Reviled by Western liberals and dismissed by foreign policy specialists, Donald Trump is being viewed with favour by leaders of the Arab world’s most powerful nations. In an interview with the The Financial Times published today, Egypt’s President El-Sisi welcomed Trump’s…
Author: Edmund O'Sullivan
I am a writer, author, economist and business person. I've reported on and done business in the Middle East since 1979 and travelled throughout the region. I specialist in reporting and writing, economic and media industry consultancy, business development and conference moderation.
GCC construction projects market down one-third in 2016
The GCC projects market is expected to record at best $120 billion worth of contract awards in 2016, down at least a third on 2015 levels and well below what was initially forecast, as low oil prices severely impact government…
NBK says Bahrain to recover in 2017
The Bahraini economy will recover in 2017 on higher oil prices and non-oil output, National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) says in a report released today,. “Real GDP growth is poised to hold in 2016 on signs of resilience in the non-oil…
Iran hotel investment conference planned for February
The inaugural Iran Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (IHTIC) organised by Bench Events is to be held in Tehran on 7-8 February 2017 to identify opportunities for investors, developers and service providers in one of the world’s most exciting hospitality…
Strong line up for AHIC 2017
Global hospitality industry leaders including CEO of Hilton Worldwide Chris Nassetta are among the speakers confirmed to address the annual Arabian Hotel Investment Conference (AHIC) which is being held at the Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai on 25-27 April 2017. The…
Ras al-Khaimah affirmed at A
Fitch Ratings has affirmed Ras al-Khaimah’s long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings (IDRs) at A with a stable outlook. The issue ratings on RAK Capital’s senior unsecured foreign- currency bonds are also affirmed at A. The UAE country Ceiling…
Filmmakers win Dubai film funding
The Dubai Film Connection (DFC), the co-production market of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) has awarded six Arab filmmakers funding and key partnership opportunities with leading international and regional film industry experts worth $50,000 Five of the award winners…
Fitch says GCC bank outlook remains negative
Low oil prices continue to pressure bank liquidity and are also taking their toll on asset quality and earnings for banks in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Fitch Ratings says in a report released today. Fitch’s sector outlook for GCC…
Hyundai poised to win $650m Iran ship deal
Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) Group and South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Company are holding the final talks about a $650m deal of providing 10 ships for Iran. The contract calls for Hyundai to build four 14,400 TEU container…
Apicorp says Egypt faces power crunch
Egypt’s government urgently needs to bring new power projects on line to fill the growing gap between and supply, the Arab Petroleum Investment Corporation (Apicorp) says in a report published today. The main challenge is the lack of finance which…