MESA can co-exist with Qatar dispute
MESA (Middle East Strategic Alliance) was created to serve as a bulwark against extremism and Iran. But with Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cutting off trade and travel ties with Qatar in...
Oil sales will continue: Hassan Rouhani
Oil
sales will continue and Iran will break U.S. imposed sanctions, said
a defiant Iranian President Hassan Rouhani after the United States
reimposed sanctions on Iran’s vital energy
and banking sectors.
“America
wanted to cut to zero Iran’s oil sales...
Qatar takes UAE to UN International Court of Justice
According to a report by Qatar’s state news agency (QNA), Qatar has dragged the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United Nation’s highest judicial body, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), alleging human rights...
Rebuild Syria efforts garner $300 million
In order to rebuild Syria, U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded that allies contribute to the cost of the war effort, including stabilizing and rebuilding parts of Syria that have been retaken from the...
Lebanese banks playing pivotal role for economic stability
Lebanese banks are doing all that they can to pump in more dollars to the economy. In a move in that direction, customers willing to exchange hard currency into long term deposits for the...
Growth rebound of 2% reported in MENA
The oil price hike is mostly behind the modest growth rebound which has proven to be beneficial to the local exporters of oil while the pressure was felt by the oil importers. According to...
Europe bets on Sisi’s Egypt
Egypt wins it all: almost $13 billion for modernizing Egyptian institutions. “The richness of cooperation is evident in the figure of the total EU aid commitments to Egypt, which amounts to over $351 million...
Saudi Arabia freezes trade relations with Canada
Saudi Arabia has frozen its trade relations and investments with Canada following the latter’s call to release Samar Badawi, an anti-government activist from prison. The Kingdom has also declared the Canadian ambassador to Riyadh...
Trade deficit fissure in Lebanon widens by 5%
Bad news, again and again. Lebanon is facing a trade deficit whereby the fissure seems to have widened by 5% which amounts to 13 billion U.S. dollars. This deficit is observed for the first...
Lebanon’s elephant in the room: its debt sustainability
Debt
sustainability has become a focal point for Lebanon’s economy
following comments made by its finance minister vis-a-vis its public
debt. Beirut’s dollar dominated sovereign bonds also witnessed a
sell-off midst a market turbulence following concerns that Lebanon
could...