Opinion Economy Reconstructing battered Libya is a work in progress Physical rebuilding is ongoing but restoring the country's reputation will take longer October 16, 2024
Economy Turkey ramps up taxes to spend on defence tech Turkey’s government has proposed a raft of taxes on everything from credit cards to watches in order to fund increased spending on defence research and development. The ruling Justice and Development Party tabled draft legislation for the levies with parliament’s finance committee on October 11. In recent years Turkey has made a priority of developing its […] October 15, 2024
Opinion Trade The UK’s economic woes make Gulf trade deal a priority As Sir Keir Starmer's government runs into turbulence, it will need the help of its GCC allies as never before September 24, 2024
Opinion Economy Oman’s planned income tax is an economic gamble High earning expats might be tempted to move to the sultanate's tax-free neighbours August 13, 2024
Opinion Finance The UAE closes in on the ‘shady men in sunny places’ Far from being a safe haven for fugitives, Abu Dhabi has accelerated the pace of its extraditions August 12, 2024
Opinion Economy Trump redux could bring in the law of unintended consequences Gulf states need to expect the unexpected as an 'America First' agenda could fragment global trade August 5, 2024
Opinion Agriculture Agricultural monopoly is a dangerous game in the Gulf Food prices have risen dramatically, thanks in part to agribusiness giants August 1, 2024
Opinion Economy The GCC must tackle climate risk to protect credit lines Climate premium costs could manifest as a silent tax burden and hamper economic development July 16, 2024
Aviation UAE issues visas for Nigerians after two-year hiatus The UAE government has started issuing visas for Nigerians after a halt of nearly two years. The governments of the UAE and Nigeria reached an agreement to resume travel between the two countries, Nigeria’s information minister said in a post on social messaging platform X. The UAE stopped issuing visas to Nigerians in 2022 after […] July 16, 2024
Opinion Finance American business weighs prospect of ‘Trump trade’ Some sectors, such as energy and real estate, stand to gain on an election win July 15, 2024
Economy Sheikhs Hamdan and Abdullah named UAE deputy PMs Dubai crown prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan have been named deputy prime ministers in a major UAE cabinet reshuffle. Sheikh Hamdan will also serve as the defence minister, while Sheikh Abdullah will continue as minister of foreign affairs, the UAE state-run Wam news agency […] July 15, 2024
Opinion Economy Macron gambled and lost. Now bond markets will have their say The election result puts France on a collision course with global capital markets and the EU July 9, 2024
Opinion Trade UK election is a quaint reminder of how democracy can work Starmer will not want to upset investment flows from the Gulf July 8, 2024
Economy Egyptian business confidence improves but pessimism remains Egyptian businesses reported significant new sales for the first time since 2021 in June but are still more pessimistic than optimistic, according to the latest purchasing managers index (PMI) report. The survey released by S&P Global reported a headline PMI of 49.9, the highest in almost three years and just shy of the 50.0 mark […] July 4, 2024
Economy New oil and finance ministers in Egyptian cabinet reshuffle The Egyptian government has conducted a long-awaited cabinet reshuffle resulting in a series of new appointees to important ministries including foreign affairs, finance and petroleum. A handful of existing ministers expanded their portfolios. Abdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian president, swore in the new cabinet, which will be led by the incumbent prime minister Mostafa […] July 4, 2024
Economy Turkish court rules president cannot sack central bank chief A ruling by Turkey’s highest court striking down the president’s authority to dismiss the head of the central bank is being downplayed by Turkish officials. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has sacked the governor of the central bank five times in the past five years. Turkey’s justice minister has insisted the Constitutional Court’s decision did not invalidate […] June 6, 2024
Markets Turkey to tax crypto and stock market earnings Turkey is planning to tax income earned from cryptocurrency and stock market trades, as the government seeks new revenue streams to help shore up its public finances. The measures were part of a package unveiled by the finance minister Mehmet Şimşek at a gathering of senior officials of the ruling Justice and Development Party on […] June 5, 2024
Opinion Trade The next UK government must prioritise a GCC trade deal With an impending election, government-to-government relations are critical May 24, 2024
Opinion Oil & Gas As Iran mourns, questions about its oil remain The next president will have to deal with economic woes and rumblings from Washington May 22, 2024
Oil & Gas Oil prices steady following death of Iranian president Oil prices remained steady on Monday morning following the death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi, who was killed over the weekend in a helicopter crash in mountains near Iran’s border with Azerbaijan. Brent crude rose less than 1 percent percent at $84.37 a barrel – slightly below the estimated breakeven price at which Saudi Arabia, […] May 20, 2024
Economy Saudi Arabia world’s fifth biggest arms buyer in 2023 Saudi Arabia remains the world’s fifth largest arms buyer, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The think tank’s latest report said that Saudi Arabia spent $76 billion on arms in 2023, a 4 percent increase on the previous year, making it the biggest spender after the US, China, Russia and India. The kingdom’s […] April 23, 2024
Cybersecurity UAE is a ‘prime target’ for ransomware attacks The UAE is a “prime target” for ransomware attacks, the country’s Cyber Security Council has warned. Its 2024 State of the UAE Cybersecurity report says the Emirates’ rapid digital transformation has increased its vulnerability to cyberattacks, including ransomware incidents and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. “The broader Middle East region” is a target for […] April 8, 2024