GULF COUNTRIES
Analyst
Justin Alexander
Former Economic Advisor, Qatar Finance MinistryDatabanks
Recent Country Insights
GULF WEEKLY: Oil touches $100 as Houthis attack Saudi tankers, UAE-Saudi rapprochement, US-Saudi nuclear deal
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 24 Jul 2026
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * The war intensified, with four Americans killed and Trump renewing threats on civilian infrastructure. * Iran launched intense attacks on Kuwait, including power plants, and also hit Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. * The Houthi...
KUWAIT: $6bn bond issuance sees strong investor demand, despite the war
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 22 Jul 2026
Kuwait issued $6bn in 3-10 year bonds. It has not been able to export oil for nearly five months, and the deficit for the current fiscal year could exceed -20% of GDP. It will therefore need to issue more debt later this year and/or draw on its Reserve Fund for Future Generations for the first ti...
GULF WEEKLY: Conflict pushes oil back to $87, US eases chip exports to UAE, Qatar’s former Emir dies
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 17 Jul 2026 · 1 response
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * US and Iranian strikes reached their most intense since April, and oil surged as high as $87. * Hormuz transits ground to a halt with the Iranian attacks (killing two Indians) and the US blockade. * Iran attacked Kuwait h...
GULF WEEKLY: Iranian attacks on tankers shatter MoU, UAE oil at record 4.1m b/d in June, Kuwait deficit surges to -15% of GDP
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 10 Jul 2026 · 1 response
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * The most serious clashes since April happened after Iran attacked ships, including a Qatari LNG carrier and a Saudi oil tanker. * Trump declared that the MoU is “over”, but Qatari mediators are back in Iran today trying to...
GULF WEEKLY: Oil hits $70 despite Iranian strikes, Saudi current account surplus, tourism rebounds in Oman and Bahrain
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 02 Jul 2026
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * The first US-Iran clashes since the MoU was signed took place, but ended with talks in Doha. * A deal on staged Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, a key Iranian condition, was brokered by the US. * Hormuz transits picked up...
GCC tour reflections and outlook slide deck
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 02 Jul 2026
This report includes my latest slide deck on the war impact and outlook, along with impressions from my two-week tour of the GCC on the local mood, including attitudes towards the US, Iran and other Gulf states.
GULF WEEKLY: Oil back to pre-war level, Qatar suffers major gas accident, Bahrain’s FX reserves slide
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 26 Jun 2026 · 1 response
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Oil dipped to $72, its pre-war level, as Hormuz transits picked up, despite an attack on a cargo ship. * US-Iran talks at a Qatari hotel in Switzerland seemed to make some progress. * Gulf foreign ministers engaged with I...
GULF WEEKLY: Oil flows after US-Iran MoU, Kuwait and Qatar expect quite rapid restarts, Moody’s affirms Sharjah
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 18 Jun 2026
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Transits have picked up through Hormuz, and prices dropped to $78 after the US-Iran MoU. * The 14-point deal offers Iran sanctions relief, unfreezing of assets and a $300bn fund. * The IEA sees oil demand falling by over ...
GULF WEEKLY: Oil drops on deal hopes, Saudi companies postpone IPOs, Oman oil output up 10%
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 12 Jun 2026 · 1 response
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Trump claimed yet again that an Iran deal is imminent; betting markets see a 50% chance by end-June, and Brent dropped to $86, the lowest since early March. * If there is a breakthrough, with talk of a potential signing th...