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Middle East

Obama breaks with Saudi Arabia

Tension continue to build between the USA and Saudi Arabia. Besides allowing the Saudi’s to be sued in US courts over 911, the USA is cutting off...

Growing Shortage of US Dollars & Capital Flows

There have been a some unusual capital flow developments involving Egypt that illustrate a shortage of dollars caused by the decline in oil prices. However, this...

Trouble in Saudi Arabia

Political instability is rising in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi king has fired his longtime Secretary of Energy and the head of the central bank has been replaced. The...

Saudi Arabia on the Ropes?

There is serious trouble brewing in Saudi Arabia. They have been dumping oil and increasing their output by 3.5%. However, the cash is being kept offshore. Rumors...

United Arab Emirates to Introduce 5% VAT Thanks to IMF

The impact of the collapse in oil is having dramatic effects on taxation in the Middle East and suddenly on the issue of government debt. The UAE will implement a...

Sunni & Shia Tensions Rise in Middle East

Protesters stormed and ransacked Saudi Arabia’s embassy on Sunday after gathering to denounce the kingdom for executing a prominent Shia cleric. According...

Turkey Civil War – Is it Coming?

Turkey’s military actions have struck far more Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) targets than ISIS targets, leading many to suspect that the government is using...

Iraq Threatens War with Turkey

Iraq warns that it will take military action against Turkey if they do not withdraw their troops from their territory. This would get complicated since Turkey is a...

Saudi Arabia Announces Fiscal Deficit of $135 Billion

Yesterday, Saudi Arabia announced that 2015 would produce a budget deficit amounting to $135 billion (367 billion riyals). A royal decree, effective on Tuesday,...

Carving Up the Middle East

QUESTION: Why did ISIS target France rather than Germany? Someone said it was France who created Syria. Is that really true? ANSWER: Germany is not actually a...