UAE: Abu Dhabi Economy

The development of a vibrant primary and secondary debt market in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE would bring manifold benefits, acting as an alternative source of funding for the emirate’s growing companies that presently rely on lending by banks. It would also provide a welcome boost to the asset management industry by expanding the number of financial instruments...

The emirate’s capital markets stand at an interesting point in their short history. Having recovered from the effects of the global economic crisis, Abu Dhabi was recently upgraded to emerging market status by two of the world’s most influential indexers, as the exchange prepares for expansion. In the meantime, Abu Dhabi’s first financial free zone is rapidly taking...

While Abu Dhabi’s global reputation and high per capita GDP are derived from the exploitation of its hydrocarbon resources, the emirate is also home to what has been described as the world’ first “cleantech” cluster. Masdar City was established in 2006 as a centre for research and development (R&D) for clean technology and is set to become one of the most sustainable...

One of the more notable global economic trends observed during the second half of 2014 was the sustained slide of oil prices. After trading above the $100 mark since 2011 and starting 2014 around $110, from August 2014 Brent North Sea Crude began a decline, which saw it dip below $70 by early December 2014 and end the year at $56. Naturally, attention turned to...