After 2016’s coup attempt in Turkey, president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has tightened his grip on power. While some banks say his economic stimulus programme has benefited them, others believe his interventions, such as calls for rate cuts, represent a political risk. Tom Stevenson reports.
Two years of low oil prices are draining the ample state coffers of the Gulf's hydrocarbon exporters. The region's finances have been affected and sovereigns are now piling into the international bond market to plug budget deficits. Tom Stevenson reports.
While Turkey's economic picture is by no means rosy, due in no small part to its political uncertainty and lack of capital, the country remains one of the stronger performing emerging markets, as demonstrated by its impressive bond market activity in 2016.
The countries of north Africa have been proving attractive for lenders from the Gulf region for decades, but in recent years this activity has picked up, with Egypt a particularly popular destination. Tom Stevenson looks at the reasons why Gulf banks are heading west.