Where do jobs come from, and how can we learn more about firms that create them? Governments need to know which firms create employment, how shocks are passed on along supply chains, and how the benefits of trade reach workers. Tracking such information in a comprehensive manner and over an extended period can be challenging. […]
Europe’s recent energy crisis generated large windfall rents for electricity producers. Yet, most EU governments responded with costly downstream measures that left wholesale prices – and producer profits – largely untouched. This column shows that Spain and Portugal charted a different course by intervening directly in the wholesale market, decoupling electricity prices from gas. This […]
Social status can have a long-lasting influence on people’s health and longevity. This column explores the lifespan of royals – whose status is determined by hereditary rules – between 1669 and 2022. While royals still live longer than their average subject, the gap has shrunk significantly since the 19th century. Even today, monarchs consistently outlive […]
Artificial intelligence tools can now produce highly realistic text, images, and videos at almost no cost, prompting concerns that the proliferation of fabricated content may mean mainstream news outlets lose both the trust and demand of their audience. This column reports the results of a field experiment in partnership with one of Germany’s most respected […]
The facility will consist of USD and euro loans. VFS Global, the Zurich and Dubai headquartered provider of outsourced visa and consular services, is looking to raise the equivalent of $2 billion in term loans to refinance an existing debt and pay fees and expenses. The financing will be split in US dollar and euro […]
GCC lenders account for 30% of USD issuances by EM banks this year. Debt issuances by banks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are set to remain strong through 2026 after exceeding $60 billion so far this year, Fitch Ratings said in a new report. Excluding certificates of deposit (CDs), issuances will hit $40 billion […]
The transaction represents the fourth successful public benchmark issuance completed by TAEF in 2025. MENA-focused The Arab Energy Fund (TAEF), formerly known as APICORP, recently delivered a $600 million long five-year issuance that was priced at SOFR +75 basis points (bps). The transaction represents the fourth successful public benchmark issuance completed by TAEF in 2025, […]
Spot gold was trading around $3,680 per ounce on Tuesday after hitting a record $3,689.27 earlier in the session. Gold’s stellar rally to successive record highs shows every sign of continuing for the rest of the year, but a healthy correction is on the cards before breaching the $4,000 per ounce milestone in 2026, traders […]
The final orderbook is in excess of $1.65bln, excluding JLM interest. Saudi Arabia’s Bank AlJazira, rated A3 (stable) / A-(stable) by Moody’s and Fitch, has priced its dollar-denominated, benchmark perpetual non-call 5.5-year AT1 sukuk on par, with a profit rate of 6.5% and a reset margin of +284.7 bps. The price was marginally tightened from […]
The project aims to boost Iraq’s oil, gas and power production, reduce imports from neighbouring Iran and lure back foreign investors. French oil major TotalEnergies has launched the second development phase at Iraq’s Ratawi oilfield and has begun building an accompanying seawater treatment plant, it said on Monday, the final stages of a $27 billion […]
