Standard & Poor's confirms Egypt's credit rating for the second time in three months. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains the latest outlook for the Egyptian economy. The global rating agency, Standard and Poor's (S&Ps) praises efforts by the Egyptian government to rationalise expenditure and expand its social protection programmes. It expects the ...
Jordan is facing squirmishes and attacks on its borders with Iraq and Syria. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains what it means for the wider Middle East. The spread of Tehran militias along the Iraqi and Syrian borders with Jordan's capital, Amman, and the start of squirmishes, and then attacks, represent the beginning of a campaign that Iran is running in...
What does the rise in foreign reserves mean in Egypt, despite the falling pound ? Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains Despite the wave of huge losses afflicting the Egyptian pound against the US dollar, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) said that net international reserves rose to USD 33.53 billion at the end of last November, compared to about USD 33....
This article looks at how different countries, especially those in the Middle East, took positions regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war. Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains. The former Soviet Union took under its control a diaspora of regions and republics that had been revolving in its orbit since the end of World War I. This was confirmed by the relative ...
The Egyptian economy achieved a growth rate of 4.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2023/22, despite world crises. It's expected to grow more. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman reports. Hala Al-Saeed, Egypt's Minister of Planning and Economic Development, recently discussed the many crises facing the world from the COVID-19 pandemic to the Russian-Ukrainian war. ...
Israel has lurched to the Right and this has impacted policy across the entire Middle East. This article quotes the former Egyptian Foreign Minister in full. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman reports. The Middle East has recently witnessed various conflicts, military exchanges and violence. This has prompted some politicians to say that the Palestinian issue is...
With the emergence of Barack Hussein Obama in the Senate and after his presidential election win in 2009, the conflict over US foreign policy deepened. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman writes about how US foreign policy has changed over time. Since 2009, US foreign policy has changed regarding its partnerships with adversaries in the Middle East. This has develo...
The influence of the Arab world is on the rise globally. In this article Ahmad Abdel-Rahman discusses some of the issues that must be considered. At the international level, Arabia is becoming more important. This started with Egypt's hosting of the Climate Conference (COP-27), where there were painstaking negotiations between the countries of the ...
Arab countries must decide whether to continue to produce oil and gas or fight climate change. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman writes. The Arab world possesses more than 57 per cent of the global reserves of crude oil, and more than 26 per cent of the global reserves of natural gas, according to statistics from the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Count...
The Egyptian pound has lost more than 68 per cent of its value since the end of March 2022 and there are four reasons behind the price increases. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains. Despite the intensive moves taken by the Egyptian government, in cooperation with the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE), to contain the wave of price hikes, the recent increases hav...
The Egyptian industrial sector made significant achievements in 2022. Exports reached USD 27 billion in nine months and are expected to reach USD 33 billion by the end of 2023. The industrial sector contributes 11.7 per cent to GDP and absorbs 28.2 per cent of the total workforce. Ahmed Abdel-Rahman explains. Since the industrial sector, contribute...
The gap between the Iranian government's performance and that of its political opponents is widening. The recent protests highlight the major differences between the two groups, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The Iranian regime asserts that it has been able to control the popular protests in the street, or what it calls, riots. The protesters have soug...
The Arab-Chinese summit reflects the importance of greater cooperation between the two regions. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman reports. For decades, the interactions and transformations in politics and economics continued, especially with the end of the Cold War. China was ascending as an industrial and commercial economic power, opening markets at a time when...
The West seems afraid of confronting Tehran by force. Yet it seems incapable of diplomacy, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The West is infected with an incurable disease in dealing with Iran. It is an addiction to weakness and feigning naivety. The Russian-Ukraine war has brought back the "politics of force". Rafael Grossi, director of the International...
Are Egyptian debts affected by the significant losses of the country's pound against the US dollar? Ahmad Abdel Rahman explains. Analysts have said that the successive losses of the Egyptian pound against the US dollar does not affect Egyptian debts. This is because these debts are denominated in hard currency, rather than in local currency. While ...
by BlogWriters.in Asia is the world's consumer growth engine; if you ignore Asia, you risk missing half of the global picture, a USD 10 trillion consumption growth opportunity over the next decade, according to global management consultants, McKinsey and Company. However, Asia's consumer markets are changing dynamically, with new development angles...
The "Correspondent's Guide" report sheds light on the most prominent issues of workers' rights and the necessary reforms. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. Human Rights Watch said that the "FIFA World Cup 2022" comes after years of gross violations of the rights of migrant workers and human rights in Qatar. This coincides with the publication of the "Co...
In this article, Farhaa Abdelhaq, from Saudi Arabia, looks at how emerging technologies are impacting the Middle East. T he technology landscape in the Middle East region is constantly changing. As governments in the region are preparing to regulate emerging technologies, financial organisations in the Middle East are deploying these technologies a...
Financial "associations", sometimes known as Rotating Savings and Credit Associations (ROSCAs), are common in Egyptian society so that households can meet their household expenses. Some analysts see them as harmful to the national economy. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains. Many Egyptians are suffering from a cost-of-living crisis and cannot s...
Ahmad Abdel-Rahman looks at the changing relationship the US has with Iraq and Lebanon. Iraq has been a target and a focus of American attention for decades. America chased and besieged Iraq when it invaded Kuwait, then destroyed its regime in 2003 and appointed a military ruler before it established a local authority there that was controlle...