How the economies in the Arab World are faring

The five largest Arab economies in 2021 continue to do well. Saudi Arabia and the UAE at the forefront, writes Ahmad Abdul -Rahman. Saudi Arabia ranked first, with its gross domestic product (GDP) expected to reach USD 804.9 billion at current prices by the end of 2021, according to the International Monetary Fund's (IMF) estimates. This is in spit...
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Russia – Ukraine war results in price hikes in Iran

We've run a number of articles recently talking about the affects of the Ukraine-Russia War on the Middle East, primarily involving the effects of wheat and grain prices. Here is an article on Iraq that talks about that. By Ayser Jabber for Al Monitor. The global economic crisis due to the Russian-Ukrainian war has led to price hikes in Iraq. This ...
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What do Arabs really think about the war in Ukraine and the US?

The reality of Arab attitudes towards the war in Ukraine and the US administration is discussed by Ahmad Abdul-Rahman The most that can be said about Arab attitudes towards the war in Ukraine is that their response has been slow and deliberate. Saudi Arabia has not abandoned the OPEC Plus strategy with Russia, despite the American demand to increas...
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Egyptians spend high during Ramadan

Egyptians consumed EGP 120 billion worth of foodstuff during Ramadan, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman . First assistant Minister of Supply for Investment and head of the Internal Trade Development Authority (ITDA), Ibrahim Ashmawy affirmed that the changes taking place in the world point to a new global economy, particularly in light of the continuing im...
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The IMF's world economic forecast is gloomy

The war in Ukraine, following Russia's invasion there, has had many implications for the rest of the world, most of them negative. Some Middle East countries are benefiting from the war from an oil perspective, while countries are being negatively impacted as a result the rising price of wheat, and grain more generally. The implications of the war ...
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UAE found spying at 10 Downing Street, London

I read an article today in the UK's Daily Mail which states: "Hackers from the UAE targeted number 10 with spyware that can allow 24-hour surveillance of messages, photos and calls in alarming security breach." A report in the UK's Guardian also says: "No 10 suspected of being target of NSO spyware attack, Boris Johnson 'told'" This is followed by ...
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The outlook for the Egyptian economy is positive. Why?

The Egyptian economy overcomes the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to grow, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. Egypt was one of the few emerging economies that saw a positive growth rate in 2020. This is a result of the government's quick and cautious policy response to Covid which included a short period of general lockdowns, coupled with sup...
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How will the Arab region deal with climate change?

Energy investments in the Arab region will reach USD 1 trillion in 2023, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. This includes developing nuclear energy. Dr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, secretary-general of the League of Arab States (AL), affirmed that there is complete coordination among the Arab bodies concerned with atomic energy. The aim is for the AL to encourage a...
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Censorship and the media. Who is to blame?

By Lucia Dore Nowadays, viewers and readers of the media are subject to sanitised programming. Programmes are censored, especially the news. And although censorship is annoying, it is not new. However, not all censorship is endorsed or carried out by governments. Self-censorship is common, especially in societies that believe they allow "freedom of...
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Egypt: why is the IMF predicting increasing growth in 2022?

Why has the IMF raised its estimates for the growth of the Egyptian economy during in 2022? Ahmad Abdul-Rahman gives some likely reasons. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its estimates for the growth of the Egyptian economy to 5.6 per cent  for the current fiscal year 2022/2021, exceeding the recent estimates of the World Bank (WB)...
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Will the Ukraine war cause a bread crisis that leads to a new "Arab Spring"?

In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman assesses what the rise in wheat prices might mean for the Middle East. Bread prices in the Middle East are rising rapidly due to concerns about wheat supplies from Ukraine and Russia. Such price increases have in the past led to violent protests and political unrest. The protests have already begun, with hundreds ...
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Is India an alternative supplier of wheat to Egypt?

Over recent weeks we, at LDC Consultancy, have been looking at Ukraine and the impact of grain supplies on the Middle East. One of the alternatives to the import of grain from Ukraine and Russia is Ito import wheat from India. Egypt specifically is looking at India to as an alternative supplier of wheat. A possible scenario is outlined here. by Ahm...
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The Russia-Ukraine war: what are the risks for the Arab countries?

Ahmad Abdul-Rahman writes about the risks that the Russian-Ukrainian crisis poses to Arab countries. As the world's eyes turn to Ukraine because of Russia's war there, the escalating crisis between the two countries has repercussions beyond the European continent. They will be felt thousands of miles away in the Arab region. What are the poten...
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The Gulf countries could supply more energy to the West

The Gulf oil and gas producing countries may be the biggest winners in the war between Russia and Ukraine, writes Ahmed Abdul-Rahman. There is a consensus among observers and analysts of Gulf affairs that if the sanctions imposed by world leaders on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine include the energy sector, this may benefit the Gulf States. Ge...
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The future of Bahrain's banks

Bahrain's banks are not only set to recover after the negative impact of the Corona pandemic but are embarking on greater digitalisation of its services, writes Ahmed Abdul-Rahman The Corona pandemic had a significant negative impact on banks around the world, as they witnessed a contraction in their revenues and growth. Although Bahrain's banks al...
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What is the future for the Middle East?

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has raised questions about the future of the Middle East, writes Ahmed Abdel -Rahman Russia's invasion of Ukraine will have severe repercussions for the whole world, the Middle East included. Several Middle Eastern countries are looking to balance their relations with the US and Russia, and many are stuck in the middle ...
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Is one dictatorship being swapped for another?

Is the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, set to become one of the most sought-after places in the world for supplying oil? One would think so, after the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, visited both countries over the last few days to encourage them to increase oil supply. Although the budgets in these...
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Ukraine, the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear talks

The Russian invasion of Ukraine seems to have dragged on for many days, yet it has only been three weeks since it started. Certainly, it seems longer than that. The impact on the Middle East has been significant, both in terms of increasing the price of staple foods such as wheat, along with the price of oil. As Russian oil becomes more expensive w...
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How Egypt plans to increase its exports to Africa

The Egyptian government wants to increase the country's exports to Africa, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. Egypt is aiming to increase its exports to the African continent so that it reaches USD10 billion by 2025. It is doing so because the continent has special geographic importance to Egypt. The most prominent features of the plan are reviewed in this...
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The Russian-Ukrainian war threatens food security in the Arab world

In this article, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman looks at how the Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens food security in several Arab countries . The continuing war in Ukraine after the Russian invasion raises fears of a food crisis in several Arab countries. Even though Ukraine is geographically far from the Arab world, the impact of the Russian attack on Ukra...
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