MENA Weekly: OPEC+ and Trump, Egypt’s debt issuance

President Trump’s call for OPEC+ to “bring down the cost of oil” is unlikely to change the outcome of group’s meeting on Monday; it is likely to stick  to plans to gradually raise oil output from April. Further out, though, this may provide the Gulf states with the cover to press ahead with longer term goals of raising production and recapturing market share. Elsewhere, Egypt’s successful dollar bond issuance this week only adds to the optimistic shift in investor sentiment toward Egypt’s outlook. With plans to keep fiscal policy tight and reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio, Egypt’s public finances are on a far more stable footing.