Category: Columns

By James M Dorsey Food, far more than diplomatic relations with Arab states, could be turning Israel into a state rooted rather than implanted in

Bjørnar Tonhaugen According to prices in the market, and numerous market observers, the world is not producing enough oil to keep up with near-term demand.

By Suraj Tiwari The pandemic has shifted the travel process, and it’s brought the airport experience to the forefront. With travel restrictions easing globally, border

By Jim Richberg As ransomware attacks have become more prevalent, there has been an increase in cybersecurity insurance (aka cyber insurance) that covers the losses

By Matein Khalid The wicked witch of Wall Street waved her ursine broomstick over the global financial market in mid-November and all hell broke loose

By James M Dorsey When Turkish finance minister Nureddin Nebati this week announced plans to encourage households to convert their gold holdings into Turkish liras in a

By James M Dorsey Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has laid out an expanded Israeli strategy to confront Iran that appears to move beyond a potential military

By James M. Dorsey Iran recently scored not one but two soccer successes. Fans celebrated after the country’s national team qualified for the third consecutive time for

By James M Dorsey Russian civilisationalism is proving handy as President Vladimir Putin seeks to expand the imaginary boundaries of his Russian World, whose frontiers

Matein Khalid As multinational diversify supply chains from China, Vietnam obviously benefits. Vietnam has always fascinated me yet it is a frontier market I have

By James M Dorsey Russia's intervention in Kazakhstan contains a cautionary message for Gulf foreign ministers visiting Beijing this week. The intervention to stabilize the government

By James M Dorsey Like Qatar, after winning the right to host this year's World Cup, Saudi Arabia is discovering the pitfalls of seeking soft

By James M Dorsey Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have drawn praise for social reforms that have domestically reduced the role of religion

By James M Dorsey With Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders, it's not only Ukrainians who worry about what President Vladimir Putin may have in

By Matein Khalid 2021 was a classic annus horribilis in the Chinese stock market as even a wannabe bottom fisher in Alibaba at 160 like

By James M Dorsey Qatar has begun to cleanse its schoolbooks of supremacist, racist or derogatory references as well as celebrations of violent jihad and

By Peter Garnry India looks like the next China in terms of growth, infrastructure investments, market reforms, technology IPOs and subsequent returns for shareholders, and

By James M Dorsey Javed Ahmad Ghamidi is a rare clerical voice in Pakistan. A prominent religious scholar and former member of the state-appointed Council of

By James M Dorsey Long banned, Christmas has finally, at least tacitly, arrived in Saudi Arabia; just don’t use the name in marketing or be

By Matein Khalid As the 5% crude oil plunge in both WTI and Brent on fears of Omicron demand shock demonstrates, the fate of the

By Manish Rai Tablighi Jamaat (TIJ) is currently grabbing the headlines for getting banned by Saudi Arabia. Saudi government official statement called Jamaat a danger

By James M Dorsey Footballers with diametrically opposed views on homosexuality and alcohol consumption have sparked heated controversy about Islamic mores and human and workers’

By Matein Khalid The financial markets gave a green light to risk assets after the December FOMC conclave because the Federal Reserve has shifted its

By James M Dorsey The crown jewel of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) increasingly looks like a powder keg that has exploded. Mass protests have for