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
Dubai’s property sector rounds off 2025 with record sales
December maintained the year’s exceptional momentum, with monthly sales climbing 46.4% in value YoY. Dubai’s property sector capped a historic year in 2025 with a
Gold falls as commodity index rebalancing sparks selling pressure
Spot gold fell 0.6% to $4,428.06 per ounce, as of 1115 GMT. U.S. gold futures for February delivery fell 0.6% to $4,436.30. Gold prices fell
Saudi Arabia approves 2026 borrowing plan with $58bln in financing needs
The world’s top oil exporter is more than halfway through its Vision 2030 plan that calls for hundreds of billions of dollars in government investment
Aviation sector contributes $1.8bln to Oman’s GDP
Tourism supported by aviation represents a major share of this impact, contributing $710 million to GDP and employing approximately 18,000 people. The aviation sector in
Global M&A deals hit $4.8bn on strong tech and AI deals
Technology M&A, powered by AI-related deals, was in the vanguard of the year’s surge in merger activity. A potent rebound in global M&A is on
Bank recapitalisation versus firm support: A fiscal criterion for crisis policy
Governments routinely invest in private firms. This column argues that these investments have powerful effects on an economy’s crisis resilience, and that those effects depend
Global trade to hit record $35trln despite slowing momentum
Between July and September, global trade grew 2.5% compared with the previous three months. Global trade is expected to grow about 7% in 2025, adding
Putting debt-strapped countries on a sustainable path
A paradox is unfolding across developing economies. On the bright side, inflation is finally abating. The oppressive interest rates of the last five years are
The complex linkages between euro area insurers and sovereign bond markets
Over the past decade, euro area insurers have been challenged by the prolonged period of low interest rates until 2022 and climate-related risks, particularly for
