News
CBE holds rates a third time as monthly inflation turns negative
5+ hour, 4+ min ago (198+ words) The Central Bank of Egypt’s (CBE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) held its key policy rates for a third straight meeting on Thursday, keeping the overnight deposit rate at 19.00%, the overnight lending rate at 20.00%, and the main operation rate at 19.50%, according…...
IMF now sees MENA economy contracting 0.5%
2+ day, 5+ hour ago (339+ words) That’s despite Saudi Arabia and Egypt’s expected growth this year. Saudi Arabia is seen growing 1.7% for 2026 — though that’s still a sharp 1.4-percentage-point cut from April — on the back of more diversified export routes than Iraq, Kuwait, and Qatar. Meanwhile, Egypt is…...
CBE holds interest rates steady for third consecutive time
2+ day, 2+ hour ago (1102+ words) But first, your weekly recap… 🗞️ LAST WEEK IN 3 MINS- The Monetary Policy Committee decided to leave interest rates unchanged for the third time in a row at its meeting yesterday, according to a statement from the Central Bank of Egypt…...
IMF revises down Saudi Arabia’s growth forecast for 2026 - KSA
3+ day, 8+ hour ago (834+ words) Good morning, all. We kick off the final day of the week with a dive into the region’s fast-growing gaming industry against the backdrop of the Saudi-backed Esports World Cup, kicking off today. PLUS- Saudi German Health welcomes a new…...
Asian loan market hits 16-year low in 1H
5+ day, 5+ hour ago (406+ words) 16 years — that’s how long it’s been since Asia’s loan market had a first half this bad. USD, EUR, and JPY loan issuance across Asia Pacific ex-Japan dropped 15% y-o-y to USD 69 bn in 1H 2026, the weakest first-half performance since 2010, according to Bloomberg…...
Non-oil sector hits four-month high on sentiment optimism and domestic demand
6+ day, 5+ hour ago (1719+ words) Monday, 6 Jul 2026 WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY Good morning, all. We lead today’s issue with the Kingdom’s latest PMI reading — the non-oil private sector hit a four-month high in June amid a recovery in domestic demand and business confidence. PLUS: We…...
Analysts unanimously see CBE keeping interest rates on hold
1+ week, 5+ hour ago (246+ words) REMEMBER- The CBE paused its easing cycle at its meeting in May to navigate geopolitical headwinds and contain debt-servicing costs. That stance carries into July MPC after May’s data showed monthly urban price pressures at 1.6%, up from 1.1% in April. Thndr…...
UAE equities (mostly) recover in 2Q 2026, but it’s all about what happens next
1+ week, 4+ day ago (1755+ words) Wednesday, 1 Jul 2026 WHAT WE’RE TRACKING TODAY Money’s also moving in interesting directions. Adia is cornerstoning what could be Hong Kong’s biggest IPO of the year — up to USD 1.5 bn into Luxshare, Apple’s manufacturing partner — while closer to home, Emirates NBD…...
Saudi citizen unemployment nears record low in 1Q
1+ week, 4+ day ago (416+ words) The unemployment rate for Saudi citizens fell to 6.4% in 1Q 2026 — the second-lowest level since 2021 — while overall unemployment in the Kingdom eased to 3.1%, according to Gastat’s latest labor force survey (pdf). The overall rate is down 0.4 percentage points from 4Q 2025. Why it matters:…...
SNB calls its USD 1.25 bn AT1, Cenomi picks its Al Khobar builder, Fakeeh Care gets a SAR 2.2 bn credit package
1+ week, 6+ day ago (363+ words) REMEMBER- SNB has been active in capital markets this year. In January, it upsized its syndicated term loan to USD 1.5 bn from USD 1 bn after attracting 37 banks — with Chinese and Taiwanese lenders putting up nearly two-thirds of the facility, a…...