This week’s “Weekly Insights” compiles the latest responses from GCC nations to tackle the ongoing Covid19 outbreak. The plunge in oil price is adding fuel to the fire! Read our... Read More
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The article titled “The Arab World’s Perfect COVID-19 Storm”, was first published on Project Syndicate on 24 March 2020, and... Read More
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Recent & Upcoming Events
Apr 27-28: Institute for Integrated Transitions (IFIT) Global Strategy Meeting (Dublin)
Mar 24: Moderator, “Global Leaders Debate – Investing for the Future: Shaping Global Investment Strategies”, Annual Investment Meeting 2020 (Dubai)
Mar 6-7: Aspen Institute-Chatham House conference “Assessing risk: business in global disorder” (Venice)
Mar 3: Speaker in the Opening Panel Session of Middle East Energy 2020 (Dubai)
Mar 2: Opening keynote at the Clean Energy Business Council’s Climate Finance event (Dubai)
Dec 5: Speaker and panelist at the Oman Centre for Governance and Sustainability (OCGS) Annual Corporate Governance Conference (Muscat)
Publications / All
The MENA-OECD Working Group on Investment and Trade‘s 2018 meeting was... Read More
The commencement speechat the Universite St. Joseph was delivered by... Read MoreIn the Media
Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments appeared an article titled “Surviving the Covid-19 economic crisis” that appeared in MEED on 24th Mar 2020. Comments from the article are posted below. The full article can be accessed here. “It looks like the oil price war that is now launched is a strategic move by Saudi Arabia to weaken or destroy shale oil,” says economist Nasser Saidi, founder and president of Nasser Saidi & Associates. “It was bound to happen. There are two factors negatively effecting oil – renewables and shale. Shale was eating into the Opec plus share. They either wait and continue to lose market share or they act. They could choose... Read More The article titled “The Arab World’s Perfect COVID-19 Storm”, was first published on Project Syndicate on 24 March 2020, and can be directly accessed here. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers in the Gulf Cooperation Council states are rolling out stimulus measures to support businesses and the economy. But the camel in the room remains oil, especially the immediate impact on demand of the Chinese and global economic slowdown. Middle Eastern and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies are heading toward a recession in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, collapsing oil prices, and the unfolding global financial crisis. The fast-spreading global pandemic – with Europe... Read More As the GCC nations roll out various economic, financial, health and travel-related initiatives, the latest country-by-country measures is compiled below. Scroll down to see a map of the confirmed Covid-19 cases in the Middle East & North Africa region. The list is update as of 6:30am on 26th March, 2020. Table: GCC responses to tackle the Covid19 outbreak Bahrain Economic & Financial Health & travel-related BHD 4.3bn stimulus package: – Doubling the Liquidity Fund to BHD 200mn – Waiver on utilities bills for 3 months; – Delay in loans installments for 6 months – Supporting wages of citizens in pvt sector Central bank moves: – Banned lenders from freezing... Read More
Dr. Nasser Saidi discusses the GCC’s responses to the ongoing Covid19 outbreak, in an interview that aired on Al Arabiya on 17th March 2020. In the interview, he reiterates the need for fiscal policy stimulus (given its effectiveness) vs monetary policy action; also highlights the sectors and countries that would be most adversely affected. The video can be viewed below; the write-up can be accessed at https://ara.tv/4rmup Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments appeared an article titled “The Middle East is already wracked by war. Now it must confront the coronavirus, too” that appeared in the Washington Post on 16th Mar 2020. Comments from the article are posted below. The full article can be accessed here. Oil producers in the Persian Gulf countries will be forced to cut back spending, and countries elsewhere that depend on remittances from expatriates in the gulf region will also suffer, said Nasser Saidi, a Dubai-based economist and former Lebanese finance minister. Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis that has seen its currency collapse amid widespread street protests. Iraq, which depends... Read More
