’s hefty external financing requirements, coupled with turmoil in the global financial markets, have increased the risk that the region could be hit by a balance of payments crisis... 7th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Focus Will the 'Arab Spring' bring economic transformation? The recent political turmoil, the so-called ‘Arab Spring’, could ultimately lead to a marked acceleration in economic growth for some parts of the Arab World. Egypt, Morocco and, to a lesser extent... 4th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Growth forecasts cut for 2012 Following recent downward revisions to our forecasts for growth across the developed and emerging markets, we have also cut our forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. We now... 30th September 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack The Arab World’s banks can weather the global crisis The Arab World’s banks are better prepared to face any fallout from the global sovereign debt problems than they were during the financial crisis in 2008. Back then, the region’s financial... 21st September 2011 · 1 min read
