Middle East

Back to homepage

World Bank Group: Remittances – A Vital Channel for Global Cash Flows

Envision the world economy as a complex, interconnected array of financial engines whose propulsion helps reinforce one another’s momentum. One of the component engines is a small but significant one that, until a few years ago, was not recognised for

Read More

World Economic Forum Opens in Davos: Sharing and Caring

Davos – Over 2,600 of the world’s most notable people have ascended to Europe’s highest mountain town for a series of meetings that aim to address “key issues of global importance.” Nestled at 1,560m above sea level in a picture-perfect

Read More

World Bank MENA Chief Economist: Towards a New Social Contract in the Middle East and North Africa

By Shanta Devarajan A snapshot of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region today reveals a diverse and discouraging picture (Figure 1). Syria, Iraq, and Libya are suffering from violent conflict that has devastated people’s lives, infrastructure, and national

Read More

US Welcomed at Davos as the New Emerging Market

The annual meeting of top businessmen, leading public officials, and a host of other VIPs in Davos usually sees emerging markets claim centre stage and draw attention to the marvels of their booming economies. Save for China, at this year’s

Read More

Masoud Barzani: Walking a Tightrope

The world’s largest nation without a country, the Kurds are slowly carving out a few slices of real estate to call their own. Decades of war and civil strife have weakened and toppled governments that stood between the Kurds and

Read More

Lebanon: Developing an Internet Ecosystem to Keep Young Talent at Home

High youth unemployment has led to high economic migration from Lebanon Creating an internet workspace could help would-be entrepreneurs Lebanon is well-positioned to develop apps for international markets With youth unemployment close to 34 percent—and little domestic demand for educated

Read More

World Bank: International Food Prices Hit Four-Year Low

New World Bank Group tool focuses on preparedness for potential future crises. International prices of food decreased by 6 percent between April and August 2014, reaching a four-year low, according to the latest edition of Food Price Watch. This sharp decrease

Read More

UN Reports Potential for Gradual Return to Global Growth, Foresees Risks, Uncertainties

Global economic growth is forecast to continue increasing over the next two years, the United Nations reported today, despite legacies from the financial crisis continuing to weigh on growth, and the emergence of new challenges, including geopolitical conflicts such as

Read More

Trade Balance of Developing and Developed Countries Continues to Converge, UNCTAD Statistics Show

UNCTAD Handbook of Statistics 2014 shows that developing and transition economies run large trade surpluses for merchandise and services trade. Geneva, 9 December 2014 – Developing economies ran a combined merchandise and services trade surplus for 2013 of $177.6 billion,

Read More

Nearly 500,000 New Residence Visas Issued in Dubai in First Half of 2014, Indicating Flourishing Business for Real Estate

Exhibitors upbeat on growth graph of UAE property sector, based on factual demand from first renters, buyers and investors.  A total of 17,289 real estate transactions worth AED 37.5 billion were conducted in the first half of 2014, according to

Read More