Political economy


Geopolitics and conflicts hit Aramco’s IPO, Crown Prince turns East

The Aramco IPO, possibly the largest IPO listing of a company ever on stock exchanges, is sailing into uncharted waters. After almost four years of hinting at a US$2 trillion valuation and listings on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and London Stock Exchange (LSE), geopolitics, regional conflict and an unstable global oil market are […]

Is the Middle East running out of water?

The drums of water wars have been banging in the Middle East for decades. From local journalists to taxi drivers and heads of state, many see these wars as inevitable. The argument runs that with climate change and booming populations, there isn’t going to be enough water for everyone. What follows is intuitively simple: when […]

In Tunisia, social anger is spreading following an increase in fuel prices

Throughout the past weeks, Tunisia has witnessed protest movements conducted by taxi and transportation vehicles drivers against the increase in fuel prices. In its effort to reduce its budget deficit and meet the reforms requested by international financial institutions (IFIs), since 2017 the government has implemented a mechanism of adjustment, generating a rise in fuel […]