IMF upbeat on GCC’s prospects
Friday, July 23rd, 2010 Posted in Economy, Industrial investment, Regional News | No Comments »The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on Wednesday that the GCC member states should plan to exit their high fiscal spending policies in light of their US dollar pegs and exposure to oil cycle volatility, as they have successfully weathered ...
Look at Libya! From isolation, to the future
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010 Posted in Industrial investment, Regional News | No Comments »In addition to the wealthy Gulf Cooperation Council member states, there are other compelling growth stories, places like Tripoli (Libya), that are soaking up investment capital, particularly in infrastructure projects -- the focus of a Financial Times special, see clips ...
GCC poised for strong 2010 fiscal position
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 Posted in Economy, Oil, Regional News | No Comments »Emirates Business 24|7 reports that strong crude oil prices, currently at around $75/bbl and exceeding Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) forecasts, will greatly improve members' fiscal and current accounts. It is debatable whether surpluses will reach the levels of the boom ...
ICANN approval means big tech opportunity, more in Middle East
Monday, May 10th, 2010 Posted in Regional News, Tech | No Comments »On Friday, the Associated Press reported that ICANN, the California-based nonprofit body which oversees management and assignment of internet domains, approved Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as the first non-Latin domain names. While not readily apparent to ...
Abu Dhabi’s entertainment arm takes 10% stake in UFC
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 Posted in JVs, Regional News, SWF | No Comments »Zuffla LLC's Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is potentially a billion dollar-plus company, based on reported prior buyout offers of similar amounts. Abu Dhabi's 10% stake thus, while undisclosed, could be upwards of $100 million. UFC is the largest grossing PPV ...
Abu Dhabi extends $10B lifeline to Dubai
Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 Posted in Islamic Finance, Markets, Regional News, SWF | No Comments »The Dubai Exchange rallied 10.4 percent yesterday in the wake of a $10 billion credit line from Abu Dhabi, coagulating some of the recent hemorrhaging. A portion of the funds will reportedly be used to meet a $4.1 billion bond payment owed by Nakheel--a real estate subsidiary ...
Qatar wasting no time deploying capital, linking people and goods
Monday, November 23rd, 2009 Posted in Economy, JVs, Regional News | No Comments »A $25B joint venture was announced earlier today between Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Co. and Deutsche Bahn AG, to build a railway system in the very liquid Gulf state of Qatar -- the world's largest producer of liquefied natural ...
Growing sense of optimism in Dubai — FT
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 Posted in Economy, Regional News | No Comments »clipped from www.ft.com Signs of revival for Dubai property Dubai property prices have risen for the first time since the market crashed last year , up 7 per cent in the third quarter as demand revived and lending ...
Rothschild sees opportunity, to expand in Saudi Arabia and Qatar
Saturday, October 10th, 2009 Posted in Markets, Regional News | No Comments »Hats off to Rothschild for its successful M&A advising in the Gulf; and it looks like the investment bank is far from finished. Rothschild recognizes Saudi Arabia (the Gulf's largest economy and one that is poised for sustained solid growth) ...
IIF forecasts solid growth for GCC in 2010
Saturday, October 3rd, 2009 Posted in Economy, Regional News | No Comments »The Institute of International Finance (IIF) is forecasting a return to solid growth for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states in 2010. The IIF expects current account and fiscal surpluses to remain "sizable," driven by a recovery in oil prices. The ...
