Analysis Finance The KIA maintains its low profile approach – for now Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA) is not only the oldest Gulf sovereign wealth fund, but also the most opaque. It publishes little information about its assets and usually invests abroad through asset managers rather than directly. Its low-profile approach contrasts with the likes of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala and the Qatar […] June 8, 2025
Economy Qatar economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Qatar, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Oman economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Oman, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Bahrain economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Bahrain, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Kuwait economy The latest economic and demographic indicators for Kuwait, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for Saudi Arabia, including GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more June 6, 2025
Economy Remittances to Egypt almost double to reach $26bn Remittances from Egyptian expatriates hit a new record in the first nine months of fiscal year 2024/2025, driven by renewed confidence in the economy. Inflows surged by 83 percent to $26.4 billion between July 2024 and March 2025, compared with $14.4 billion a year earlier, Egypt Today reported, quoting the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) […] June 6, 2025
Analysis Economy Debate, but no turning back for the team driving Turkey’s economy Two years after reversing a policy of fiscal unorthodoxy, Turkey’s economy and its finance minister are at a crossroads. Criticism has mounted that the reforms put in place by Mehmet Şimşek since mid-2023 have either not gone far enough to restore stability or gone too far in clamping down on inflation, causing a slowdown in […] June 5, 2025
Economy United Arab Emirates economy The latest economic indicators and demographic trends for the United Arab Emirates, including the UAE's GDP, inflation, oil prices, trade, population, expats, unemployment and more June 4, 2025
Economy Qatar records $137m budget deficit on lower oil income Qatar recorded a budget deficit of QR500 million ($137 million) in the first quarter of 2025 as oil revenues declined. Total revenue reached QR49 billion, down 7.5 percent year on year, the state-run Qatar News Agency reported. Oil and gas revenue stood at QR42.5 billion, down 10 percent year on year. However, non-oil revenue reached […] June 4, 2025
Economy Saudi, Kuwaiti and Qatari bosses report hiring sprees Employment growth has accelerated in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar despite economic uncertainty, but hiring momentum remains uneven in other Mena markets, according to the latest purchasing managers’ index surveys. In Saudi Arabia, job creation was “one of the fastest seen in over a decade” in May, the Riyad Bank PMI report said. The Saudi index’s […] June 4, 2025
Finance Oman raises $130m from latest sale of treasury bills Oman has raised $130 million from treasury bills in a three-part sale that began on Monday. The Central Bank of Oman sold $5 million, $52 million and $74 million of bonds with terms of three, six and 12 months, respectively. The coupon – or annual interest rate – is 5 percent. By Tuesday the sale […] June 3, 2025
Aviation Dubai airlines lead GCC bid to revive Syrian economy Dubai-based airlines are resuming services to Syria after a gap of nearly 13 years as the Gulf states unite to support the war-torn country’s economic recovery. Low-cost carrier Flydubai resumed operations to Syria, with the first flight landing at Damascus International Airport on Saturday, a move aimed at building ties between the UAE and Syria. […] June 3, 2025
Economy Saudi Arabia and Qatar extend financial support to Syria Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said on Saturday that the kingdom will jointly offer with Qatar financial support to Syria. “The kingdom will provide with Qatar joint financial support to state employees in Syria,” Bin Farhan said during a press conference with his Syrian counterpart Asaad Al-Shibani in Damascus. He did not provide […] June 2, 2025
Analysis Economy Turkish economy cools as major sectors struggle Turkey’s economic growth slowed in the first quarter of the year, as declining activity in industry and agriculture offset expansion in other sectors, notably construction and information and communications. Gross domestic product expanded 2 percent year on year in the first three months of 2025, according to data issued by the state statistics agency Turkstat […] May 30, 2025
Economy Oman raises borrowing to settle budget deficit Oman has posted a fiscal deficit for the first three months of this year and it is resorting to borrowing to maintain a balanced budget in 2025. The sultanate posted a deficit of OR136 million ($352 million) for the first three months of 2025, which is 16 percent lower than the deficit of the same […] May 28, 2025
Economy IMF urges Egypt to move faster on asset sales to create jobs Egypt must be even more ambitious in its efforts to bolster growth and employment prospects as its economic picture gradually improves, the International Monetary Fund said on Tuesday. The Egyptian government should in particular move forward with plans to sell state assets and work towards “decisively reducing the role of the public sector in the […] May 28, 2025
Economy Bahrain T-bills oversubscribed despite debt concerns The government of Bahrain sold close to $190 million in three-month treasury bills this week in a sale that was almost three times oversubscribed, despite IMF concerns over the kingdom’s rising debt levels. The BD70 million in bills carry a weighted average interest rate of 5.23 percent, the state-run Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported on […] May 26, 2025
Economy Egypt’s non-oil trade deficit narrows as exports surge Egypt’s non-oil trade deficit has narrowed substantially in the first four months of 2025 amid a surge in exports, according to local media. The non-oil trade deficit, the difference between the value of exports and imports, fell 28 percent to $8 billion, Ashraq News, an Arabic news portal, reported citing a government document. Non-oil commodity […] May 26, 2025
Economy Egypt cuts interest rates as economy grows Egypt’s central bank said on Thursday that it was cutting overnight interest rates, as it expects economic recovery and lower inflation. The monetary policy committee (MPC) lowered the overnight deposit and lending rates by 100 basis points to 24 percent and 25 percent, respectively, its second rate cut this year, the bank said in a […] May 23, 2025
Economy Owner of Emirates Airline reports climb in profit The Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) said profit and the value of its assets rose last year, buoyed by performance in its aviation, real estate and banking portfolio. Net income climbed 6 percent to AED53.2 billion ($14.5 billion) and the value of its assets more than 10 percent to AED1.47 trillion, the sovereign wealth fund […] May 21, 2025
Economy Qatar offers $1bn of incentives to boost business investment Qatar is offering $1 billion of incentives to encourage local and international business investment in the gas-rich Gulf state. Under the programme, Qatar will cover up to 40 percent of local expenses for five years, according to a statement on Wednesday. Business setup costs, construction, office leases, equipment and employee-related expenses can be claimed, Invest […] May 21, 2025
