Markets A turbulent week for global markets, as it digested the hawkish signals from major central banks while keeping a close eye as the Evergrande crisis unfurled (more... Read More
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The below article was published as a post in the OECD’s Development Matters blog on 15th Sep 2021. The original... Read More
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Recent & Upcoming Events
Jun 17: “Stability Redefined- Who Authors the Future?”: e-Policy Circle 7 webinar (invite only)
Jun 15: Discussion on Lebanon with Carnegie Middle East Center (invite only)
Jun 4: Panelist at OMFIF webinar on Sovereign debt restructuring in emerging markets
May 22: Speaker at the YPO Lebanon webinar
May 17: Panelist at Sheikh Rashed Virtual Majlis on the “Effects of COVID19 on the UAE’s economy”
May 13: Panelist at NUS Middle East Institute webinar “The GCC’s Double Dilemma: Tackling COVID-19 and Falling Oil Prices”
May 6: Panelist at the CEBC webinar “A Pandemic, Oil Price Collapse, A Recession: Is the Future still Green?”
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
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The below article was published as a post in the OECD’s Development Matters blog on 15th Sep 2021. The original post can be accessed directly at: https://oecd-development-matters.org/2021/09/15/lebanons-path-back-from-the-brink-of-collapse/ Lebanon’s path back from the brink of collapse Since October 2019, Lebanon has been in the throes of a historically unprecedented economic and financial meltdown, simultaneously facing a humanitarian crisis, a debt crisis, a banking crisis, a currency crisis, and a balance of payments crisis. The numbers are staggering. Real GDP has declined for the fourth consecutive year by a cumulative 45% since 2018 making it the second most severe financial crisis in history. The Lira has lost 90% of... Read More
Below is a compilation of comments given by Dr. Saidi on the ongoing economic/ financial/ social/ political situation in Lebanon (published in Sep 2021). As part of the Reuters article titled “Inflationary pressures force Lebanese to make tough choices“, published 10th Sep 2021: Some economists argue this will only add to the inflationary cycle and eventually lead to hyperinflation if sustainable reforms are not implemented. “As soon as you get into that cycle whereby you have cost of living adjustments … but you don’t have any more revenue to fund them, you’re just printing money, then that creates a vicious cycle,” Nasser Saidi, a leading economist and former minister,... Read More
Dr. Nasser Saidi’s comments appeared in an Arab News article titled “ADNOC IPO could raise $750m as one of UAE’s largest ever offerings” on 6th September 2021. The comments are posted below. Nasser Saidi, a regional economics and markets expert, told Arab News: “The plans to float part of the drilling unit is just part of the current trend of privatizing some of their fossil fuel assets. “Listing like these and future privatization of fossil fuel assets using the capital markets could massively increase the size and transform the UAE’s markets into a global centre for energy and its financing.”
An interview with Dr. Nasser Saidi was published in the article titled “Hyperinflation imminent in Lebanon”, in TRENDS magazine dated 5th Sep 2021. Excerpts from the conversation are posted below; the entire article can be accessed here. In an exclusive interview with TRENDS, Dr Nasser H. Saidi — former Minister of Economy and Trade and Minister of Industry of Lebanon between 1998 and 2000 and the first Vice-Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon for two successive mandates, 1993-1998 and 1998-2003 — describes the present Lebanon’s economic crisis as “one of the most massive depressions in Lebanese history”. Dr Saidi, who is also Founder and President of Nasser Saidi... Read More
In this interview with Al Arabiya, Dr. Nasser Saidi discusses the UAE’s rollout of 50 initiatives to boost economic diversification and propel UAE into its next phase of growth as well as the upcoming Expo2020 Dubai (and beyond). Watch the interview and read the article (in Arabic) that was published on 5th September 2021, and is posted below. السعيدي: هذه القطاعات الأكثر استفادة من “إكسبو 2020” السياحة والتجارة والاستثمار ستستفيد بجانب قطاع النقل والاقتصاد الرقمي أكد رئيس شركة ناصر السعيدي وشركاه، الدكتور ناصر السعيدي، أن من أهم انعكاسات استضافة الإمارات لإكسبو 2020 التوسع بالبنى التحتية، مثل شبكة النقل، والاقتصاد الجديد والرقمي سيكون بارزا ليفتح مجالات جديدة في التجارة العالمية.... Read More
