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September 1, 2015
The Two Sides of Shale Oil
Shale will decline Shale will be resilient Oil price has dropped from over $100 a barrel last year to $57 today The Saudis misjudged or underestimated the growth of the shale industry leading up to 2014, from 2005 Over half a trillion dollars of capital invested so far, mainly through junk bonds US shale frackers are not high-cost; they are mostly mid-cost Austerity rife among shale producers Frackers could potentially induce cost savings of upto 45%...
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August 27, 2015
Funding 2.0 for GCC SMEs
Traditionally in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena), SMEs have found it difficult to access funding from banks. In the GCC countries, the share of SME loans in total bank loans has tended to be around 2%, as the following graphic illustrates. Figure: Share of SME Loans in Total Loans (%) Source: Union of Arab Banks Survey, 2011 Entrepreneurs in the GCC, with respect to receiving bank loans, are known to face time-consuming documentation, daunting penalties on early repayments,...
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August 10, 2015
Fuel Price Hike in the UAE
In July 2015, the UAE announced that, effective from August 1, 2015, it was moving from a system of fixed and subsidized fuel prices to a system of adjusting prices monthly, in line with global price trends . Though the exact details of the pricing formula were not released, it was made clear that the prices would be based on the average global prices, along with the addition of operating costs. In effect, the price of petrol would register an...
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August 3, 2015
Fast Tracking Reforms in the UAE through Spending Cuts
A report released by the UAE central bank towards the end of July 2015 indicated that the government is likely to cut spending by 4.2% in the fiscal year of 2015. According to the report, consolidated government spending is expected to decline to Dh460.6bn ($125.5 bn), from Dh480.8bn ($131 bn) in 2014. It is notable that the projected spending cut is the first such instance in 13 years. Many analysts pin the reason for the spending cut on the recent...
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July 28, 2015
Implications of removing Currency Peg for GCC
Key Questions What is currency pegging? Why do countries opt for it? When a country fixes the exchange rate of its currency to another country’s currency to control the value of a currency, it is known as currency pegging or "fixed exchange rate" or "pegged exchange rate". For example, if a country pegs its currency to the U.S. dollar, the value of its currency will be controlled so that it rises and falls with the dollar. The reason why countries...
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May 5, 2015
Saudi Arabia: Mortgages enter housing market
The landscape of Saudi Arabia’s real estate market is set to change with the ushering in of a slew of mortgage laws. However, things were challenging before the law, and the following data tells us exactly why. Suppose, you are 20-something and draw SAR 6500-7700 a month. In that case, for two reasons, you will not be able to afford a decent home. One, the down payment for the house is approximately 14 months of your salary. If you...
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April 16, 2015
China and Middle East: Bountiful Partnership
China and Middle East have had long historical trade linkages that have only grown closer and more prominent with time. At present, the relationship has gone beyond just transfer of goods and services, to transfer of knowledge and expertise. With the Middle East facing the brunt of low oil price and attempting to diversify their revenues, and China undergoing an economic transition, we shine a light at this symbiotic relationship, as the countries attempt to help each other achieve their...
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April 8, 2015
Expo 2020: How will Dubai benefit?
Connecting Minds, Creating the Future In 2020, the UAE will host the World Expo, which is held once every five years for the duration of 3-6 months. The history of expo dates back to 1851, when ‘The Great Exhibition’ was first held in London. Since then, different regions of the world have hosted it at regular intervals, but this would be the first time the event is being hosted in the MENA region. Themes for the expos are usually broad,...
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February 22, 2015
Gulf Business: The Top 100 Companies in the GCC
GCC markets saw a strong rally in the first half of 2014, with almost all major GCC indices ending in green. The S&P GCC index was up by 8.2% in 1H14, compared to the preceding full-year performance of 25%. Expansive fiscal and accommodative monetary policies, along with sustained oil prices at over USD 100, carried the momentum forward from 2013. The highlights for the first half of this year are the upgrade to emerging status accorded to U.A.E and Qatar...
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January 27, 2015
GCC Food Security – Roadblocks and the Road Ahead
Food Security – Origin and Concept Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations states that “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. 4 Pillars of Food Security Countries around the world are striving hard to ensure food security for their people through methods affordable and suitable to their food availability and...