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Saudi subsidy reforms unlikely to spark major protests

Location:

SAUDI ARABIA

Political impact of subsidy reform.

Oman’s new sultan faces a difficult balancing act

Location:

OMAN

Oman was unique among Arab monarchies in that Qaboos refused to name an heir during his lifetime, creating uncertainty. Not necessarily the obvious candidate, Sultan Haitham’s…

Bahrain’s growth plan faces regional challengers

Location:

BAHRAIN

Manama exceeded its own fiscal and economic expectations in 2022, as the budget came close to balance one year earlier than targeted and real non-oil GDP surged by 6.2%, driving…

World Cup will benefit Gulf states' tourism sectors

Location:

GULF STATES

Hotels in Qatar are fully booked and expensive. Many fans are opting to stay in neighbouring countries, from where dozens of newly introduced shuttle flights will transport them…

Humanitarian funding to Jordan will fall

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JORDAN

While donors increasingly favour development assistance, Jordan still requires emergency humanitarian aid for the near-3 million resident refugees and migrants. Amman worries that…

Gulf investors offer Egypt’s finances temporary relief

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EGYPT

Earlier, Cairo had announced plans to raise finance by selling off state-owned assets. It is seeking to cover deficits that are increasing rapidly because of the global commodity…

Lebanon's new presidency could shatter old alliances

Location:

LEBANON

Aoun is a former commander of the Lebanese armed forces and a strong ally of Hezbollah, a local Shia political and military grouping, backed by Iran. Following a deal with the…

Saudi privatisation will privilege state interests

Location:

SAUDI ARABIA

Riyadh’s privatisation plans.

Syria will struggle to monetise Gulf relations

Location:

SYRIA

The first such visit since 2011 comes days after a Syrian foreign ministerial trip to Saudi Arabia, amid a wider thawing of ties. Riyadh had formerly been the most powerful of the…

Qatar’s diversification plans will lag regional rivals

Location:

QATAR

PMI data indicate that the non-oil private sector continues to expand in 2023 as the government attempts to diversify its economic base away from gas dependency. Regulatory reform…