Turkey is all set to go for polls on June 24 to elect a head of state and a new parliament in what is widely seen as the most hotly contested and divisive poll in the country’s history, though it is a contest even many in the opposition privately admit will see incumbent Recep Tayyip…
The Tunisian economy has showed signs of recovery in the first quarter of 2018, with the highest growth since 2014 supported by agriculture and exports. Besides due to the more flexible exchange rates, the current account deficit has also improved to some extent. However, at the same time, risks to macroeconomic stability, especially inflation, have…
The Algerian pharmaceutical sector, which depended upon massive imports to fulfill medical supply needs, is now on a path of rapid and positive progression. With an aim of improving the local medicine and medical supply needs, and to acquire scientific, technological and technical know-how, Algeria is working on important partnerships with foreign players in the…
The “Top CEO Conference and Awards” will return to Saudi Arabia for the second time on 10th and 11th April 2018 at King Abdullah Economic City, where business leaders and more than 40 expert speakers from across the Arab Gulf and the Middle East will gather to discuss the burning issues facing the corporate world…
CEOs in the Middle East today operate in a very complex environment, characterized by fast-evolving regulations, start-up challenges, changing consumer behavior and technological disruptions, among others. Their job becomes even more demanding taking into consideration the fact that the region itself is witnessing a massive and rapid change amid low growth, a volatile oil market…
Middle East investors have always been interested in the real estate market of the British city of London but lately the investment has seen a dramatic upsurge. According to market reports, billions have been poured in by regional investors in commercial as well as luxury residential properties in London and other cities of the UK,…
By Gareth Smyth When Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri took to Saudi television in November to resign and accuse the Shia group Hezbollah of planning his assassination, some amount of capital vacated Lebanon. But the market reaction was muted, with private-sector deposits at commercial banks falling just 1.5 percent month-on-month. Recovery was swift, especially when…
By Gareth Smyth On December 18, 2017, a visiting delegation from the International Monetary Fund gave a generally upbeat assessment of the Iranian economy, estimating 4.2 percent GDP growth in the current fiscal year ending in March. Ten days later, protests broke out in Iran’s north-eastern Iranian city of Mashhad, spreading within days to many…
Steadfast on the path of economic diversification and structural reforms, countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) seem to have finally found the equilibrium to adjust to the “new reality” of lower oil prices. This is reflected in the just released outlook for the region in 2018 by various international organizations and analysts….
TRENDS speaks with Jorn Lambert, Group Executive, Digital Channels in Emerging Payments, Mastercard, about how Mastercard is offering richer experiences to its regional clients and sees massive opportunities in this region that are beyond developed markets. When it comes to evolving payment technology, how do you look at Middle East region? Today, consumer patterns are changing at a…
