Middle East & North Africa Economic Outlook A sluggish recovery The recovery in the Middle East and North Africa should continue over the coming months but growth is likely to be weaker than most anticipate. The rebound is being led by the Gulf as the drag from... 19th April 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Geopolitical fears rise, higher oil price offers some relief Mounting tensions surrounding the conflicts in Syria and Yemen have rattled financial markets in the MENA region, but the associated rally in oil prices should limit the economic fallout for the Gulf... 12th April 2018 · 1 min read
Commodities Chart Pack Oil rises, despite trade woes Commodity prices drifted down in March, despite a relatively stable US dollar. However, given the slump in developed market equities, commodity prices held up relatively well. This was largely due to... 3rd April 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Mar.) March’s PMI data for the Gulf suggest that austerity measures are continuing to dampen growth in the non-oil sectors in the region. However, conditions should improve over the coming months as the... 3rd April 2018 · 1 min read
Frontier Markets Wrap Frontier currencies come under pressure Most major Emerging Market currencies have fared well over the past month even as concerns of a global trade war have mounted, but a number of those in Frontier Markets have struggled. Indeed, only... 23rd March 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Saudi royal tour highlights reform and geopolitical risks Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (known as MbS) is in the midst of a global tour, which has highlighted the challenges facing his Vision 2030 economic reforms as well as ongoing... 15th March 2018 · 1 min read
Emerging Markets Economics Focus Trump, trade and the protectionist threat: a primer Fears are growing that recent developments in the US, including the imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminium as well as the apparent ascendancy of economic nationalists within the White House, may... 8th March 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Feb.) Last month’s PMI readings for the Gulf suggest that the imposition of austerity measures at the start of this year is still weighing on non-oil sectors in the region. But we think that the impact will... 5th March 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update New Saudi bankruptcy law a step in the right direction Saudi Arabia’s new bankruptcy law, which was approved by King Salman last month, will make it easier to deal with the fallout from corporate failures and, through improving access to credit, support... 1st March 2018 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update What do higher US interest rates mean for the Gulf? The Gulf’s dollar pegs mean that further rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve will be imported into the region, keeping a lid on credit growth and pushing up government borrowing costs. This is... 27th February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Tunisia: will new central bank boss herald a policy shift? The recent changeover at the helm of Tunisia’s central bank has raised hopes of a shift towards more orthodox policymaking. But the new governor is likely to run in to resistance from the government... 22nd February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt: inflation to fall further and stay low The drop in Egyptian inflation over the past six months has largely reflected the unwinding impact from the pound’s devaluation in late-2016. But there are a couple of additional reasons to think that... 21st February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egyptian bond yields likely to fall further The Central Bank of Egypt embarked on an easing cycle last week and we expect inflation and interest rates to fall by more than most anticipate over the next couple of years. Accordingly, the recent... 20th February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s budget deficit to narrow further The Egyptian government has finally made inroads into its large budget deficit and we expect the shortfall to narrow further over the coming years. But the public finances remain in a poor state and... 7th February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Egypt’s gas sector experiencing a renaissance Last week, Egypt’s President al-Sisi inaugurated the Zohr gas field which, combined with the onset of production from a number of other fields, will provide a sizeable boost to GDP growth over the... 6th February 2018 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Data Response Whole Economy PMIs (Jan.) The drop in PMIs in the Gulf last month appears to reflect the impact of recent austerity measures, including the introduction of a new value-added tax, at the start of this year. But conditions... 5th February 2018 · 1 min read
