Minimum wages and insurance within the firm
While much of the debate over minimum wages focuses on how they affect average pay levels or job losses, an equally important question is how
Forecasting inflation: The sum of the cycles outperforms the whole
Inflation reflects forces operating at different cycles, from short-lived shocks to slow-moving structural trends. Yet most forecasting models treat inflation as a single aggregate process.
Tariff reciprocity and the True Cost of Protection Index
Effective tariff index comparisons are spotlighted in media reports on trade wars and trade talks. This column argues that the effective tariff index is inadequate
Addressing Europe’s services dependencies
Recent shifts in the geopolitical order have created an urgent need for Europe to strengthen its strategic autonomy. This column discusses the economic security issues
New evidence on the resilience benefit of borrower-based measures when interest rates go up
Borrower-based macroprudential measures are meant to provide a guardrail to counter an erosion of lending standards over time. This column explores whether such measures can
The Bank of England’s capital mistake?
On 2 December 2025, the Bank of England’s Financial Policy Committee announced it would be lowering the capital requirement for UK banks. This column argues
Beyond emergency responses: Why local context matters for refugee allocation
A growing body of evidence shows that rising inflows of immigrants and refugees can trigger political backlash. This column examines how local economic and cultural
UAE economy to exceed global growth in 2026; GDP revised up to 5%
Standard Chartered says country to benefit from shifts in global supply chains, strong non-oil sector. The UAE economy is poised to expand faster than previously
Energy Development Oman mandates USD 10-year sukuk
In October, the company listed a $130 million sukuk on the Muscat Stock Exchange. Oil and gas producer Energy Development Oman has mandated a 10-year
Saudi, UAE startups led VC deals, raised $3.13bln in 2025
Two GCC markets account for 91% of total funding deployed across MENA. Startups in Saudi Arabia and the UAE led venture capital funding activity last
