Moody’s futures agency has downgraded its oil price forecast indicating more pressure will be put on the economies of the oil producing nations of the Gulf With oil prices expected to stay lower for longer, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments’ … Continue reading →

Much discussion has centred on the UAE’s decision to introduce value added tax (VAT). I am not  sure when this will take place, but a lot of speculation is going on about how this could be agreed upon and then … Continue reading →

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has teamed up with Egypt’s largest commercial bank to launch the Women in Business (WIB) programme aimed at strengthening the role of women entrepreneurs in the Egyptian economy. This programme is being … Continue reading →

By Sam Wilkin and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin. Two months after Iran reached a nuclear deal that will open its markets to the world, officials are warning of economic stagnation as consumers hold off on purchases of domestic goods while they wait … Continue reading →

  Lower oil prices have impacted economic growth in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, a report by the global trade credit insurance provider Coface has found. The GCC economies are set to grow by around 3.4 per cent this year … Continue reading →

Middle East investors have been warned that the price of gold is likely to fall significantly in coming months. At the beginning of September spot gold stood at $1,141 an ounce, up slightly by 0.6 per cent on weak equities … Continue reading →

With oil prices halving from a high of $115 per barrel last year to a low of $45 per barrel in January, Gulf Cooperation Council countries have been forced to tighten their belts and look for alternative sources of revenue. One … Continue reading →

  As the heat of the summer takes hold, the Saudi economy is starting to cool, writes Dominic Dudley If anyone was hoping that opening up the Saudi stock exchange to international investors would provide a timely pre-Ramadan boost to … Continue reading →

In a strategic alliance between France & KHC, a consortium of France’s big companies led by the CDCIC International Capital, the International investment arm of Caisse des Depots, France’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, announced that they have approved an investment in … Continue reading →

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has arranged a comprehensive long-term financing package for the development of a €1.12 billion high-tech hospital in the Etlik neighbourhood near the Turkish capital Ankara. With a loan of €125 million for … Continue reading →