Hi MENA’s Unemployment: The Facts!.

Hi MENA’s Unemployment: The Facts!.

Social initiative Silatech and innovation laboratory Visualizing Impact released an infographic about the state of unemployment in the MENA-region. They found that 28% of the MENA-region’s 15 – 28-year-olds are unemployed, which means that 7 million young Arabs get delayed in the job market.

If the number of unemployed Arab youths is halved, the region’s Gross Domestic Product can increase by $25 billion by 2018, according to the International Labor Organization.

Silatech’s CEO Tarek Youssef stated that unemployment hinders young people from getting married and having a family, which obstructs their capability to contribute to and build their community. “The anger and frustration we see in the news these days has its roots in the depression these young people feel due to lack of hope,” he adds.

In Egypt, getting married costs 11 times a single person’s household annual expenses – in other words, it is much cheaper to stay single and live alone. On average, a groom-to-be is asked to spend what is equivalent to his two-year-salary to pay for the wedding and marriage in Egypt, of which he usually pays 40%. His family and the bride’s family each contribute with 30%.

The independence age in the MENA-region for women (24 years) is close to the global average, however, the age for males lies at 29, the eldest in comparison to East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South America & the Carribean.

HI Subsidies and the Construction Industry!.

HI Subsidies and the Construction Industry!.

Do reduced subsidies pose a threat to Egypt's Steel & Cement Sector?

- "Find out in this report from the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce".

Egypt Business Directory brings you an excerpt of GAT-magazine, the official publication of the German-Arab Chamber of Industry and Commerce. 

The file looks at the Cement and Steel Industry in Egypt in 2012, and how subsidies affect the sector as a whole.

Get the exclusive download for free!

Click The Image Above Or The Following Link Here To Download Whitepaper  Or View & Save Below; 

Hi Spot; A new dawn for Saudi market, scepticism on Dubai.

Hi Spot; A new dawn for Saudi market, scepticism on Dubai.

Saudi Arabia announces plans to open its course to foreigners leading experts to expect a bullish response from investors.

Following last month’s news that the Tadawul exchange will open up to direct foreign investment, more than two thirds of leading investors have expressed their interest in increasing their stakes in the $550 billion valued STOCK MARKET, a Reuters survey has found.

Although there has been no official indication, the move is set to pave the way for Saudi Arabia’s inclusion in the MSCI EMERGING MARKETS index.

Speaking to AMEInfo’s sister publication TRENDS, head of Mena Equities, Bassel Khatoun, explained: 

“Entry into the MSCI EM index would likely boost TRADING volumes, enhance market liquidity and potentially bring down transaction costs through improved scale effects.”

The benefits to the Saudi economy will be vast, as the government attempts to revamp its non-oil industries. 

Namely, the introduction of foreign investors is also likely to accelerate M&A activity, as its private sector will be monitored more closely. 

Anum Saleem of the Eversheds Saudi Arabia office says 

“this will bode well for the Saudi private sector as their BUSINESS VALUATIONS are likely to increase serving as an impetus to entrepreneurship and employment opportunities for the local population.”

Moreover, according to Mena Equities, 

“such measures are likely to lead to an increase in initial public offerings (IPOs), thus leading to a much-needed deepening of the equity market in the region and improved sentiment from global investors.”

While sentiments and investor confidence in the region may well boom with this development, concerns have been raised that companies and shareholders from around the GCC may redirect much of their capital to Riyadh.

According to the Reuters survey, INVESTMENT MANAGERS have responded bearishly to the UAE’s market forecast, with only seven per cent willing to increase their equity allocations and 47 per cent expected to slow down their UAE activity. 

Citing overheated prices and inadequate regulation, particularly brought to light throughout Arabtec’s market roller coaster in previous months, the opening of Tadawul to foreign investors may redefine the appeal of the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

In saying this, experts remain adamant that there will be no mass outflow of funds from other GCC MARKETS into the Tadawul. Instead, new capital will be created. Moreover, with development giants Damac and Emaar’s retail branch, Emaar Malls, expected to be listed on the DFM in the coming weeks, with a total market capitalisation of $12.5 billion, Dubai’s market is also set for an exciting H2.