Investing In The Middle East

The next President of the United States will inherit a far more dangerous world, than the one President Obama inherited. There are rising tensions with China, Russia, North Korea, as well as a number of nations in Africa and the Middle East. Extremist groups are rapidly spreading around the world, which threatens to further destabilize numerous countries. The failure to fully deal with a cancerous spread of terrorism, has been a major foreign policy failure of the Obama Administration. Is is true […]

As the evidence mounts that the recently downed airliner filled with Russian travelers is a result of a terrorist attack, a chill is permeating through the economically vital Egyptian tourist industry. This sector of the economy, provides 11% of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product). President Sisi of Egypt desperately needs the revenue from foreign visitors, in an economy that is still recovering from the turmoil of the Arab Spring and the brief tenure of the Islamist Mohammed Morsi. The decision by the […]

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) just won back control of Parliament which had been lost in June of this year. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called for the election held on Sunday,when previous attempts to form a coalition government had failed. This summer,was the first time that AKP did not have a majority in thirteen years. The resounding electoral victory strengthens the grip,that President Erdogan has over Turkish politics. It makes him the most influential political leader since Kemal Ataturk,the […]

The ink has barely dried on the nuclear treaty with Iran when the country violates United Nations (UN) prohibitions on long range missile testing. The Iranian government denies that the launch made earlier this month violates Security Council Resolution 2231, because the new missile they are using is not designed to carry nuclear weapons. The claim would be laughable, were it not so so serious. For those nonsensical politicians in the West who still believe that any agreement signed with Iran will […]

The balance of power in the Middle East is rapidly changing. The retreat of the United States as a major power broker in the region, is unmistakable. The former colonial countries of the area mainly Britain and France, are unable and unwilling to involve themselves in the growing instability. In the resulting power vacuum, Russia has returned with a major force. It is the 45th anniversary of Operation Kavkaz, when then Soviet forces intervened in the ongoing military conflict between Egypt and […]

The debate has already begun on whether the deal struck between Iran and a number of other world powers including the United States will serve the international community well. There are short term considerations as well as the long term expected results. The discourse is about was this the best deal that could be expected,given the intransigence of the present regime in Tehran? It is important to remember that the lifting of sanctions, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and the ability to […]

International investors over the last couple of years had increasingly decided that Turkey was no longer a country to consider when looking for new opportunities. There were concerns over a slowing economy, and increasing dangerous neighborhood as well as the movement towards a more authoritarian type of government. Much of these anxieties have been exaggerated and as it turns out ill founded. Although Turkey has gone through a somewhat difficult period in some respects, the transition has recently been moving in a […]

The news that Russia was going to sell Iran advanced S-300 surface to air missiles at the beginning of the week, raised the stakes for the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. In essence, it ends the international arms embargo against Iran and underlines the failure of the United States in trying to manage the deteriorating situation in the region. The news also in reality sets a deadline for Israel, to launch a preemptive strike against the nuclear installations in Iran. It […]

The second diplomatic deadline has now passed and once again there is no agreement. The United States government continues to insist that a nuclear deal is possible and almost appears desperate to get one. The nations of France, China, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom along with the United States are attempting to delay what many analysts predict is inevitable. That is that Iran will become the second nuclear power in the region, after Israel. The only way to prevent an Iranian […]

Elections have consequences and the reelection of Israeli Prime Minster Netanyahu will be no different. This stunning electoral upset will have an impact on investment, that will reach far beyond the borders of Israel. There were various factors that lead to a landslide victory for an unprecedented nonconsecutive 4th term for Netanyahu, who has been Prime Minster since 2009. It had become a referendum on his policies. The last minute turn around, was most likely due to a sharp turn to the […]