THE EDGE INSIGHTS
Latest Economic Insights
Economic developments that matter to regional and global markets, analysed daily.
Egypt Doubles Down on Privatization: Draft State-Ownership Policy Targets a 65% Private-Sector Share and 7% Growth by 2030
Egypt has unveiled the draft of a more ambitious second edition of its State Ownership Policy, the framework that defines where the…
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OPEC Chief Rejects IEA’s Oil-Glut Forecast as “Premature” in Rare Public Clash Over the Market’s Direction
OPEC and the International Energy Agency have collided publicly over the direction of the oil market, with OPEC Secretary-General Haitham Al Ghais…
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UAE Opens Government Sukuk to the Public for the First Time, From Just 1,000 Dirhams
The United Arab Emirates has opened its sovereign debt market to ordinary investors for the first time, launching an inaugural Sovereign Retail…
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UK Labour Market Cools as Job Vacancies Hit a Five-Year Low and Pay Growth Slows
Britain's labour market showed fresh signs of cooling in the latest official data, with the unemployment rate edging up over the year,…
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Oil Holds Near US$80 as Gold and Silver Slide on Softer Haven Demand and Firmer Rate Expectations
Commodity markets split in two directions on Thursday, with crude oil holding near the US$80 level even as gold and silver extended…
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Gulf Economies Climb IMD’s 2026 Competitiveness Ranking: UAE in the World’s Top Five, With Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain in the Top 20
Gulf economies strengthened their standing among the world's most competitive in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, with the United Arab Emirates…
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Kuwait Targets Oil Output Recovery to 2 Million Barrels per Day Within a Week
Kuwait has started raising oil production after the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, targeting output of more than 2 million barrels…
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GCC Economies Set to Contract in 2026 Before a Strong 8.1% Rebound in 2027, ICAEW Says
The economies of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to contract this year before staging a sharp recovery in 2027, as…
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Bank of England Holds Rates at 3.75% in 7–2 Vote as Two Members Push for a Hike
The Bank of England kept its main interest rate unchanged at 3.75% on 18 June 2026, but a split vote and a…
Read more →OPEC Sees No Peak in Oil Demand, Lifts 2050 Forecast to 124.1 Million Barrels a Day in New World Oil Outlook
OPEC reaffirmed its long-held view that there is no peak in oil demand on the horizon, raising its long-term forecast as it…
Read more →Commodities Slide as US–Iran Deal Deflates War Premium; Oil and Precious Metals Lead Losses
A broad retreat swept across the commodities complex this week as a US–Iran agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz drained the…
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Japan’s Trade Balance Swings to a Deficit in May as a Weak Yen and AI-Linked Demand Lift Trade Values
Japan's merchandise trade balance returned to deficit in May 2026, recording a shortfall of about 378.6 billion yen, or roughly 2.36 billion…
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Three GCC Central Banks Hold Interest Rates After US Federal Reserve Decision
Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE keep interest rates steady after the US Federal Reserve holds rates, while Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman…
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IMF Says Global Economy Is Weathering the Middle East War Shock, but Stays on “High Alert”
The global economy is so far absorbing the shock of the conflict in the Middle East without tipping into a slowdown, but…
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Warsh Overhauls Fed Communications and Withholds His Own Forecast as Projections Hint at a 2026 Rate Hike
In his first appearance as Federal Reserve Chair, Kevin Warsh used the June policy meeting not only to hold interest rates steady…
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Bank of Japan Raises Rate to 1%, Its Highest Since 1995, and Signals More to Come
The Bank of Japan raised its policy interest rate to around 1.0% from 0.75% on 16 June 2026, lifting borrowing costs to…
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US Retail Sales Jump 0.9% in May, Pointing to a Resilient American Consumer
US retail sales rose more strongly than expected in May 2026, signalling that American consumer demand remained resilient despite elevated inflation and…
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China’s Consumer Spending Falls in May Even as Factory Output Beats Forecasts
China's economy showed a widening internal split in May 2026, as consumer spending unexpectedly contracted while industrial production accelerated, according to data…
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IEA Cuts 2026 Oil Demand and Supply Forecasts, Sees Market Swing from Wartime Shortage to Surplus by 2027
The International Energy Agency sharply lowered its 2026 oil demand and supply forecasts in its June Oil Market Report, published on 17…
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Fed Holds Rates at 3.50%–3.75% in Warsh’s First Meeting, Vowing to “Deliver Price Stability”
The US Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.50% to 3.75% on 17 June 2026, holding policy steady in…
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US–Iran Deal Could Help Egypt Recover Suez Canal Revenues, But US$10 Billion Will Not Return Overnight
A reported interim agreement between Washington and Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could improve sentiment toward regional maritime routes, but…
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IMF Expects Oman’s Fiscal Surplus to Rise to 4.5% of GDP in 2026 as Oil Supports Growth
The IMF expects Oman’s economy to grow by around 3.7% in 2026, supported by higher oil production, stronger fiscal balances, and a…
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Dubai Real Estate Enters a More Selective Phase as Regional Risk Tests Demand
Dubai’s residential property market is no longer moving with the same broad momentum that defined the previous boom. The latest data points…
Read more →UK Inflation Holds at 2.8% in May as Transport Costs Offset Easing Food Inflation
UK consumer price inflation held at 2.8% in the year to May 2026, unchanged from April, according to figures released by the…
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