Special Reports

Middle East Special Reports - in-depth features, trends and data on the region's sectors and countries.

Calendar

calendar page

Upcoming Special Reports - Calendar

1-Feb-2010 | Updated: 2-Feb-2010

MEED special reports are published every week and encompass in-depth features, trends and data on issues affecting the region. Find the right MEED special report for your business and discover with a wealth of advertising and sponsorship opportunities.

Latest Special Reports

Qatar flag

Special Report: Qatar – Population rise poses challenges

Issue No 40 5-11 February 2010 | By Sophie Evans

Qatar has experienced a demographic explosion in the past five years, with the population more than doubling in size to 1.6 million in late 2009

Construction workers on Dar al-Arkan's al-Qasr project in Riyadh

Special Report: Construction - Contract awards raise hope in the Gulf

Issue No 33 29 January - 4 February 2010 | By Sophie Evans

The outlook for the region’s construction sector in 2010 looks mixed. The Gulf’s major economies, such as Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi, are surging out of the financial downturn, but $575bn worth of projects remain on hold across the GCC

Riyadh skyline, Saudi Arabia

Special Report: Saudi Arabia - Riyadh pushes peace talks

Issue No 32 22-28 January 2009 | By Sophie Evans

Riyadh is confident about its finances for 2010, having announced a 14 per cent rise in spending for the year ahead. It has allocated tens of billions of dollars to key sectors, including health, transport, telecoms and water

Special Report: Oil & Gas - Focus turns to downstream developments

Issue No 3 15-21 January 2010 | By Sophie Evans

Over the next five years, contractors will be working hard to help Riyadh achieve its goal of doubling its oil refining capacity by 2015.

Arab teacher at a drawing board

Special Report: Education - Gulf invests in high-tech future

Issue No 2 8-14 January 2010 | By Sophie Evans

The Middle East has taken big strides to improve the quality of university education in recent years, investing billions of dollars in a modern infrastructure

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Special Report: Iran - Regime prepares to face down critics

29-Dec-2009 | Updated: 24-Dec-2009 | By Sophie Evans

The year ahead is certain to be a difficult one for Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, not least for his economic policies. In the face of sustained opposition to his victory in last June’s disputed presidential elections, he will find it increasingly hard to gather support for the necessary reforms.

Special Report: Saudi Arabia - Riyadh builds ties with China

Issue no 51 18-24 December 2009

Saudi Arabia’s willingness to suppress its oil production to boost crude oil prices in the wider market will result in under-performing domestic growth next year.

King Abdullah Science Technology University

Special Report: Construction - Industrial schemes prompt hope

Issue No 50 11-17 December 2009 | By Melissa Hancock

Dubai-based real estate developer Nakheel has become the focus of the problems in the emirate’s construction market in recent weeks, as it tries to restructure a $3.5bn sukuk (Islamic bond) before the repayment deadline of 14 December.

UAE infrastructure illustration

Special Report: UAE - Dubai's woes hit northern emirates

Issue No 49 4-10 December 2009 | By Sophie Evans

Until the northern emirates have a reliable infrastructure, their economic fortunes will rise and fall with those of their powerful neighbour Dubai – something they are understandably keen to change.

Petrochemicals PETE logo

Special Report: Petrochemicals - Gulf hit by oversupply

Issue No 48 27 November - 3 December 2009 | By Sophie Evans

After a poor start to the year, when the Gulf’s petrochemicals companies reported record losses, petrochemical prices have slowly improved and demand is expected to pick up as the year end

Gulf bank notes

Special Report: Banking - State-backed institutions in demand

18-Nov-2009 | By Sophie Evans

After years of strong asset growth, the onset of the credit crunch late last year hit Gulf banks hard. Stock markets plummeted and the real estate bubble burst, leaving many investors and customers in trouble.

Royal Let learjet

Special Report: Aviation - Low-cost carriers expand fleets

Issue No 46 13-19 November 2009 | By Sophie Evans

Luxury jet operators and low-cost airlines are taking advantage of the bargains currently on offer from manufacturers in the market and expanding their fleets

Kuwaiti man and electronic billboard

Special Report: Kuwait - MPs push for finance reforms

Issue No 46 13-19 November 2009 | By Sophie Evans

Kuwait’s handling of the financial crisis has been criticised for the limited scale of its intervention to contain the crash, which resulted in several local institutions coming near to collapse

Oil worker working on a pipeline in an oil field

Special Report: Oil & Gas - Gulf producers tackle gas supply shortages

Issue No 45 6-12 November 2009 | By Sophie Evans

Despite being home to some of the largest gas reserves in the world, the Middle East is suffering from shortages because of Opec oil cuts

Qatar skyline from the air

Special Report: Qatar - Real estate firms phase projects

Issue No 44 30 October - 5 November 2009 | By Sophie Evans

While all the other GCC states’ economies will shrink this year, Qatar will post real gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 11.5 per cent, according to predictions from the International Monetary Fund

Newsletter Sign-up

More Newsletters