Most stock markets in the Gulf ended lower on Monday, pressured by weak oil prices, while investors awaited more corporate earnings reports. Oil prices – a catalyst for the Gulf’s financial markets – dipped, pressured by worries over a global glut as U.S.-China trade tensions added to concerns about an economic slowdown and weaker energy […]
In the context of financing Ukraine’s wartime economy, Western governments have paid little attention to how Ukrainians are funding the war themselves. This column analyses giving to Ukraine’s largest non-governmental provider of lethal aid, Come Back Alive. Using high-frequency daily donation data, it finds that civilian fatalities and frontline media reports generate immediate and significant […]
A growing number of urban areas around the world face water scarcity. Focusing on the prolonged drought that Cape Town experienced from 2015 to 2018, this column examines how adaptation shaped outcomes for the city’s residents and for its municipal water utility. While policy measures including higher prices and usage restrictions saved the city from […]
Government procurement—the process in which public entities buy goods and services from private companies—represents between 5% and 20% of a country’s GDP, depending on the country. Public procurement policies allow governments to strategically support certain firms and sectors, for example, small businesses or eco-friendly products. In using public procurement systems, policymakers must navigate a trade-off: […]
