DECEMBER 2008

The silver lining of crisis

Region cues for Obama’s list
Lining-up for the new president

A stitch of an industry
The its of clothing & textiles

The Arab brand
A bad name for oursleves

A hard right to Jerusalem
Commando wins election

Mr. Iran sinks with oil’s prices
No one loves a loser

All roads lead to India
They go but always return

The public and private spheres – partners in prosperity
Public and private prosperity

Company-customer communication in times of crisis
Communicating in a crisisia

Resource efficiency is everyone‘s business
Everyone's resource efficiency

A thinner glass ceiling, yet still limits for workforce women
A thinner glass ceiling

Why the bailout should sink
Why the bailout should sink

Overview – Banks temper the tempest
Region's lending institutions to elude worst of the global financial storm

Lebanon – Cedar‘s solid assets
Beirut sitting pretty as central bank’s policies prone “conservative is cool”

Charles P.S. Hall – Q&A
HSBC’s CEO speaks candidly about the banking sector’s performance

Lebanon – Dr. Francois S. Bassil
The head of Byblos Bank puts the financial crisis in perspective

Running realty’s gauntlet
Fortified banks wary of real estate woes lurking at the gates of 2009

Saudi Arabia – Kingdom holds the fort
Though not unscathed, Saudi banks sheltered from global crisis

Kuwait – A sinking ship in the fleet
While most persevere the crisis alone, Gulf Bank clings to rescue

Qatar – Liquidity’s breakwater
Doha’s banks a beacon for investors as shelter from the global crisis

Oman - The vault of profit
Sultanate will watch global financial crisis largely pass it by in 2009

Lebanon’s banks invested in rebuilding the country‘s economy
Lebanon’s banks invested in rebuilding the country‘s economy

Islamic Banking – Sharia‘s security
Tenets of Islamic-based savings institutions pay dividends

The ethical shield of Islamic finance
The ethical shield of Islamic finance

MENA - Budding with equity
Fertile investment opportunity to sprout in 2009

Iraq – For the intrepid investor
In the lull of war, opportunity beckons private equity

Lebanon – Kabab-ji‘s stars and stripes
Investment deal delivers Lebanese cuisine’s American dream

Maghreb – Opportune shores
Tunisia, Libya opening new horizons to land investment

Financial crisis survival guide
Financial crisis survival guide

Maghreb‘s frontier feel evolves to emerging market
Maghreb‘s frontier feel evolves to emerging market

Overview – Paltry protection
Slim coverage, slowing economies offer modest growth for 2009

Overview – The health of insurance
Government mandated coverage looks to drive policy growth rates

MENA – The underwriting tow
Insurance industry to cast off risks of investment income in 2009

GCC & Levant – The fog of financial crisis
Transparency at a premium as insurers issue obfuscation

Lebanon - A boom where others bust
Property development defies logic while banks thrive in global crisis

UAE - How the bull went bear
Emirates property market plummets from once soaring heights

GCC - Development hits the wall
Companies thin their books and put new projects on the shelf

Realty reform
Emirates frame market modernization

Gains wane
Sands shift under development

Kuwait – Fuel to build
Property development floats on oil revenue

Bahrain – Calm oasis
Tranquility building in crisis

GCC – Building green kingdoms
Gulf's eco-friendly initiatives grow towards the sky

$20 billion in undeveloped land at Lebanese banks
$20 billion in undeveloped land at Lebanese banks

Dubai‘s foundations mature
Dubai‘s foundations mature

The components of the most resilient market in the region
The components of the most resilient market in the region

MENA – 2009 to tally the toll
How the region will feel the fallout of the global financial crisis

Fidus – Mahmoud Ezzedine (Q&A)
Financial services expert

Inflation – Price bubble spring leak
Global financial crisis sucks the wind from the sails of demand

Falling with optimism
Casablanca SE slides yet financiers find reason to smile

Tunisia – Market maneuvering
BVMT shed degree of foreign holdings but remains sound

Turkey – Running from fire to fire
The Pandora’s box of 2008 still open for Ankara in 2009

IPOs – Waiting game
Markets pause for the upswing

Lebanon – Back on the map
Shunned by travelers in recent years, allure returning to the Land of the Cedars

Lebanon – Vacation of the state
Tourism could thrive if only the government did its job

Maghreb – Traveling tides may trickle
Maghreb – Traveling tides may trickle

Lebanon – Hedonists hooray!
Beirut renowned as the region’s capital city of partying

Lebanon – Natural potential
The path to ecotourism in the beautiful outdoors

IPO Watch – Third quarter chill
Gulf floats while global markets sink

ICT – A slower connection
Market’s growth to slim but still log in in 2009

Automotives – Gearing down
Automotives – Gearing down

IWC – Watch wealth
Time pieces clock in region’s revenue

Lebanon – Sunning grapes
Wine industry, distilled for years, presses new vintage

Company bulletin

Regional equity markets

Economic crisis – Fair-weather finance
Politics and bailouts undermine free market’s function