Forecasting the Middle East with EGA

In March 2023, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced a historic agreement to normalize relations after years of regional competition and proxy conflict. As significant as the deal itself was, the role that China played in helping to broker the agreement took center stage in diplomatic circles. Though this moment served as a dramatic example of China's growing role in the Middle East, it did not occu...

As the international community prepares for COP28, climate experts already caution that the global stocktake will not produce much in the way of good news. According to a March 2022 report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world is on track to surpass 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming by 2030. The Middle East in particular is likely to feel the effects of a warming planet....

Despite rapid growth throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 has witnessed a massive contraction across the tech industry. Global tech leaders have significantly cut staffing, earnings have dropped, and the consensus outlook for the tech industry has been significantly moderated. That said, momentum and optimism remain high across the Middle East. In 2022, startups across the region saw a record-br...

As the global community struggles to mend, mitigate, and manage the effects of climate change, few regions have experienced the day-to-day challenges of a warming planet like the Middle East. Rising temperatures continue to make the hottest region on the planet even more dangerous to local populations. While the Middle East faces serious challenges, the region has devoted tremendous resources to a...

As the tech sector across the Middle East builds momentum, one industry in particular has taken off and showed signs of strong future growth. The Middle East has seen rapid growth across the fintech industry, and regional demographics and digital habits suggest this industry has room to expand. More than 60 percent of the region's population   is under the age of 30 , and the region's popu...

The Middle East is experiencing massive growth across the tech industry and startup ecosystem. Governments across the region have issued mandates to expand tech sectors and build local talent pools. And global tech leaders are taking notice. In 2017 Amazon purchased Souq.com, the Dubai-based e-commerce retailer, for $580 million. In 2019, Uber acquired ride-share app Careem for $3.1 billion. The t...

States across the Middle East have garnered international attention for major investments and acquisitions across high-profile sports leagues. For governments looking to diversify and modernize their economies, these investments make sense. But do these financial moves have a geopolitical angle? And if so, what can we expect across the global sporting world? This week on Forecasting the Middle Eas...

As states across the Middle East turn their sites towards economic diversification, tourism is emerging as a point of emphasis in all major economies in the region. Today, the Middle East hosts roughly 90 million travelers each year. With places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE putting significant investments into large-scale tourism projects, this sector is likely to grow in years to come.  Helping...

On May 28, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defeated opposition challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu in a runoff election to extend his rule of Turkey into its third decade. As Turkey faces a mounting economic crisis and effects of the devastating February 2023 earthquakes, this election represented Erdogan's greatest electoral challenge since he took office as Prime Minister in 2003. Moving fo...

There are few certain truths in the Middle East. The region is fluid - political and economic sands are constantly shifting. But what is undeniable is that the Middle East's complexities are, today, matched by its opportunities. Across the region, ambitious national strategies are met with significant capital and strong political will to redefine this region as a destination for investment and...