Seemingly little concern on GCC pegs from investorsInvestors do not appear overly worried about currencies in the GCC. The performance of the region's equities and sovereign bonds are generally in line or better than oil-exporter peers and broade...

Four Biden versus Trump foreign policy contrasts - multilateralism, trade, Iran, climate: all would be positive shifts for emerging market investorsThere appears to be very little difference between Biden, Trump and the US Congress on the description...

The fiscal cuts announced by Saudi Arabia on 11 May equate to c4% of GDP and a prior fiscal deficit of 12.6% (2020 forecast from IMF). The measures include a VAT hike (from 5% to 15%), ending a cost of living allowance for public sector workers and p...

Related readingGCC: The Gulf is not a safe haven unless (at least) oil prices recoverOil price shock: Assessing current account vulnerabilities for oil exportersOil war: Saudi, Russia can sustain a long war, but a 35% price drop shortens it

2020 global GDP is likely to decline by 3.0%, according to IMF, -2.8% per IIF. The UN estimates 81% of the world’s workers are facing workplace restrictions. In this environment, banks’ loan books face a material deterioration. With...

The crisis brought about by the combination of Covid-19 and sustained low prices will test many aspects of the social, political, and economic equilibrium in the GCC. The role of expats could be one such aspect. Any deterioration in th...