You know bitcoin’s time has come when it assumes the central role in a conversation between financial journalists. Relaxing with friends last week in convivial surroundings, all the talk was of the cryptocurrency, others like it, and the closely-related technology blockchain. One member of the party had invested in bitcoin a few months back, […]
Saudi Aramcos to do list before it can make IPO history
Matters are slowly, and cautiously, being clarified in the run-up to the record-breaking initial public offering (IPO) of Saudi Aramco, which will be the world’s biggest stock market flotation when it eventually debuts on global exchanges. The plan is still to get the shares — up to $100 billion worth of them — away by […]
Qatar and UK continue to count the cost of Barclays bailout
Be careful what you wish for in the world of international banking — you might just get it. That is one of the lessons to be learned from the whirlwind of allegations, legal actions and official investigations into the 2008 deal that “saved” British bank Barclays from looming catastrophe at the height of the global […]
Six things I learned from the World Economic Forum in Jordan
Even with severe competition in the form of President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh, there were enough ideas, and people, floating around the Dead Sea to make the trip to Jordan worthwhile for the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Excuse the pun, but in fact “floating” is […]
Big questions for the WEF as it considers, contemplates and confers
The World Economic Forum (WEF), as ever, concentrates on the bigger picture. While the rest of the world was disembarking in Riyadh for the ground-breaking first visit by US President Donald Trump, the WEF has gathered by the Dead Sea in Jordan, its habitual haunt for many years, to consider, contemplate and confer. The “three […]
Expert view paints optimistic picture of Gulf economies
I make no apology for using this column from time to time to reflect the views of Capital Economics (CapEcon), the London-based consultancy. CapEcon has called the region right for a long time, refusing to join the ranks of the habitual doom-mongers and instead producing a consistent stream of well-argued research that calls it like […]
In era of inequality, soaring CEO pay is a priority issue
Today, the elite of the Arabian Gulf’s executive cadre will gather at the Top CEO Conference in Saudi Arabia, to mull over and deliver insights on some of the weighty business and economic matters facing the region. Organized by Trends magazine and Insead business school, the conference will consider such vital issues as leadership, the […]
Riyadh gaining ground in race to be Gulf financial hub
One of the constant themes of financial policy in the Gulf region over the past decade (the length of time I have been writing about it) has been the race between regional cities to become the “premier” financial marketplace. The policymakers themselves are often coy about it, declining to suggest they are participating in a […]
Forget the bunny ears: Snap is a serious deal for Gulf investors
What should investors in Arabian Gulf markets make of Snap, the “camera company” that last week took Wall Street by storm with a multibillion-dollar initial public offering (IPO) that soared to a 44 percent premium on its first day of trading? The Snap listing is of interest not only because its Snapchat app […]
Saudi economic growth looks set to beat pessimists’ forecasts
There is a genuine debate going on about Saudi Arabia’s economic prospects this year, but the momentum is with the upside. That is the message from recent research based on the latest economic and financial data. It is a crucial time for the Kingdom, with the first full year of the National Transformation Program […]