Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What next for Libya? The Libyan economy may begin to feel the benefits of ‘regime change’ sooner than many commentators expect. Given the composition of the Transitional National Council (TNC) and Libya’s vast financial... 23rd August 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Price pressures have eased in the Gulf Inflation pressures are easing in most countries in the Middle East. In the oil-rich Gulf States, despite a rapid rise in food inflation over the past two months, subdued housing costs have eased... 20th August 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What is the outlook for inflation in the GCC? The recent data show that inflation has either stabilised or started to fall in most Gulf countries over the past few months. And with a fall in food inflation set to outweigh a stimulus-related rise... 19th August 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Can the Gulf economies withstand an oil price shock? The drop in the oil price over the past two weeks has led to concerns that the Gulf States will have to scale back their recent spending plans. Admittedly, the current budget commitments are likely to... 11th August 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response UAE HSBC/Markit PMI (Jul) July’s PMI data show that the UAE’s non-oil private sector is still growing, but the pace of growth has slowed. The deteriorating global economic climate and the country’s own credit squeeze seem to... 4th August 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Despite a weak global economy, the Gulf is set to grow The high oil price and increased production will ensure continued healthy revenues in the oil-rich Gulf States. As a result, government spending is likely to increase further, which will ensure that... 30th July 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Fiscal woes in the resource-poor countries High energy prices have widened the fiscal gap in the Middle East. In the oil-rich Gulf States, the governments are awash with oil money. Meanwhile, the resource-poor Arab countries are struggling... 20th July 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Can it get any worse for the Arab world’s equity markets? Most equity markets in the Arab world have bounced back from the lows reached in March when regional political risks were at their highest. Since the initial bounce though, overall market performance... 15th July 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Why should the euro-zone crisis worry Egypt and Tunisia? The negative outlook for the euro-zone economies will increase pressure on the economies of Egypt and Tunisia, both of which have been hit hard by political turmoil. The European Union (EU) is the... 12th July 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Tight lending conditions prevail The private sector in the oil-rich Gulf States (in particular the UAE and Kuwait) is still struggling with tight credit conditions. The region’s banks are slowly recovering from the aftermath of the... 21st June 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Does the Gulf's foreign exchange policy still makes sense? Concerns that the dollar is set to weaken further has reignited the debate on the dollar peg in the Gulf, which if abandoned would allow the region’s central banks to take control of monetary policy... 18th June 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response UAE HSBC/Markit PMI (May) May’s PMI data show that, even though the pace of growth has slowed from April, the UAE’s non-oil private sector is still growing at a healthy rate. However, employment growth is not yet reflecting... 6th June 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What is the impact of a fall in tourism revenues? The fall in tourism revenues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region will have serious economic implications in the near term. Even if visitor numbers start to increase (as political... 25th May 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Price pressures are mounting Rising global commodity prices have pushed food price inflation up in most Arab countries. The recent depreciation in the dollar and government fiscal stimulus have also contributed to the increase in... 20th May 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What are the implications of expanding the GCC? The Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) decision to invite Jordan and Morocco to join shows the Council’s determination to ensure the political survival of the two remaining (and friendly) Arab... 11th May 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response UAE HSBC/Markit PMI (Apr.) April’s PMI data show that the rapid growth in domestic demand has helped the UAE’s non-oil private sector record its best monthly performance since the survey began in August 2009. Nonetheless... 3rd May 2011 · 1 min read
