On the eve of the elections, Egyptians have washed off much of the feel-good afterglow of the first revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Now they are faced with the cold hard light of economic hardship and political uncertainty.

While Egypt’s first revolution earlier this year was full of hope and a spontaneity that surprised even the protestors, the second revolution less than 10 months later has a much sombre undertone. READ MORE HERE

2011 was the year of black swans - those highly improbable occurrences that turn the world economy on its head. So what black swans could be in store for 2012? Central banks losing control over inflation, as a result of their policy of monetising sovereign debt to excess; or perhaps European growth in excess of 1.2%, a positive scenario that no economist is forecasting on today.
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The EU and the US economies are not the only headaches for Middle East economies. China’s faltering economy could also hurt the region’s growth prospects.

As the advanced economies were contracting and falling behind earlier in the year, the Gulf and the wider MENA states were hoping Chinese and wider Asian demand to ensure their oil production finding eager buyers. READ MORE HERE
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