Salim Essaid

1 week ago | thenationalnews.com | Salim Essaid

In the days since Israel started its offensive against Iran, oil prices have shot up and global markets dipped. Israel has struck nuclear sites and oil fields, and the aggression has left global markets wary of what's to come. Markets are holding out for the possibility of major supply chain disruptions that could have global impact.

1 week ago | thenationalnews.com | Sarmad Khan |Salim Essaid

Israel’s move to cancel a waiver that allows Israeli banks to transact with their Palestinian counterparts risks worsening the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and would be likely to encourage a hard-to-control black market in the West Bank, analysts say. The order by Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich last week will take time to go into effect, and would be a paralysing blow for the Palestinian financial and banking system, which is struggling with restrictions from Israel.

2 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Salim Essaid

“New” is the theme in the Middle East’s growing aviation sphere: new cities, new aircraft and new markets. The International Air Transport Association (Iata) says carriers in the region are expected to post the highest net profit margin in the world this year, at 8.7 per cent. These are strong numbers from the Middle East. But they are coming at a volatile time.

3 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Sarmad Khan |Salim Essaid

The debt pile in the Middle East and North Africa is growing. State borrowing, considered by many to be a necessity, has steadily increased over the past decade. Compounded with their increasing dependence on donor funding, some nations find their foreign policies, and even domestic measures, at the mercy of external actors, possibly at the cost of their own economic growth.

3 weeks ago | thenationalnews.com | Salim Essaid

In the UAE, where development is the name of the game, real estate is a big deal. There's a lot of growth in the UAE, and that means questions about property. Real estate in Dubai specifically has been on up since Covid. There is rapid development in Abu Dhabi. A report from the credit rating agency Fitch says Dubai property prices are expected to fall by up to 15 per cent in the second half of 2025 and into next year. But some experts say that might not be the case.