Agenda

Comprehensive analysis of the Middle East's key issues.

King Abdullah

Saudi Arabia: The Gulf’s construction heavyweight Subscription Required

Issue No 37 10-16 September 2010 | By Andrew Roscoe

Riyadh’s plans to spend $385bn over the coming five years will see it dominate the region’s projects market

International oil companies are scaling back in the Gulf Subscription Required

Issue No 36 3-9 September 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

International oil companies withdraw to pursue more lucrative opportunities in less-developed markets

Iraq’s competing gas demands Subscription Required

Issue 35 27 August - 2 September 2010 | By Verity Ratcliffe , Adal Mirza

Oil and electricity ministries work together to balance domestic consumption and exports

Doha

State guarantees in the Middle East hide the real risk Subscription Required

Issue 34 20-26 August 2010 | By Matthew Martin

Bonds with explicit government backing are set to rise in the region, but their use will distort the market

The Gulf: Counting on government spending Subscription Required

Issue 33 13-19 August | By Colin Foreman , Matthew Martin , Peter Salisbury

Contractors hope that public sector can continue to prop up the region’s projects market

Emirates

Dubai plans air route to economic recovery Subscription Required

Issue 32 6-12 August 2010 | By Suzanne Fenton

Debt-laden emirate invests in logistics and aviation to restore economic fortunes

Maintaining the Iran market rally Subscription Required

28 July 2010, 0:00 GMT | By Melissa Hancock

Tehran needs the outside world if its stock exchange is to sustain its stellar performance

GCC considers setting up copper plants Subscription Required

Issue No 30 23-29 July 2010 | By Kevin Baxter

Several countries in the GCC are looking at setting up copper mills to supply the construction industry

2020 Vision: Libya is seeking to roll back 40 years of under-investment in its infrastructure

Gaddafi bankrolls Libya's development

Issue No 29 16-22 July 2010 | By Jeff Roberts

If Tripoli sticks to its spending plans for development, the country will be transformed into an economic powerhouse

Libya's firms need to plan long-term

Issue No 29 16-22 July 2010 | By Jeff Roberts

The conundrum for contractors is that margins come with risk and in Libya there is plenty

Saudi Arabia banking

Riyadh starts lending Subscription Required

Issue No 28 9-15 July 2010 | By Matthew Martin

The Saudi banking sector is awash with cash but the rush to lend could lead to some bad choices

Wind turbines

Subsidising renewable energy in the Middle East Subscription Required

Issue No 27 2 - 8 July 2010 | By Verity Ratcliffe

The region’s governments face some tough choices to achieve renewable power targets

Kuwait

Kuwait: Testing private-sector reform Subscription Required

Issue No 26 25-1 July 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

Kuwait is moving ahead with privatisation plans and successful completion will be crucial 

Tehran's isolation grows: How sanctions are hurting Iran's oil industry Subscription Required

16 June 2010, 0:00 GMT | By Adal Mirza

Iran’s oil production will continue to fall without foreign investment and imported technology

Dubai construction

Squeezing contractors’ margins Subscription Required

Issue No 24 11-17 June 2010 | By Colin Foreman , Jeff Roberts

The region’s contractors are now looking for contracts and better returns beyond the Gulf

President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria

Algeria: End of the liberal experiment Subscription Required

Issue No 23 4-10 June 2010 | By Richard Nield

Long-awaited cabinet reshuffle signals the end of Algeria’s flirtation with a free market economy

Sanaa market

Yemen's cash crisis Subscription Required

Issue No 22 28 May - 3 June 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

Sanaa’s biggest problem is not security, but its fractured economy

Steel producers

Tough times for independent steel companies in the Middle East Subscription Required

Issue No 21 21 - 27 May 2010 | By Kevin Baxter

The region’s governments are now exerting their dominance on the region’s steel industry

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan with Sorouh officials

Gulf real estate changes direction

Issue No 20 14 - 20 May 2010 | By Andrew Roscoe

After years of building luxury villas for foreigners, developers and governments now focus on citizens

Cargo ship in Iraq

Baghdad’s new route to Europe Subscription Required

Issue No 19 7 - 13 May 2010 | By Suzanne Fenton

Rail and port schemes planned in Iraq could change the shape of regional trade

Petrochemicals plant and long pipes

A false dawn for the downstream petrochemicals industry

Issue No 18 30 April - 6 May 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

ConocoPhillip’s withdrawal from a $10bn refinery project shows the petrochemicals market is far from rosy

South Korea’s President Lee Myung-Bak and the UAE’s Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Timing to be key in nuclear race Subscription Required

Issue No 17 23 - 29 April 2010 | By Verity Ratcliffe

Competition to secure resources to build nuclear plants in the region is growing

Riyadh seeks aviation hub crown Subscription Required

Issue No 16 16-22 April 2010

Saudi Arabia is preparing to become a dominant player in the regional aerospace industry

Nouri al Maliki and Ayad Allawi on newspaper front page

Breaking the political deadlock in Iraq Subscription Required

Issue No 15 9-15 April 2010 | By Adal Mirza

Political stalemate means Iraq’s reconstruction will be slower than expected

Palm Jumeirah Monorail construction

A long road ahead for Dubai World

Issue No 14 2-8 April 2010 | By Matthew Martin , Melissa Hancock

Debt proposals lack clarity on crucial details and a final settlement will still be a long way off

Arab traders at Dubai Financial Market

Nasdaq Dubai looks for liquidity

Issue No 13 26 March - 1 April 2010 | By Melissa Hancock

Can its acquisition by Dubai Financial Market convince more traders to use Nasdaq Dubai?

Hail in Saudi Arabia at night

Riyadh’s race to build homes Subscription Required

Issue No 12 19-25 March 2010 | By Jeff Roberts

Saudi Arabia needs more housing, but its expanding population does not have the financing to buy them

Yas Island marina in the UAE

Moody’s financial downgrades rock Abu Dhabi-backed companies

Issue No 11 12-18 March 2010 | By Matthew Martin

Borrowing costs likely to rise in wake of Dubai debt, as analysts question assumptions of government support for its businesses

Kuwaiti emir's nephew Sheikh Ahmad al-Fahad al-Ahmad al-Sabah

Kuwait enters an era of political and economic change Subscription Required

Issue No 10 5-11 March 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

After years of stagnation, the country now believes its economy can move ahead

Abu Dhabi petrochemicals plant

Abu Dhabi faces chemical crunch Subscription Required

Issue No 9 26 February - 4 March 2010 | By Peter Salisbury

The burden of Dubai’s debt crisis is putting the future of Abu Dhabi’s schemes in doubt

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