The outbreak of large-scale anti-government protests across Egypt in late November underscores the volatility inherent in the country’s now 10-month old democratic transition. In our blogpost of February 14, we cautioned that former president Hosni Muabrak’s resignation represented only the end of the beginning of the transition. We also warned that any foot-dragging by the… [Read more]
A recent trip to Cairo has confirmed many of Business Monitor’s core views on the short and long-term outlook for the Egyptian economy. Key concerns for many investors include the upcoming parliamentary elections, recurring strike activity, in addition to the security situation throughout the country. This week Mark Schaltuper, Head of Europe Country Risk &… [Read more]
The answer to this question is, probably not. Turkey is quite different from Iran in its modern history, domestic political system, economic structure, society, and foreign policy. Nevertheless, Turkey’s growing assertiveness in the Middle East, its slow drift away from the West in favour of closer relations with Russia and China, and its willingness to… [Read more]
Following the release of two recent reports on Business Monitor Online, on the geopolitical implications of the souring diplomatic relationship between Turkey and Israel, Mark Schaltuper, Head of Europe Country Risk and Financial Markets hosts a panel of Europe, Middle East and North Africa analysts, as well as Business Monitor’s Head of Political Risk Analysis,… [Read more]
The seven biggest telecoms service providers in the GCC – STC (Saudi Arabia), Etisalat (UAE), du (UAE), Qtel (UAE), Batelco (Bahrain), Zain (Kuwait) and Omantel (Oman) reported mixed financial results for the second quarter of 2011. One of the key financial indicators for telecoms operators is net profit. Figures published by the operators show du,… [Read more]
It has been six months since popular uprisings toppled the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt, and set off a chain of events that brought civil war to Libya, and Syria and Yemen to the brink of collapse. In today’s podcast, Jean-Paul Pigat, Head of Middle East and North Africa Analysis, discusses where the region stands,… [Read more]
A proposed bridge project to span the Gulf of Aqaba has the potential to change not only Egyptian and Saudi Arabian freight patterns but also those of the wider region and even the global liquid-bulk shipping sector. An official from the Saudi-Egyptian Business Council, Abdulah Dahlan, has been quoted as saying that fresh discussions are… [Read more]
