Tourism Lebanon reports visitor increase despite border conflict Visitor numbers to Lebanon increased to their highest levels last year since the 2019 economic crisis, despite conflict on the southern border dampening tourism since October. Figures released by the Ministry for Tourism showed the number of visitors to Lebanon in 2023 reached 1.67 million, a 13.7 percent year-on-year increase. Lebanon registered 1.94 million inbound […] March 20, 2024
Food & Drink Kuwait’s Alshaya lays off Mena Starbucks staff Kuwait’s Alshaya Group, one of the Gulf’s largest franchise owners, is cutting jobs at its Starbucks outlets. The coffee brand has suffered from calls for a boycott since the start of the Gaza conflict. “As a result of the continually challenging trading conditions over the last six months, we have taken the sad and very […] March 5, 2024
Infrastructure Egypt plans extension to make Suez Canal a ‘dual carriageway’ Egypt is to extend the “dual carriageway” segment of the Suez Canal, to allow northbound ships and southbound ships to travel the full length of the canal simultaneously. The canal’s first double-channel stretch opened in 2015. This extension will add 50km in the north and 30km in the south, the chairman of the Suez Canal […] March 5, 2024
Economy Lebanon pushed to the brink by the war next door Three years of deep recession and a full-scale war with Israel could halve Lebanon's economy February 28, 2024
Economy IMF expects bigger loan deal for Egypt within weeks The International Monetary Fund expects a financing package for Egypt to be finalised within weeks, its chief said on Tuesday – while also entertaining speculation that the loan could rise to $12 billion. Speaking on the sidelines of a G20 finance meeting in Brazil, IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva told Reuters that issues delaying the […] February 28, 2024
Logistics GCC companies safeguard stocks against Red Sea crisis Businesses in the GCC are adding up to three months to their supply chains as disruption in the Red Sea persists. Despite the increased costs, a survey of executives from the region revealed companies are maintaining “substantial extra inventory” in the face of the current geopolitical uncertainties. The fourth annual Trade in Transition study by […] February 28, 2024
Infrastructure Ooredoo to spend $1bn upgrading overseas networks Qatari telecoms group Ooredoo is to spend $1.1 billion upgrading its mobile coverage and quality of servies in a number of key overseas markets. Over the period 2024-26, the company will allocate substantial sums to improve connectivity in Algeria, Tunisia, Gaza and the West Bank, Iraq and the Maldives. Ooredoo’s operations in Gaza have been […] February 27, 2024
Tourism Egypt tourism up 5% in early 2024 despite Gaza conflict The number of tourists visiting Egypt increased by five percent year on year in the first 40 days of 2024, according to Egypt’s tourism minister, Ahmed Issa. The announcement came after reports in January that visitor numbers for the whole of 2023 reached a record high of 14.9 million, just shy of the 15 million […] February 23, 2024
Food & Drink UAE diners eat local as global fast food faces boycott Homegrown restaurants in the UAE are reporting a lift in sales since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict, as diners opt for local brands over international fast-food outlets. Steve Flawith, founder of UAE-based Yolk Brands that operates the Pickl and BonBird chains, said its sales have increased by 15 to 20 percent since the start […] February 19, 2024
Opinion Oil & Gas Why the Saudis have to keep oil prices higher for longer The kingdom's vast Vision 2030 plan makes it imperative that it keeps oil prices high February 13, 2024
Economy IMF chief says oil cuts weigh on Mena GDP growth Gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) is expected to reach 2.9 percent in 2024, which is higher than last year, but still below October 2023 projections, International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing director Kristalina Georgieva said. “This is largely due to short-term cuts in oil production, the Gaza-Israel conflict, […] February 12, 2024
Oil & Gas Business as usual at next Opec+ meeting say experts Opec+ is unlikely to make any drastic policy changes when it holds its ministerial panel on Thursday, according to industry experts. It is thought the organisation, which consists of the Saudi-led Opec bloc and the Russian-led non-Opec group with 10 participants, will probably focus on verifying members’ compliance with agreed output levels and their commitment […] January 30, 2024
Opinion Markets Markets face bumpy ride rather than soft landing Persistent inflation, high interest rates and slow growth will dog 2024 January 29, 2024
Opinion Markets Frogs, dogs and elephants – the zoology of business talk Sometimes only an animal analogy will do to describe complex corporate concepts January 19, 2024
Opinion Economy Escalation risk in the Red Sea and GCC economies A military quagmire in the region could see recession return to haunt the global economy January 16, 2024
Opinion Economy GCC can emerge as ‘Middle Powers’ in second Cold War Three factors will enable the GCC to benefit from the fragmentation January 9, 2024
Opinion Banking & Finance Investors go lukewarm on startups but Riyadh is red hot Rising inflation and interest rates plus economic slowdown resulted in investor hesitancy in 2023 January 8, 2024
Opinion Economy The year ahead: opportunities, risks and excitement Every year brings events that shake markets – but investors who stay cool can come out stronger January 6, 2024
Analysis Economy Gaza war proves ‘another large shock’ for fragile Lebanon Hopes that Lebanon’s economy could register its first annual growth in five years have been dashed by the impact of the Israel-Gaza conflict, according to the World Bank. Its latest Lebanon Economic Monitor said the fighting and fears of an escalation were “another large shock” to the country’s precarious economy. Before the outbreak of violence […] January 4, 2024
Opinion Oil & Gas Economics, not geopolitics, will define oil prices in 2024 War in Ukraine and Gaza and missile attacks in the Red Sea are unlikely to have an effect January 3, 2024
Opinion Energy The year ahead for Mena energy The region’s chasms have rarely been so wide – they must be bridged in 2024 January 1, 2024
Analysis Markets Dubai and Saudi markets likely to perform best in 2024 Dubai and Saudi Arabia have been the top performers in a mixed year for Gulf stock markets and it is likely the duo will again outpace their regional rivals in 2024, analysts predict. As of December 18, Dubai’s index had gained about 19.7 percent and Saudi Arabia was up 8 percent. Yet Abu Dhabi – […] December 28, 2023
