IMF report, elections key for Cairo to secure new loans
Though financing commitments from Gulf countries have remained stable so far, the current environment of low oil prices adds pressure on Egypt to secure new funds from investors and donors […]
Egypt-Cyprus gas deal: competition for Israeli gas
Egypt would have to wait years before the gas starts flowing from Cyprus’ offshore fields, assuming significant discoveries are made. Israeli gas, by contrast, would start flowing immediately. Download a […]
Iraq: Here’s how Kurdistan will play its cards
While the lightning assault of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) in northern Iraq might eventually lead to the creation of a looser federation of Iraqi states […]
ISIS Immediate risk for domestic Iraqi oil supply, not exports
Even as Iraqi government forces continue tobattle the Sunni jihadists of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), Iraq’s energy exports and sovereign credit ratings are expected to […]
Iran-CNPC breakup: Tehran eyes the West
Download a pdf copy of my original article here.
April 6 verdict shows Cairo’s 360-degree crackdown.
This week, a Cairo court banned Egypt’s secular April 6 Youth Movement from operating in Egypt. Download a pdf copy of my original article here.
Exclusive: Iran and India finalize railroad deal
The new railway will provide India a gateway to trade in Afghanistan and Central Asian markets without having goods cross Pakistani territory. Iran will benefit economically from sharing the infrastructure […]
Some Russia sanctions Ahead But West Has Big Toolkit
At present, both the US and Europe – acting either as the European Union or through the initiative of single governments – are unlikely to ramp up sanctions beyond extending […]
Ukraine crisis hits Iran economy, rial sinks
Economists say the plunge of the Iranian rial this week was mainly due to theeconomic blowback from Russian markets tied to developments in Crimea. The episode highlights just how vulnerable […]