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Why Foreign Capital Is Moving to the GCC

Published Aug 16, 26
4 min read


Looking ahead, optimistic forecasts for a healthy IPO pipeline throughout the Gulf over the next 12-18 months are apparent. This optimism is buoyed by alleviating geopolitical tensions, which have actually formerly affected market confidence. Even normally quieter markets are revealing indications of activity, exemplified by Kuwait's anticipation of a rare convenience-store IPO.

Overall, as regional markets continue to evolve, they show the wider economic and geopolitical stories at play, presenting both difficulties and chances for investors engaging with the Middle East.

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is for Stock/ Product/ Currency/ Forex/ Crypto Market Info functions is not a Monetary Adviser/ Influencer and does not offer any trading or investment abilities/ ideas/ recommendations through its site/ straight/ social networks or through any other channel.Disclaimer/ Disclosure and Privacy Policy/ Conditions are suitable to all users/ members of this website. The chain impacts of rising stress in the Middle East resulting from the United States and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iran's retaliation have put pressure on the worldwide economy while increasing dangers as reflected in the stock exchange performance, financial policies, and danger premiums of Gulf nations. Tensions in the Middle East stayed high up on the 20th day, following United States and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iranian retaliation.

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With new attacks, optimism that the area's stress would be fixed in a brief amount of time faded, leaving questions about the possible long-lasting effects of the conflicts on economies. Iran's retaliation, targeting Gulf countries and strategic facilities, has a direct influence on market characteristics. Severe variations occurred in the markets of Gulf nations with the increasing threat perception, while sharp boosts stood apart in country risk premiums.

28. Looking at the climb in the five-year credit default swaps (CDS) of the countries in this period, Iraq experienced the sharpest boost. The nation's danger premium increased by around 140 basis points to 392. Bahrain's danger premium increased by 84 basis points to 297, while Qatar's danger premium moved up by 13 basis points to 45 in the exact same period.

Saudi Arabia's danger premium visited around two basis points to 80.4 in this process. Experts said Saudi Arabia experienced fairly less impact from this situation thanks to its strong foreign exchange earnings. Stock exchange in the Gulf followed a mixed pattern, while the UAE stock exchange became the one that fell the most because the start of the disputes that began with the United States and Israeli attacks on Iran and spread to other nations in the area.

Shares of petrochemical and energy companies in the area, following a primarily favorable pattern in parallel with the increase in oil rates, slowed the decrease in the indices. Offering pressure continued to work in the markets in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, and Kuwait, where extreme airstrikes took location. Concerns about the country's security prompted a drop in real estate and investment firm shares on the UAE stock exchange.

However, airstrikes on energy facilities and lines, which magnified following market closures, were not yet priced into regional markets. Targeting some oil centers in the disputes and decreasing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, which has critical significance for oil deliveries, increased energy expenses and sustained global inflation dangers upwards.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+


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The Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) and the Reserve Bank of Kuwait (CBK) revealed that their banking systems remained resistant. The CBUAE authorized the "Financial Institutions Durability Plan," which is supported by the main bank's one trillion dirhams ($ 270 billion) asset and intends to enhance the banking sector's stability in the face of extraordinary conditions in international and local markets.

The 5 main pillars of the package objective to increase banks' access to monetary liquidity and flexibility to support the UAE economy. Handling foreign exchange reserves going beyond one trillion dirhams ($ 270 billion) and a financial base protection ratio of 119%, the bank validated the strong principles of the UAE's 5.4 trillion dirhams ($ 1.47 trillion) banking sector.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+


A statement from the Reserve bank emphasized that local banks continued to supply all banking services efficiently and dependably, even under present conditions. The declaration said this success arised from banks enhancing their threat management systems, developing company continuity and emergency plans, enhancing their digital infrastructure, and carrying out regular exercises mimicing possible situations in line with the Reserve bank's directives.

Goldman Sachs, among the major United States banks, projected that the economies of Qatar and Kuwait could deal with a 14% contraction as oil deliveries would decrease in a circumstance where the Strait of Hormuz stayed closed for 2 months.

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