As 2015 draws to a close the low price of oil continues to be the dominant factor in Middle Eastern markets. Combined with conflicts in both Yemen and of course Syria and Iraq, 2015 is perhaps a year that many would prefer to forget. All the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries rely on hydrocarbons for the bulk of their revenues despite major drives to diversify income streams. They also depend…
The only thing more unpredictable than the price of commodities in recent years has been the discussion surrounding the “supercycle.” Is it over? Are we in a sub-cycle? Was it even real? It’s easy to get lost in the noise and not focus on the tangible impacts that the decline in commodity prices has had on many resource-rich countries. Improved economic planning, enhanced regulation, and buoyant…
Long-time observers of African markets know that the devil is in the details. That the continent's biggest economies offer enormous potential to investors is no secret. In recent years, headlines have trumpeted the arrival of African economies on the global stage, backed by impressive macro indicators. GDP growth forecasts for the region in 2015 are high, surpassing 7% in countries like Nigeria and…
Go to any business conference in Africa and it will not be long before someone utters the words “Africa Rising”. The term – which was most memorably plastered on the cover of The Economist in 2011 – has become a catchall for the continent’s recent burst of economic growth. As a phrase, it is used in reference to everything from the continent’s expanding middle class, to the adoption of…
As one of the larger economies in Latin America, Colombia has a track record of above-average GDP growth, a reputation for sound macroeconomic management and market-friendly policies. In 2015-16 it has demonstrated resilience, absorbing a significant oil price shock, with petroleum accounting for roughly half of total exports. It has managed to absorb this shock while maintaining positive, albeit…
Without a doubt Britain’s decision to abandon the European project will be remembered globally as a wake-up call for political elites around the world. It seems the population chose to go against immediate economic interest and accept another financial turmoil in order to address deeply seated social and identity issues. Although Asia’s exposure to the UK is relatively limited and this is not…
The 2016 news cycle has been largely dominated by the US presidential election, the Syrian civil war and refugee crisis, Brexit’s impact on the future of the EU, and a handful of other issues. The Latin American and Caribbean region is often overlooked in this landscape, so it was a welcome change when the world was transfixed on Brazil and the region at large for a few weeks during the Rio 2016…
