In our December oil price outlook, we highlighted two factors that dominated the oil market during the course of 2011. Firstly, repeated production outages in the North Sea, West Africa and elsewhere, coupled with the Libyan civil war, resulted in serious supply tightness. Secondly, demand remained resilient despite a deteriorating macro-economic environment. We expect these… [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]

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]

On February 21, 2011, BMI published an article stating that as well as possible downside pressures on pharmaceutical sales from the MENA political upheaval, there may be benefits for companies in the region’s healthcare industry. This view was based on the supposition that public healthcare expenditure would be increased by incumbent governments attempting to appease… [Read more]

Although the war in Libya has been dominating international media in recent weeks – with a brief interlude for the Japanese earthquake – events in Yemen – where President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s regime is on the brink of collapse – are arguably of greater geopolitical significance. Libya has dominated headlines because it is more visibly… [Read more]

Following weeks of anti-government protests, Bahrain’s rulers have invited Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to deploy 1,000 and 500 troops respectively to help stabilise the tiny Kingdom and protect its key infrastructure. Bahrain is ruled by a Sunni monarchy, but its population is 65-75% Shi’a. The Shi’a want major changes to the Kingdom’s… [Read more]

As the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) experiences its biggest shake-up in at least a generation, Business Monitor International (BMI) has just published a special report, MENA Crisis: The Key Risk To Global Recovery And Stability. The report analyses the following topics: The long-term consequences of upheaval for the Middle East and North Africa… [Read more]