Can Africa replace Russia as Europe’s leading energy supplier?

Until recently, Russia has supplied Europe with an average of over 150 billion cubic meters (BCM) of Natural Gas annually, a volume not easily replaced through alternative means. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced global energy suppliers to seek alternative energy sources resulting in a scramble to secure supplies […]

Libya and the African economy: successes and failures

The World Bank recently released a list of countries with the most ease of investment and business in Africa and the world. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the African continent has become a significant destination for investors and business people from Asia and America, with interests in traditional […]

A government of laws, not of men

In 1780, John Adams, a political philosopher and the second president of the United States, enshrined the idea of “a government of Laws, not of men” In the Massachusetts state constitution. His words represented his firm conviction that governments should be built and based on written laws and agreed to […]

“Nobody touches Libyan funds until there is a constitution and an elected government!” Omar Khattaly explains why UN should prevent the thawing of LIA assets abroad

By Vanessa Tomassini. While protests rage in Libya over dire economic situations and widespread corruption of state officials, on August 4, Ali Mahmoud Hassan Mohamed, chairman of the Libyan Investment Authority (LIA), following consultations with the head of Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Serraj, announced […]

The Role of State-Owned Enterprises In Post Conflict Economic Recovery

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds Even though the first thoughts that come to many when hearing the words “state-owned” next to “economic recovery” are socialism, government control and bureaucracy, according to accounting firm PwC, the proportion of State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) among the Fortune […]

Lessons from the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds February 2018 Norway’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), Government Pension Fund Global (GPF-Global) started in 1990 as a future generation financial cushion and as the population’s pension fund. A fund that receives its financing from the country’s […]

Egypt Tourism

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds January 2018 The Egyptian tourism sector, one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency reserves and national income, expected to grow after the Russian decision to lift the travel ban to Egypt. On December 15, […]

Oil prices & the impact on Sovereign Wealth Funds

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds January 2016 The drop in oil prices in the last 12 months has taken markets and investors by surprise. State institutions such as Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF) have been affected and state budgets have suffered. SWF […]

International governance & Sovereign wealth funds

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds Should governments in the U.S and Europe be concerned with the presence and the growth of these government owned investment funds? In recent years, many in the U.S. Capital and within the EU countries have expressed […]

Sovereign Wealth Funds & Real estate Investments

By: Omar Khattaly Researcher & Consultant on MENA Political Economy and Sovereign Wealth Funds March 2014  Despite the focus on stocks and bonds, real estate is still a major part of the institutional investment portfolio. Investing in the real estate market is achieved by either direct (physical) and indirect (securitized). […]