By Jan Bart Schober, Partner, Loyens & Loeff It’s 2016; at least, according to the Gregorian calendar. Recently, the Islamic world celebrated Al Hijra, the Islamic New Year. According to the Islamic calendar, it is the year 1437. If you are a CFO of a multinational enterprise (MNE), however, it is the year 1984. 1984…
When oil prices went into freefall in the winter of 2015, bringing a dramatic end to 18 months of gradual depreciation, few could have predicted the full impact it would have on economies around the GCC. Initial optimism saw governments around the region predicting an initial 6-month readjustment period before oil prices returned to higher…
The oil price crash has had long-lasting and in some cases severe effects on GCC economies, with consequences ranging from reduced public spending to shelved development plans. In the private sector, it has all too often manifested in dwindling profit margins, forcing businesses to take the difficult decision to downsize their staff. According to Nuno…