The Middle East

Amidst this year's positive news on inflation, economic growth, exports and industrial output, certain Turkish officials could perhaps be forgiven a little for allowing themselves a little slack earlier this year when they wondered out loud if the country really needed a new IMF programme. Yet talk of the Fund's imminent departure from Turkish affairs - after several decades of involvement - now seems highly premature. As the Treasury geared up to meet this week's huge domestic debt redemption, it was time to remember that while the recovery may have been underway for some time now, there are still some significant burdens for the country to shoulder - and for which the IMF still seems badly needed.

With the courts taking two steps back - and then one giant leap forward - in the privatisation of Turkey's giant state oil refiner this week, the country's troubled sell-off programme appeared to be stumbling forwards once again. Yet there is still a long way to go if the government is to meet its ambitious privatisation targets, while the inventory of assets still up for sale by the state grows steadily longer.

The following article on the Qatari LNG market is taken from the Oxford Business Group's latest publication, Emerging Qatar 2004. For more information on how to order a copy of the most comprehensive review of the Qatari economy to date, please write to us at mail@oxfordbusinessgroup.com, or click on the link to Printed Publications on the right-hand side of the page.

The following interview with HH Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, is taken from the Oxford Business Group's latest publication, Emerging Qatar 2004. For more information on how to order a copy of the most comprehensive review of the Qatari economy to date, please write to us at mail@oxfordbusinessgroup.com, or click on the link to Printed Publications on the right-hand side of the page.

The following article on the Qatari political scene is taken from the Oxford Business Group's latest publication, Emerging Qatar 2004. For more information on how to order a copy of the most comprehensive review of the Qatari economy to date, please write to us at mail@oxfordbusinessgroup.com, or click on the link to Printed Publications on the right-hand side of the page.

After over a year of strong gains by Turkey's currency against the US dollar, last week saw business perhaps return to usual on the Istanbul markets, with the Turkish lira (TL) once again on the slide. However, while political uncertainties caused by a row over education reform may have added to analysts' risk calculations, it was largely straightforward financial and economic factors that were decisive in the new forex movements.