Bahrain’s New Normal

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: Navin Shetty Brahmavar / Foter / CC BY-SA

Bahrain is looking at its GCC counterparts enviably as it battles its own domestic issues, while its neighbours rake in petrodollars and bask in relative stability. It seems like the Kingdom will have to live with internal political strife for some time to come. CONTINUE READING

9 key points from the GCC Summit(0)

The timing could not have been more inconvenient.

In the week Gulf leaders met to discuss ways to create a more unified group, similar to an ‘EU model’, European Union leaders were struggling to keep their group united amid an unravelling economic and political crisis. READ MORE HERE

WEF: How Trade-Friendly Is The Middle East?(0)

Gulf economies, led by the UAE, have fared quite well in a World Economic Forum focused on world’s trade-friendliness and access to global markets.

The UAE was ranked 19th among 132 countries in an in-depth survey conducted by the World Economic Forum. Oman, with a global ranking of 25, surprisingly emerged second among Arab countries, with Saudi Arabia close at its heel, at 27. READ MORE HERE

Risks Rising In Bahrain(0)

: Ahmed Rabea / Foter

While Middle East oil exporters could see a 4.8% GDP growth this year, Bahrain would be lucky to eke out a 2%increase this year, according to the International Monetary Fund in its latest report published on April 17. READ MORE HERE

Note: The article was published before the Formula 1 race took place in Bahrain

Arcapita’s 50 New Creditors(0)

A list of institutions the bankrupt firm owes shows the Central Bank of Bahrain is the biggest Arcapita creditor. Other major lenders include Riyad Bank and Mashreq. READ MORE HERE

What If Oil Prices Drop Suddenly?: The GCC Dilemma, As Imagined By Citibank(0)

Barclays Capital expects GCC economies to rise 5.4% this year, but Citibank worries that a sudden drop in oil prices could leave the states with a dilemma: whether to curtail spending or keep pumping funds into the economy. READ MORE HERE

MENA 2012 Outlook: Oil Exporting Countries(0)

In the first part of the 2012 regional economic prospects, a look at oil-rich countries’ efforts to manage their citizens’ expectations, economic slowdown and regional and domestic political upheavals in the New Year.

The year 2011 was probably the most unexpected for the Middle East in decades with not just the magnitude of changes unravelling in the region, but also the sheer number of those cataclysmic changes. READ MORE HERE

SPECIAL COMMENT: The Arab Spring Could Turn Into A Long And Cruel Winter(0)

By Alon Ben-Meir

Due to a host of common denominators in the Arab world including the lack of traditional liberalism, the tribes’ power, the elites’ control of business, the hold on power by ethnic minorities, the military that cling to power, and the religious divide and Islamic extremism, the Arab Spring could sadly turn into a long and cruel winter. These factors are making the transformation into a more reformist governance, slow, filled with hurdles and punctuated with intense bloodshed. At the same time, each Arab country differs characteristically from one another on other dimensions including: history and culture, demographic composition, the role of the military, resources, and geostrategic situations. This combination of commonality and uniqueness has had, and will continue to have, significant impacts on how the uprising in each Arab country evolves and what kind of political order might eventually emerge.

$25Bn Gulf Debt Maturities In 2012 Pose Risk: S&P(0)

Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services said today that issuers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries face rising refinancing risks over the next three years because the amount of debt maturing in the region will increase significantly between 2012-2014.

Industry experts estimate bonds and sukuk of about $25 billion will mature in 2012, rising to about $35 billion in 2014. Standard & Poor’s believes the region is therefore entering a challenging loan and bond refinancing cycle, especially given the ongoing volatility in capital markets and fears that slowing global economic growth is already curbing corporate debt issuance and heightening refinancing risk in the region.
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Arab Spring: A New Era In A Transforming Globe(0)

By Alon Ben-Meir

November 8, 2011

The Arab uprising must be seen as an integral part of a world in transformation. The technological and informational revolutions that have spurred (and continue to spur) globalization and interconnectedness between cultures make it impossible for tyrants to rule for the entirety of their lifetimes while mercilessly subjugating their peoples to lives of servitude with no prospect of ever tasting the true meaning of freedom.
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