Global Markets Update A brighter outlook for EM local currency bonds We continue to expect the yields of 10-year emerging market (EM) local currency (LC) sovereign bonds to rise over the rest of 2022. But we anticipate smaller rises than we did previously, given our... 1st 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
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi economy at the top of the pack The rapid headline 11.8% y/y GDP growth recorded in Saudi Arabia in Q2 masked underlying weakness in non-oil sectors of the economy. Even so, Saudi Arabia is a relative bright spot in the global... 1st August 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly OPEC+ meeting, Egypt and the IMF, Fed decision Next week’s OPEC+ meeting may provide the first hints of the group’s production policy beyond September and if, as we expect, it opts to remove quotas, the Gulf stands to benefit most. Elsewhere, the... 28th July 2022 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Gulf economies feeling the oil boost The recently-released activity data from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Bahrain confirmed that strong hydrocarbon production supported rapid economic growth at the start of this year. And strong... 27th July 2022 · 10 mins read
Emerging Markets Economic Outlook EM risks building as global backdrop worsens EM GDP growth will be weaker than most expect in 2022 and 2023 as China’s economy rebounds only moderately and activity slows elsewhere. Inflation is set to remain elevated for some time yet, and... 26th July 2022 · 28 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics EM FX has a bit further to fall; some pockets of greater concern With global economic growth weakening and risk sentiment unlikely to rebound sustainably this year in our view, we think that EM currencies generally will remain under pressure over the next several... 26th July 2022 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Tunisia’s referendum, Egypt privatisation, MENA Outlook Tunisians will vote on proposed constitutional amendments on Monday, which could further deter foreign investors and impede progress on an IMF deal, compounding the country's economic problems... 21st July 2022 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook Oil fuelling a gulf in growth The spillovers from the war in Ukraine are driving a divergence in the region’s outlook. Higher oil output and looser policy will drive above-consensus GDP growth in the Gulf this year and next... 21st July 2022 · 25 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update What do rising bond yields mean for EM public debt? The rise in local currency bond yields across the emerging world poses a particular risk to fiscal positions in those EMs with large government financing needs and a short average debt maturity. Egypt... 21st July 2022 · 4 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly President Biden heads to Saudi, Dubai PMI US President Biden’s visit to Saudi Arabia tomorrow will focus on Iran, the normalisation of ties with Israel and raising oil output more quickly to push global prices down and ease inflation... 14th July 2022 · 5 mins read
Emerging Markets Economics Update EM default risks: more than meets the eye The effects of the pandemic followed by the war in Ukraine have pushed a growing number of EMs into debt distress. And while some (Tunisia, Ghana) look likely to follow Sri Lanka’s path into default... 14th July 2022 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Saudi Arabia Consumer Prices (Jun.) Saudi inflation rose a touch in June, to 2.3% y/y, on the back of higher food inflation. While we think that the headline rate will drift higher over the next couple of months months, it is unlikely... 14th July 2022 · 2 mins read
OPEC Watch OPEC Monthly Oil Market Report (July) OPEC unveiled its oil market forecasts for 2023 in its monthly report today. OPEC is more bullish than us on demand, forecasting an increase of 2.7m barrels per day. But even though it is also quite... 12th July 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update A strong first half of the year for the Saudi economy The Saudi economy grew at its fastest pace in a decade in Q1 and we think this strength will carry through to the rest of 2022. Our GDP growth forecast of 10% for this year lies well above the... 12th July 2022 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Oil price falls, Saudi & UAE fiscal loosening, PMIs Oil prices have fallen over the past month as global recession fears have mounted but, while they are likely to decline further over the coming years, they will remain high by past standards. This... 7th July 2022 · 5 mins read