Category: Middle East / Asia
The Iran War Is No Vietnam. But It May Become An Economic Quagmire For The Gulf.
The Vietnam comparisons to the Iran war miss the real parallel. It isn’t political. It’s economic, and it lands on the Gulf with five costs compounding across the region: energy, reconstruction, tourism, capital, uncertainty…
Private Capital And The GCC Infrastructure Inflection
With sovereign funding under pressure, Saudi Arabia must meet institutional investors’ expectations to unlock private capital for infrastructure…
Asia’s Fuel Lifeline Is Fraying — And The Warning Signs Are Already Here
Asia’s growth model rests on a fragile assumption: that energy will remain available, affordable and uninterrupted. That assumption is now being tested by the conflict in Iran…
Trump’s Iran Ultimatum Raises Questions He Can’t Answer
Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Iran reflects an aggressive but unclear strategy, with shifting demands around nuclear concessions and military pressure that lack a coherent endgame…
Syria Is Not Libya, But It Could Become One If The World Looks Away
While Syria’s conflict differs from Libya’s in origins and structure, it faces similar risks of fragmentation, weak governance, and competing armed factions if international engagement fades…
After Maduro’s Ouster, Tough New Truths About US Foreign Policy
President Trump’s decisive action in Venezuela signals the consolidation of a foreign-policy doctrine that is blunt, transactional and unapologetic about the use of force — with five hard truths for the U.S. and the world…
Smarter Finance Needed To Rebuild Post-Conflict Middle East
Traditional model — grand pledging conferences followed by sluggish bilateral transfers — is obsolete and must be left behind…
Middle East Debt Deals Hang in Limbo as Washington Sets the Clock
Gulf stock markets rallied in September, following the Federal Reserve’s rate cut and renewed optimism that further rate cuts were to come. Behind the cheer lies a more complicated reality: debt issuance across the Middle East — sovereign, corporate and family-owned — is being delayed, restructured or burdened by high U.S.-imported borrowing costs…
Islamic Equity Investors Face A Difficult Choice
Islamic finance has made much progress over the past two decades across banking, asset management and capital markets. There are now some $5tn of Islamic finance assets in an industry grounded in faith-based principles, according to estimates from the LSEG’s Islamic Finance Development Indicator. But Islamic finance — and in particular equity investing — needs further conversation about how to balance ethical integrity with the financial complexity of today’s world…
