Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (May) May’s batch of whole economy PMIs were a mixed bag suggesting that economic recoveries in the Gulf are struggling to gather momentum for the time being. But, with vaccination programmes strengthening... 3rd June 2021 · 3 mins read
Energy Chart Pack Prices to be falling by end-year Cold weather in parts of the northern hemisphere helped push up the prices of coal and natural gas last month, while oil prices also rose. We still think that average energy prices will be higher this... 2nd June 2021 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Lessons from the UAE’s vaccine rollout The UAE has been one of the global leaders in its vaccine rollout thanks to the aggressive procurement of vaccines, numerous vaccination centres and wide eligibility. Containment measures have been... 5th May 2021 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Revisiting the risks in the UAE’s banking sector The UAE banking sector’s non-performing loan ratio has hit its highest level since 2005, although banks’ high level of profitability coming into the crisis has helped to shield them so far. And strong... 14th April 2021 · 3 mins read
OPEC Watch OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (Sep.) OPEC’s oil production rose sharply in August on the back of higher output quotas. However, if concerns persist about global oil demand, which was discussed at length at yesterday’s JMMC meeting, then... 18th September 2020 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Aug.) August’s whole economy PMIs from across the Middle East and North Africa all fell adding to the signs that activity in the region has plateaued amid fiscal austerity and continued virus containment... 3rd September 2020 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Focus Is Dubai facing another debt crisis? Efforts to contain the coronavirus will cause Dubai’s economy to contract sharply, exacerbating overcapacity in key sectors and making it more difficult for the Emirate’s government-related entities... 20th April 2020 · 18 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Dubai the most vulnerable to coronavirus outbreak Efforts to contain the coronavirus will weigh heavily on non-oil sectors across the MENA region over the coming weeks and months. Dubai is the most vulnerable and this could ultimately ignite fears... 16th March 2020 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Gulf tightening the purse strings Fiscal plans announced across the Gulf over the past month suggest that governments will keep policy tight, a key reason why we think that economic growth will disappoint this year. The Saudi 2020... 29th January 2020 · 14 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update UAE: slowdown to be short-lived Economic growth in the UAE will slow over the rest of this year due to the impact of oil production cuts. But preparations for the World Expo will help to drive a rebound in 2020 and we expect the... 4th July 2019 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Dubai: solid growth, but debt risks linger Economic growth in Dubai should hold up well at 3.8-4.5% over the next couple of years due to a boost from the 2020 World Expo. Loan restructurings undertaken in 2014 have masked the Emirate’s debt... 26th March 2019 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Focus Can the Gulf economies weather the slump in oil prices? The latest slump in oil prices is unlikely to lead to major balance sheet strains in the largest Gulf economies and, even if prices fall further to $40-50pb, dollar pegs shouldn’t come under threat... 26th November 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Sep.) Last month’s PMI data paint a mixed picture in the Gulf but we expect growth in non-oil sectors to pick up over the coming months on the back of fiscal stimulus. Elsewhere, the survey in Egypt... 3rd October 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update How is Dubai’s economy performing? Economic growth in Dubai appears to have been broadly stable this year despite signs of weakness in the real estate and tourism sectors. The recent fiscal stimulus package and a step-up in... 12th September 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Aug.) August’s PMIs for the Gulf economies suggest that fiscal stimulus has continued to support a recovery in Saudi Arabia, but weaker external demand is weighing on growth in the UAE. Meanwhile, Egypt’s... 4th September 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Jul.) Last month’s PMI data for the Gulf provide further evidence that higher oil prices and recent fiscal measures are supporting robust growth in the non-oil sector. Elsewhere, Egypt’s survey suggests... 13th August 2018 · 1 min read
