Global Emerging Market Research Highlights

Latest Economic News & Views

Digital trade corridors are emerging as a strategic hedge against physical supply chain disruption

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The disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz reinforces a strategic argument that has been gaining traction among policymakers in emerging markets: that digital trade infrastructure offers a form of connectivity that is less exposed to physical chokepoints than conventional supply chains. Whereas goods move through ports and straits, data and payments move through digital infrastructure such as fibre optic cables. The two are not equivalent, as this type of infrastructure cannot replace physical commodity...

Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary, Minister of Media, and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Gmedia

On advancing Saudi Arabia’s media ecosystem under Vision 2030

How the Strait of Hormuz disruption is accelerating ASEAN's supply chain transformation

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The reconfiguration of Asia-Pacific supply chains was well under way before the current disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Global foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to ASEAN countries reached a record $226bn in 2024, an 8% annual increase, even as global FDI fell by an estimated 11% and ASEAN overtook China as the preferred destination for manufacturing FDI originating from OECD countries. South-east Asian economies were already absorbing manufacturing activity relocating from China as...

Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline: The case for long-term energy infrastructure investment

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Saudi Arabia began construction on the East-West crude oil pipeline in the early 1980s, after tanker navigation in the Gulf was threatened during the Iran-Iraq War. Four decades of quiet investment followed in a piece of infrastructure that, until recently, much of the world had little reason to take notice of. The 1200-km pipeline, known as the Petroline, runs the breadth of the Arabian Peninsula from Saudi Arabia’s eastern oil fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, and has a capacity of around 5m barrels per day (bpd) and up to 7m bpd on a..

Disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could create new logistics opportunities for Syria and Jordan

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Supply chain disruptions have historically accelerated infrastructure investment and regional economic integration that might otherwise have taken decades to materialise. The current reduction in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is proving no exception. Roughly 20% of global oil trade passes through the Strait each day, alongside a significant share of non-oil commodities, including around 30% of the world’s maritime fertiliser supply. With maritime traffic now severely curtailed, attention is shifting to overland...

Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan, Group Managing Director, ELAN Media

On personalising programming to meet rising consumer expectations

Homam Hashem, CEO, Financing Guarantee Program for SMEs (Kafalah)

On the role of banks in supporting SMEs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

National Oil Corporation advances investment framework to fortify industry stability

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Following the hosting of the Libya Energy & Economic Summit in Tripoli from January 24 to 26, 2026, the country stands at a critical point in its economic rehabilitation. While the broader political environment is characterised by institutional duality, the energy sector has become relatively stable. Production levels have shown resilience, reaching approximately 1.38m barrels per day (bpd) in late 2025, driven by efforts to insulate technical operations from administrative. Against this backdrop...