Following an article published today in The Economist entitled “Saudi Arabia: Out of the Comfort Zone“, I couldn’t help feeling out of my comfort zone reading the simplification of its arguments in relation to the socio-economic challenges being cited. As an avid reader of The Economist, and a contributor to The Economist Intelligence Unit, readers of… [Read more…]
July 3, 2011
A Changing Energy Landscape Saudi Arabia, as the world’s largest OPEC producer is most commonly associated with crude oil, not renewable energy. However, although the high export prices of oil have buoyed its economy and increased business confidence, the dilemma of economic diversification and sustainability is at the core of the Kingdom’s National Development Plans.… [Read more…]
June 2, 2011
A First Step Towards Liberalization A giant leap forward in the liberalization process was achieved when Nestle announced last month that it would set up a direct sales and distribution network in Saudi Arabia. A move to further open the economy and gradually diminish an agency culture in the Kingdom has been expected since its… [Read more…]
March 24, 2011
To shed light on the impacts of the changes which have been spreading across the Middle East and North Africa, the World Bank hosted today a forum discussion under the theme ‘Arab Voices and Views’. The panel brought together a cohort of thinkers, practitioners and change agents from across the region to discuss the aspirations… [Read more…]
March 18, 2011
Today, after the Friday prayers at 11am GMT, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah addressed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a rare move to announce the implementation of new reforms and royal decrees. Among the most important economic reforms announced were the creation of more jobs in the public sector; increasing… [Read more…]
March 17, 2011
© 2010 ASDA’A Burson-Masteller Arab youth Survey For the third year running, ASDA’A Burson-Masteller has released the 2010 Arab Youth Survey. The study focuses on the attitudes of Arab and expatriate youth, surveying 2000 participants aged 18-24 in ten Middle Eastern countries that include the Gulf Cooperation Council (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,… [Read more…]
March 16, 2011
Industrialization: Self-sufficiency or Intervention? The privatization and creation of market economies in post-communist Europe can be regarded as one of the most successful industrial transformations of the second-half of the twentieth century. With skyrocketing unemployment, and a demographic population surge; fast-forward twenty years, and most ex-USSR satellite states are members of the European Union,… [Read more…]
February 25, 2011
The changes of foreign ownership laws in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have long been anticipated. It is now expected that 100% ownership for foreign nationals will be introduced as early as the end of 2011, as the draft has now been finalized by the Ministry of Economy and awaits final approval by the concerned… [Read more…]
February 15, 2011
The race for indigenous innovation has been caught in a cross-fire between China and the United States. Whilst China has adopted a protectionist stance in its innovation capabilities to drive high-end industrial development, the United States is calling for domestic innovation models that opens markets and competition, and drives growth. The debate of protectionism vs.… [Read more…]
February 9, 2011
Qatar Central Bank (QCB) announced on Sunday that all conventional banks would have to shut down their Islamic banking units by December 31st 2011, in a bid to ‘clean house’ by increasing transparency and accountability in the Islamic Banking sector. The banks were ordered without consultation to those affected, that they must immediately stop taking… [Read more…]
tdekerrosb@yahoo.co.uk
London, United Kingdom
March 2, 2012
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