GULF COUNTRIES
Analyst
Justin Alexander
Former Economic Advisor, Qatar Finance MinistryDatabanks
Recent Country Insights
GULF WEEKLY: Saudi deficit narrows and GDP accelerates, Oman records strong FDI, UK will recognize Palestine
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 01 Aug 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * US tariffs on GCC states are remaining at 10%, providing a competitive edge on some other states. * The Saudi deficit narrowed to -3% of GDP in Q2, mainly due to a seasonal rise in tax revenue. * There was a record $36bn ...
GULF WEEKLY: Kuwait’s deficit narrows, Qatar bids for Olympics, UAE companies invest in Saudi, France will recognize Palestine
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 25 Jul 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * UAE-Saudi cooperation: Al-Futtaim invests in Cenomi and Air Arabia partners for a Dammam airline. * Deals worth $6bn were signed at the Saudi-Syrian investment forum in Damascus. * Dubai saw record home sales in Q2, and S...
GULF WEEKLY: Neom reviews The Line, Qatar Q2 deficit, Kuwait exits 2-year recession, Bahrain signs $17bn in US deals
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 18 Jul 2025 · 1 response
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Saudi oil production rose by 0.6m b/d in June, but only a third of this was supplied to the market. * Saudi Arabia’s local T-sukuk could get a 5.5% weight in the JPM GBI-EM index. * Neom may cut a fifth of its workforce a...
GULF WEEKLY: OPEC+ accelerates taper, Oman upgraded again, Saudi to expand foreign property ownership, Trump threatens BRICS tariff
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 11 Jul 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * OPEC+ is accelerating its taper by 0.55m b/d in August, more than had been expected. * The IEA estimates that Saudi production surged in June to 0.4m b/d above its quota. * Saudi Arabia was ranked 1st globally for ICT dev...
GULF WEEKLY: Qatar and Abu Dhabi GDP strong in Q1, Saudi current account returns to surplus, Oman Air joins oneworld
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 04 Jul 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Oil recovered to around $69, despite expectations of another OPEC+ hike. * The Iran ceasefire held, but Trump and Khamenei continued a war of words. * Saudi Arabia’s current account returned to surplus, but FDI dipped sli...
GULF WEEKLY: Oil drops and equities rebound as Iran war ends, Oman finalizes personal income tax, Kuwait moves towards bond issuance
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 27 Jun 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Qatar intercepted Iranian missiles and then helped mediate a ceasefire with the US and Israel. * This followed a US strike on Iranian nuclear sites, which caused severe damage. * Trump says there will be renewed nuclear t...
Iran fires missiles at US airbase in Qatar—possibly a stage-managed retaliation
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 23 Jun 2025
In the last hour, Iran has been firing missiles at Qatar. This is an evolving situation, but here are some very preliminary thoughts: Of all the potential targets in the region, Qatar and Al-Udeid Airbase are probably the best defended, including with Patriot batteries.The base, which houses up t...
The GCC and oil market wait to see if Iran will respond to the US strikes
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 22 Jun 2025
Oil futures have begun trading in Asia and, so far, the response is muted. The September Brent contract nearly touched $80 on open, but within half an hour of trading, had eased back to $77 (Inv). There is still nearly $10 of risk premium in there compared with 10 days ago, but it remains close t...
GULF WEEKLY: Trump mulls entering war, UAE FDI remains strong, S&P rates UAE, Oman’s GDP picks up in Q1
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 20 Jun 2025
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Israel has air superiority, and Iran’s medium-range missiles are nearly exhausted. * Trump is considering joining the war to bomb the hardened Fordow nuclear site. * The direct impact on the GCC and hydrocarbons remains l...