Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly US-Iran talks, Qatar’s LNG push, Saudi opens up The US and Iran enter negotiations tomorrow, but relations between the two are fragile and there's a high risk that talks break down, which could result in fresh US military strikes on Iran. Elsewhere... 5th February 2026 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Rapid Response Middle East & North Africa PMIs (Jan. 2026) January’s PMIs from across the region showed that non-oil sectors across much of the Gulf lost momentum against the backdrop of low oil prices and heightened tensions in the region due to the protests... 3rd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi’s two-speed economy to soften in 2026 Saudi Arabia’s economy strengthened over the course of 2025 as the resumption of oil output hikes fuelled growth. But as that boost starts to fade and fiscal consolidation is ramped up against the... 2nd February 2026 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly The dollar and MENA, US-Iran tensions, Saudi project delays This year's dollar rout has taken Gulf currencies down too, but the impact on inflation is likely to be small - and inflation is very low in any case. Elsewhere, Egypt stands to be a beneficiary from... 29th January 2026 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack Middle East & North Africa Chart Pack (Jan. 2026) Our Middle East & North Africa Economics Chart Pack has been updated with the latest data and our analysis of recent developments. The Middle East and North Africa is set for the fastest pace of GDP... 29th January 2026 · 1 min read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Low oil prices force Neom to be scaled back Reports that the Saudi government will significantly scale back its ambitions for Neom are not a surprise as low oil prices bite. Capital expenditure always bears the brunt of Saudi fiscal... 26th January 2026 · 3 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Egypt’s external gains, Saudi real estate, Saudi-UAE tensions Data released this week showed that Egypt's current account deficit has continued to improve nearly two years on from the policy shift. The growing likelihood of a rebound in Suez Canal traffic will... 22nd January 2026 · 6 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update The implications of fraying Saudi-UAE ties Frictions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia have broken out into the open in the last few weeks. But even if the situation were to escalate, the near-term economic impact would probably be limited. If... 22nd January 2026 · 5 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Rapid Response Saudi Arabia Consumer Prices (Dec. '25) Saudi Arabia’s headline inflation rate edged up to 2.1% y/y in December, but it remains weak by EM standards and we expect it to slow over the course of this year. 15th January 2026 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Saudi borrowing plan, Bahrain’s austerity steps, KSA opens up Saudi Arabia kicked off 2026 with its first debt issuance of the year. Like last year, we think borrowing will exceed the authorities' plans as lower oil prices lead to a wider budget deficit and... 8th January 2026 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi back in the US camp, for now Improved relations between Saudi Arabia and the US since President Trump returned to office, as well as recent agreements in the areas of AI-related technologies and defence, mean that we are shifting... 6th January 2026 · 8 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Rapid Response Middle East & North Africa PMIs (Dec. 2025) December’s batch of PMIs suggested that non-oil sectors in the Gulf softened at the end of last year and we expect this continue over the course of 2026. And while Egypt’s PMI fell back, it continued... 6th January 2026 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Oil prices, Morocco inflation-targeting, Saudi inflation Brent crude dropped to its lowest level since early 2021 this week, and we think that this trend will persist in 2026. This is not a major concern for the Gulf economies' balance sheets, but it... 18th December 2025 · 8 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Rapid Response Saudi Arabia Consumer Prices (Nov. 2025) Saudi Arabia’s headline inflation rate dropped to a nine-month low of 1.9% y/y in November and we expect it to ease further, and potentially into deflationary territory, over 2026-27. 15th December 2025 · 2 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Weekly Does Egypt need the IMF anyway? Oman gets an upgrade Egypt’s IMF review has coincided with a fresh impetus to jumpstart the lagging privatisation programme. But compared to just a couple of years ago, Egypt’s improving balance of payments position and... 11th December 2025 · 7 mins read
Middle East & North Africa Economics Update Saudi’s non-oil economy faces growing headwinds in 2026 The Saudi economy has been boosted by the unwinding of oil output cuts this year and this will continue over the coming quarters, but a step up in fiscal consolidation efforts means that overall GDP... 10th December 2025 · 3 mins read
