The Arab Uprisings
In scenes reminiscent of Eastern Europe during the fall of Communism 20 years ago, people are taking to the streets across the Arab world following the toppling of Tunisia's Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. MEED follows the action across the region.
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Political News from MEED
UAE inflation hits six-month high
January figures show rise of just 0.3 per cent
Energy agency team barred from Iran nuclear site
International Atomic Energy Agency suspects Parchin as site of nuclear weapons explosives testing
High turnout for Yemen presidential elections
Government officials point to number of voters as a sign of confidence in only candidate in 21 February poll
Yemen votes for Saleh's replacement
Vice-president Abdrabbou Mansour al-Hadi is the only candidate
Tunisian party proposes Islamic constitution
The draft document by the Popular List party is concerning secularists in the country
UN inspectors arrive in Iran
IAEA team returns to Iran for second time in less than a month
Iran warships enter Mediterreanean
Iran embarks on show of naval “might”
GCC population growth slowing
QNB Capital says GCC population will hit 50 million by 2013
Syria announces date for referendum on new constitution
Referendum is scheduled to be held on 26 February
Kuwait emir appoints new cabinet
Hani Abdulaziz Hussein appointed Oil Minister
Iran boasts advances in nuclear programme
President Ahmadinejad describes event as big new achievement
Governance in the Middle East
Rebuilding the Middle East: Prospects for the projects market 2012
MEED’s webinar looks at expected growth in the Middle East and North Africa
Higher spending exposes Algiers
Measures pushed through to quell unrest have weakened Algeria’s fiscal position and left it more dependent on oil income to fund its budget
Business slumps amid Syria unrest
Escalating violence in Syria and the economic impact of tougher international sanctions are beginning to take their toll on small and medium-sized firms
An assertive Arab League
Efforts to lead the agenda on Syria are made more complicated by the disparate opposition
Bypassing the Strait of Hormuz
Any closure of the strategic oil transit route will hurt Iran, the Gulf and the rest of the world
Supporting the Syrian regime
The Kremlin, a close ally of Damascus since the Soviet-era, has doggedly resisted Western attempts to impose meaningful sanctions on Syria by the UN
Interview: Sir Nigel Rodley, Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry
The inquiry commissioner was disturbed by the human rights violations in Bahrain last year, but applauds the decision to initiate an investigation into what happened
Starving Tehran of cash
Sanctions that for years had little effect are now having a real impact on day-to-day life
Sheltering the masses in the Middle East
A year of regional unrest has made tackling the housing shortage a priority for governments
Syrian and Lebanese loyalties divided
Sharing a geopolitical history, Beirut and Damascus still remain intertwined. As political upheaval continues in Syria, Lebanon is split in condemnation of its neighbour
Vision 2020: MEED Special Edition
The Middle East in the coming decade
While political reform, technology and China will be important factors shaping the region in 2020, the push to establish a sustainable, diversified economy will remain key to growth in the next 10 years
Market Risk Report
The outlook for business in the Middle East
In the few weeks since the uprisings began, economists have been forced to revise their growth projections for the region
Country Profiles
Bahrain Country Profile
Bahrain is a small island in the Gulf sea, located off the coast of Saudi Arabia. The country’s name means Two Seas in Arabic. It was the first of the GCC states to discover oil in 1932 and since then the kingdom of Bahrain has frequently led the region in economic development
Tunisia country profile
Located on the coast of North Africa, almost half of Tunisia’s border is with the Mediterranean
Libya country profile
Libya is located on the northern coast of Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea
Algeria country profile
The second largest country in Africa, the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is bordered by Tunisia in the northeast, Libya in the east, Niger in the southeast, Mali in the southwest, Mauritania and the Western Sahara in the west and Morocco in the northwest
Egypt country profile
The Arab Republic of Egypt is located in North Africa and oversees the Suez Canal, which is a vital trade route in Middle East connecting the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea
Yemen country profile
Yemen was unified in 1990, precipitating a four-year struggle for power between the old parties of the north and south
Jordan Country Profile
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan was founded by King Abdullah I after First World War It was ruled by his grandson, the late King Hussein, for 46 years until his death in 1999, when his son King Abdullah II assumed the throne
Oman country profile
Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world, and is regarded as strategically important due to its position at the entrance to the Gulf
Syria country profile
Syria is made up of a diverse range of religious and ethnic groups, the majority being Arab Sunni Muslims, but with minorities including Alawites, Armenians, Assyrians and Kurds.
Special Reports
Bahrain Special Report: State spending no match for thriving private sector
Manama must act quickly to stimulate the economy, or instability could set in
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