THE EDGE INSIGHTS
Latest Economic Insights
Economic developments that matter to regional and global markets, analysed daily.
Egyptian Listed Banks Enter the 2026 Earnings Test From a Strong Q1 Profit Base
Egyptian listed banks delivered strong Q1 2026 profitability, led by CIB, QNB Egypt, Housing and Development Bank, ADIB Egypt, and Faisal Islamic…
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Visible From Space: Gulf Producers Begin Unwinding the Biggest Oil-Output Cut in History as Hormuz Reopens
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has set in motion an industrial event of extraordinary scale: Gulf producers are restarting thousands…
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As US Aid Retreats, China Expands Development Finance and Global Influence
A reordering of global development finance is under way. As the United States sharply curtails its foreign-aid spending, China is moving to…
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Egypt’s Rate-Cut Cycle Stalls as Regional Conflict Pushes Inflation Back Into the Teens
Egypt’s interest-rate-cutting cycle has stalled. After a run of reductions that began in 2025, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) has held…
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Commodities Wrap: Gold Slides Below US$4,200 as a Hawkish Fed Overpowers a Modest Oil Rebound
Commodity markets ended the week split. Gold dropped below US$4,200 an ounce on Friday — wiping out the week’s earlier gains —…
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Egypt’s Largest Solar-and-Battery Project Could Save US$400 Million a Year in Gas Imports
Egypt stands to save as much as US$400 million a year in liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports thanks to its largest solar-and-battery…
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Gold Outlook 2026: Base Case Points to US$4,800–5,100 as June Forecasts Show Wider Upside Risk
Gold’s 2026 outlook has become more divided after a series of June updates from major banks and market institutions. While the wider…
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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,…
Read more →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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- Europe Market Wrap 19 October: All Nine Indices Fall as France’s Fiscal Worries Spread
- Europe Market Wrap 9 October: All Nine Indices Rise as Basic Resources Jump 2.99 Percent
- US Market Wrap 12 October: The Dow Alone Rises 0.38 Percent as the Nasdaq 100 Falls 0.71 Percent
- Asia Market Wrap 7 October: All Eight Indices Fall as Seoul Drops 1.98 Percent
- Europe Market Wrap 16 October: All Nine Indices Rise to Cap the Stoxx 600’s Best Week Since June