Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Saudi-US defence talks, Egypt-IMF deal, Morocco 2026 Budget

The US and Saudi Arabia have stepped up security talks ahead of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House next month. A full defence pact is unlikely to materialise, however, given...

23rd October 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Israel-Hamas ceasefire, oil slides, Tunisia’s unorthodoxy persists

The ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has, so far, remained intact, which could bring positive spillovers for the likes of Egypt and Jordan. More importantly, however, the war has fundamentally...

16th October 2025 · 6 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Israel-Hamas ceasefire, Egypt heads to Washington

Israel and Hamas appear on the cusp of agreeing a long-awaited ceasefire agreement. If it holds, this puts the region on a path to end the war and removes key downside risks to the Middle East’s...

9th October 2025 · 8 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

OPEC+ meeting, Saudi 2026 Budget, MENA’s debt splurge

This weekend’s OPEC+ meeting is likely to see the group agree to a further unwinding of oil production cuts in November, with some suggestions it could be one of the most aggressive moves yet...

2nd October 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Lebanon’s debt, Saudi & Dubai real estate

Lebanon’s Eurobonds are trading at their strongest in over four years as investors’ hopes of a sovereign debt restructuring build amid the new government’s reform push. But we’d caution that, for a...

25th September 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Fed and the Gulf, Saudi’s GBI inclusion, BAM meeting

Central banks in the Gulf followed the Fed by cutting interest rates by 25bp, but the backdrop of lower oil prices is likely to temper the impact of looser monetary policy on credit growth. Meanwhile...

18th September 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Saudi foreign investment report, OPEC+ decision

Media reports picked up on data published by Saudi Arabia this week which showed that 2024 was a record year for foreign direct investment inflows. But this didn’t take account of the fact that there...

11th September 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

OPEC+ meeting, Saudi debt issuances & housing reforms

We suspect that the OPEC+ meeting on Sunday will result in a decision to keep oil production unchanged in October, rather than raise production further. But the risks to oil prices are still skewed to...

4th September 2025 · 8 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

Saudi Vision 2030 & non-oil trade, Tunisia protests

A report from the Saudi statistics office this week provided further evidence that women are playing a greater role in the economy – one area where the Vision 2030 reforms have had significant success...

28th August 2025 · 6 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Abdalla stays on as rate decision looms, PIF Annual Report

Hassan Abdalla’s term as Egypt’s central bank governor was renewed this week which bodes well for the ongoing shift to macro orthodoxy and broader structural reform. First up on his agenda will be...

21st August 2025 · 6 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Egypt’s central bank governor race & rate cuts, Dubai’s boom

The term of the incumbent Central Bank of Egypt governor, Hassan Abdalla, is due to expire next week and, while it is not yet clear if Mr. Abdalla will be kept on or a successor appointed, it will be...

14th August 2025 · 6 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Saudi’s austere turn, CBE Monetary Policy Report takeaways

Q2 budget figures show that Saudi Arabia's deficit is on track to be larger than the full-year projections set out in the Budget. Officials are turning to fiscal consolidation (via cuts to capital...

7th August 2025 · 8 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Egypt’s gas import dependency emphasises need for reform

Electricity demand in Egypt broke records this week, shining the spotlight back on to the country’s energy landscape. A collapse in domestic gas output in recent years has increased Egypt’s reliance...

31st July 2025 · 6 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Saudi government debt, Egyptian pound

Reports this week highlighted the recent sharp rise in Saudi government debt and, while officials are taking steps to tighten fiscal policy, we doubt that they will do enough to prevent it climbing...

24th July 2025 · 7 mins read

Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly

MENA Weekly: Egypt-IMF latest, Morocco’s auto and tourism booms

The latest IMF Article IV for Egypt released this week noted the country’s reform progress, but also highlighted key areas that require more work, including strengthening central bank independence and...

17th July 2025 · 6 mins read