We landed in Riyadh, the vibrant capital of Saudi Arabia and main headquarters of the Gulf Cooperation Council, to find the city bustling on a Monday night. With a week ahead that included trips to two other member countries – Kuwait and Bahrain – we were looking forward to discovering more.
In our full note, we discuss:
The region, described as ‘a bright spot in the global economy’ by the IMF, is becoming an increasingly important player on the global economic and geopolitical stage.
The weight of Middle Eastern markets in EM equity indices has almost doubled in five years, with the IMF projecting strong economic growth in the region, driven by non-oil revenues.
The conversations we had with local investors to glean a different perspective on emerging markets equities; as part of the region themselves, they have a more positive viewpoint on the fast growing, young economies in these markets.
While we have limited portfolio exposure to the region currently, we believe it could grow over time, as equity markets evolve, and corporate disclosure and investor relations strengthen.