Middle East & North Africa Data Response UAE HSBC/Markit PMI (Oct) October’s PMI data show that growth in the UAE’s non-oil private sector has accelerated, but it is still much weaker than that seen earlier in the year. 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 Data Response Saudi Arabia HSBC/Markit PMI (Oct) October’s PMI data show that growth in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector is stabilising, albeit at a slower pace than that seen earlier in the year. 31st October 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 Tunisia's election results should not worry investors The fact that the moderate Islamic party, Al-Nahda, is on track to become the strongest political force in Tunisia should not be a concern for Western governments or international investors. From the... 26th 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
Global Economic Outlook Growing risk of another recession We expect growth to be very low or negative in most advanced economies next year. The euro-zone is already heading for recession, and if its public debt and banking crisis is not contained, the rest... 20th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Saudi Arabia Consumer Prices (Sep.) The rise in Saudi Arabia’s inflation to a nine-month high in September will revive speculation that stimulus spending is leading to a build up in domestic price pressures. A closer look at the data... 18th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian rates could be cut next year There were no surprises from Egypt’s Central Bank today as the benchmark interest rate was left unchanged at 8.25%. Although the economy is still weak, and core inflation in single digits, the threat... 14th 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 Data Response Egypt Consumer Prices (Sep.) September’s data show that a sharp fall in food price inflation helped to offset a rise in Egypt’s house price inflation. Accordingly, headline inflation fell for the fourth consecutive month... 11th 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 Data Response UAE HSBC/Markit PMI (Sep) September’s PMI data suggest that growth in the UAE’s non-oil private sector accelerated last month. However, the reading was still low and adds weight to our view that growth will be weaker over the... 5th October 2011 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Saudi Arabia HSBC/Markit PMI (Sep) September’s PMI data show that output in Saudi Arabia’s non-oil private sector is still growing. But the fact that both the headline index and the output component have hit record lows suggests that... 4th October 2011 · 1 min read
