It seems that many companies around the world, particularly American ones, have become so paranoid that you can easily be dubbed a "terrorist" or at least a financier of one. We are living in a police world. If you simply want to make small transactions to countries like Egypt and India you must be financing terrorism, or be a terrorist...
New Zealand PM bows out
Here's an article from The Economist which, while talking about John Key's resignation, states that NZ is "one of the most successful countries in the world. While this is debatable, there is no doubt that Key has had successes- namely international recognition- along with failures, housing, immigration and the environment. We have yet to see whether the new Prime Minister, John English, will have the same success.
Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains the four factors that affected the Egyptian economy in 2020. There are four factors that affected the Egyptian economy during in the year 2020. These included the volatility of cash flows into Treasury Bills and instruments, the volatility of the US dollar; the volatility of the oil price and the limited growth in invest...
In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman discusses the future for the Arab Gulf and the future geopolitical changes that are likely. The Middle East is witnessing rapid and violent changes that affect international stability and peace. For the Arab Gulf in particular this is a challenge, politically, economically and socially as well as on the security a...
The relationship between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US has often caused angst for those who are opposed to this alliance. Much of the concern is because of military arms. This article explains recent developments in the Saudi- US relationship. By Al Monitor Staff US military sale to Saudi Arabia moves ahead The US government approved a new possi...
In this article Ahmad Abdul - Rahman talks about how Iran will deal with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. Afghanistan has fallen into the hands of the Taliban. The announcement by the US of the complete withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August precipitated this. The repercussions will be felt in the Midd...
Turkey has reached a new turning point regarding its foreign policy towards the Middle East. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. Turkey's foreign policy towards the Middle East has undergone a number of political changes in recent years. It now has a greater inclination to use military force, which showed when it intervened militarily in Syria...
Afghanistan has scarcely been out of the news recently. What will happen with Taliban rule and how long will it last? Although some groups in some countries welcome Taliban rule- the Salafi groups in Turkey are perhaps some and Pakistan is said to be more pro-Taliban- others are concerned as to what Taliban rule might mean for them – the Uighurs wh...
Will the Gulf States change their stance on the Taliban after it took control of Afghanistan? Ahmad Abdel -Rahman explains. Bahrain, in its capacity as the current chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced that it would start consultations with other Gulf States on the situation in Afghanistan. The Council of Ministers assigned the Min...
Ahmad Abdul-Rahman talks about about the transportation of Egyptian gas to Lebanon and what it means for the region. Lebanon is preparing to implement its agreement with Iraq to obtain fuel oil to secure electricity generation and save the Lebanese from the problem of power outage that they suffer daily. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Int...
The photos that came out of Afghanistan showing thousands of people trying to flee Kabul before the US's self-imposed deadline of 31 August are truly horrific. But that is just the start. The West is looking at its refugee burden, yet it is small compared to that of some developing countries. According to data prepared by the Norwegian Refugee Coun...
In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains the geopolitical roots of the Iranian economic crisis. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the further deterioration of the Iranian economy. But the country's economic crisis is rooted in factors beyond the repercussions of the pandemic. Since the US withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in 20...
The UAE and Turkey have had a tetchy relationship over the years. Might this be changing? The US's rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan in recent weeks and the rise of the Taliban have changed the dynamics between the two countries.. It is no longer such a good policy to be so closely aligned to the US. Is it a reliable long-term partner? This must be...
What does the Taliban's victory mean for America's Arab allies and extremist organisations? Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. The Taliban's control of Afghanistan raises questions about its impact on the policies of Arab countries allied to the West and on extremist terrorist organisations in the world in general and Arab countries in particular. The vi...
The Covid-19 pandemic has swept the world. Some people are against governments' reactions. This letter to the UK government explains this. Subject: Letter to the Government Mr Boris Johnson, Prime Minister Ms Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister for Scotland Mr Mark Drakeford, First Minister for Wales Mr Paul Givan, First Minister for Northern Ireland M...
August 15, 2021 Source: Wamda Mahmoud Hamouda is a strategy and operations consultant at Dell Technologies. He is also the head of Dell for Entrepreneurs in Egypt. In his first oped for Wamda, Hamouda examines the life cycle journey of the Middle East's fintech industry and what lies next for the sector. This article was sent to me from Fintech Gal...
Abdul-Rahman discusses how global energy markets in the Arab world could impact other countries. Workers in the oil industry are holding their breath for fear there will an interruption in oil supplies. The reason for this fear is the paramount importance of the countries in the Middle East and North Africa in supplying the world with energy. But i...
Watching the news about Afghanistan and horrific images the of thousands of people scrambling to get on rescue flights so that they can flee the Taliban, brings me to tears. The situation also reminds me of the documentary I made in 2014/15 when the Hazara Afghans (Shiites) fled the country 15 years ago, some of them arriving in Christchurch, New Z...
Will the protests and the Corona pandemic precipitate fundamental economic reforms in Oman? This is the question Ahmad Abdul-Rahman asks. In the last week of May 2021, a number of provinces of the Sultanate of Oman witnessed mass gatherings and protests, most of which were peaceful. The main demand was for job opportunities. These protests resulted...
The Yemeni Civil War rages on. Initially, it was anticipated that it would end after a few days but countries such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which have entered Yemen, have learnt that assessment was wide of the mark. Now, has been raging for four years. The US has recently announced that it will donate USD165 million in aid to Yemen. The human t...
Energy strategist, Mohamad Kharkan, discusses the issues that effect the Middle East energy market. This is the final article in the series. Syria is involved and is directly linked to the religious wars and conflicts between Shiites and Sunnis, primarily with the Nabucco and South Stream schemes mentioned in the previous article. In 2011, a projec...