fiscal and external vulnerabilities have increased in the wake of the oil price decline, the IMF said today in a statement following the end of its annual Article IV consultation with the government of the kingdom. Real GDP growth is…
Tag: MEED
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali al-Thani becomes Qatar’s man to watch
Directly descended from the founder of modern Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Ali al-Thani is the grandson, son and brother of previous Qatari rulers. An obscure Qatari sheikh has become in less than a week one of Arabia’s best-known figures. Sheikh Abdullah…
IMF says Saudi current account to return to surplus this year
Saudi Arabia’s current account is projected to move back into surplus in 2017 after recording massive deficits due to lower oil prices in the past two years, the IMF said in a statement released today following the completion of its…
Qatar must meet 13 conditions for embargo to end
On the spot. Qatar’s ruler Sheikh Tamim will find it hard to satisfy Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies Kuwait has presented Qatar a list of demands from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt, the four Arab nations that…
Saudi Arabia keeps Interior Ministry in the Bin Naif family
All in the Bin Naif family The late crown prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz (left) was interior minister from 1975 until his death in 2012; his eldest son Prince Saud Bin Naif is now governor of the Eastern province and his…
The GCC split was inevitable, it won’t last and Saudi Arabia will come out on top
Three things can be said about the extraordinary action taken this week against Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain. The confrontation — which has been brewing for more than two decades and involves dozens of points of friction…
IMF calls for Saudi Arabia to ease austerity measures
Saudi Arabia is making progress with its fiscal adjustment programme designed to deal with lower oil prices since 2014 but does not need to meet its self-imposed target of eliminating the budget deficit by 2020, the IMF says in a…
IMF says UAE non-oil growth to quicken on fiscal measures, trade and increasing Expo 2020 investment
The UAE’s large financial buffers, diversified economy and robust policy responses are facilitating adjustment to the new oil-market realities while safeguarding the economy and the financial system, the IMF said today following the completion of its annual Article IV consultations…
Qatar government needs $44bn to finance deficits to 2021
Qatar’s government will need a total of QR 159bn ($43.7bn) in 2017-21 to deal with budget deficits forecast for the period, the IMF’s 2017 Article IV report on the country says. The fund forecasts total Qatar government debt will rise…
US Syria missile attack seals new partnership with Saudi Arabia
The US missile attack on a Syrian airfield last night comes just over three weeks after Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman met President Trump in the White House in what an advisor to the kingdom’s defence…