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FAB’s Market Insights & Strategy team is based within the bank’s Global Markets business and as such provides finger-on-the-pulse insights and views on macroeconomic and geopolitical developments as well as Rates, FX, Oil, and Fixed Income, among other areas.
2025 is turning out to be an exceptional year for the GCC and Egypt’s hard currency primary bond market. Year-to-date issuance has surged to an unprecedented $134bn – with activity still ongoing. Q1 and Q3 both broke all previous records, with $50bn and $49bn in quarterly issuance, respectively. Saudi Arabia front-loaded issuance and is now the largest EM hard currency issuer year-to-date.
Our weekly analysis offering a strategic outlook for the coming week, along with key macro themes and trends impacting the GCC & Egypt region. The report also includes a recap on the past week, as well as a summary of the key data releases and macro events in the week ahead; along with macro chart packs covering the MENA & Global Markets.
Welcome to our inaugural issue of the Friday (GCC&E) real estate pulse. The GCC and wider region’s real estate markets continue to show strong activity, with the UAE at the forefront. According to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, transactions in the first half of 2025 reached some USD14.7bn, with residential deals accounting for roughly USD6.8bn. Please read on…
Glenn Wepener, Chief Strategist, discusses the current outlook on the oil market and geopolitical risks.
Our initial thoughts on Israel’s unilateral attack on Iran on 13th June morning.
For nearly a decade Kuwait remained absent from international debt markets due to the lack of a legal framework permitting sovereign borrowing. With the recent approval of the new public borrowing law by the Parliament in March 2025...
In this report we discuss the current outlook for EURUSD and its current descent toward parity. Whichever way we look at it – technically or fundamentally – we would suggest that the path of least resistance for EURUSD remains lower and that it is only a matter of time before the Euro reaches – and possibly breaks through – the psychological level of parity to the U.S. dollar. Indeed, such is the psychological impact of parity, that once it is breached it could trigger an exodus of sustained selling. Please read on…
Global growth remained resilient throughout much of 2024 as robust job creation and solid household finances continued to drive consumer spending. Yes, there have been some setbacks in the global macro narrative recently such as the net disappointing U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for October, even after adjusting for hurricanes and strikes as well as the poorly received UK budget all of which has been drag on sentiment.
As 2024 draws to a close, the impact of the past 12 months from conflicts to hotly contested elections will no doubt continue to be felt in the year ahead. In this piece we focus on a few of the key risks to keep an eye on in 2025, some of which are not that new but are becoming far more acute in our polarized world.
2025 is turning out to be an exceptional year for the GCC and Egypt’s hard currency primary bond market. Year-to-date issuance has surged to an unprecedented $134bn – with activity still ongoing. Q1 and Q3 both broke all previous records, with $50bn and $49bn in quarterly issuance, respectively. Saudi Arabia front-loaded issuance and is now the largest EM hard currency issuer year-to-date.
Our weekly analysis offering a strategic outlook for the coming week, along with key macro themes and trends impacting the GCC & Egypt region. The report also includes a recap on the past week, as well as a summary of the key data releases and macro events in the week ahead; along with macro chart packs covering the MENA & Global Markets.
Welcome to our inaugural issue of the Friday (GCC&E) real estate pulse. The GCC and wider region’s real estate markets continue to show strong activity, with the UAE at the forefront. According to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, transactions in the first half of 2025 reached some USD14.7bn, with residential deals accounting for roughly USD6.8bn. Please read on…
Glenn Wepener, Chief Strategist, discusses the current outlook on the oil market and geopolitical risks.
Our initial thoughts on Israel’s unilateral attack on Iran on 13th June morning.
For nearly a decade Kuwait remained absent from international debt markets due to the lack of a legal framework permitting sovereign borrowing. With the recent approval of the new public borrowing law by the Parliament in March 2025...
In this report we discuss the current outlook for EURUSD and its current descent toward parity. Whichever way we look at it – technically or fundamentally – we would suggest that the path of least resistance for EURUSD remains lower and that it is only a matter of time before the Euro reaches – and possibly breaks through – the psychological level of parity to the U.S. dollar. Indeed, such is the psychological impact of parity, that once it is breached it could trigger an exodus of sustained selling. Please read on…
Global growth remained resilient throughout much of 2024 as robust job creation and solid household finances continued to drive consumer spending. Yes, there have been some setbacks in the global macro narrative recently such as the net disappointing U.S. nonfarm payrolls report for October, even after adjusting for hurricanes and strikes as well as the poorly received UK budget all of which has been drag on sentiment.
As 2024 draws to a close, the impact of the past 12 months from conflicts to hotly contested elections will no doubt continue to be felt in the year ahead. In this piece we focus on a few of the key risks to keep an eye on in 2025, some of which are not that new but are becoming far more acute in our polarized world.
Our Global Markets team's analysis on the big stories of the moment across the region.
Our popular thrice-weekly geo-political and market related commentary of the MENA and Sub-Sahara regions.
Reports on a range of macroeconomic subjects with a particular focus on MENA and the region.
Daily views on key market movements, activity and sentiments directly from the traders in our Global Markets team. An on-the-pulse document that covers areas such as FX, rates, fixed income, derivatives, etc.
Weekly analysis that offers key macro themes and trends impacting the GCC and Egypt region.
Our Global Markets team has the expertise to deliver best-in-class products.
Our Global Markets team leverages the strength of our intellectual capital and technology to offer best-in-class products across an integrated, global cross-asset platform.
Meet the Global Market Experts responsible for keeping you up to date on what’s happening in the market locally and internationally.
Periodic analysis of how FAB compares to other banks around the world based on various factual parameters.
