What's happening: Middle East pushes robust PPP frameworks to fund infrastructure surge
Lamar Holding CEO Lina Noureddin says the region's infrastructure boom is increasingly dependent on public‑private partnerships to bridge financing gaps. She stresses that clear regulatory guarantees and risk‑sharing models are essential to draw institutional capital, especially for renewable‑energy projects.
Also developing:

The Worldpanel by Numerator report projects Philippine FMCG spending to grow only 3‑4% in 2026, a sharp deceleration from last year’s 5.2% rise. The slowdown reflects weaker GDP growth, now seen at 5.3% versus an earlier 6% estimate, and higher product prices despite moderated inflation. Lower‑middle‑class households, which account for 78% of FMCG purchases, are shifting toward hard‑discount retailers and e‑commerce, which are forecast to grow 77% and 15% respectively. Companies are urged to tap high‑value segments such as seniors, overseas‑Filipino‑worker families and pet owners to sustain growth.
Saudi Arabia’s Energy Ministry announced the pre‑qualification of eight standalone firms and seven consortia to design, build, own and operate natural‑gas transmission grids in five key industrial cities. The BOO scheme targets Al‑Kharj, Sudair, and three Jeddah industrial zones, with...
Lamar Holding CEO Lina Noureddin told MEED that the Middle East’s infrastructure surge is increasingly reliant on public‑private partnerships to close financing gaps. She highlighted that robust PPP frameworks, clear regulatory guarantees and risk‑sharing models are essential for attracting institutional...
Saudi Arabia’s National Water Company awarded two sewage‑network contracts worth SR 536.3 million ($143 million) to local contractor Civil Works Company. The contracts, spanning 32 months, will upgrade pipelines and tunnels across northern Jeddah, covering neighborhoods such as Al‑Bashair, Al‑Asala, Al‑Falah and Al‑Hamdaniya....
India and the United States are moving toward an interim trade agreement that is expected to be signed in April, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal announced. Negotiators will convene in Washington from Feb 23 to finalize the legal text, converting a...

Vietnam aims to host one million electric vehicles by 2030, rising to 3.5 million by 2040, creating a clear need for 100,000‑350,000 public chargers. The paper argues that a shift from a single‑operator, brand‑specific network to an open, interoperable ecosystem will...

Investors face heightened global volatility in 2026 as leading central banks diverge—while the Fed and BoE continue rate cuts, the ECB sits near neutral and the BoJ tightens. Geopolitical flashpoints around the United States add safe‑haven demand, further weakening the...

Danang’s 2045 master plan re‑imagines the city as a megacity and international financial centre, integrating coastal, mountainous and border zones. The Danang International Financial Centre (IFC) began operations in early 2026, focusing on digital finance, asset tokenisation and green‑finance solutions....
2025 saw Southeast Asia split between export‑driven growth and contraction. Vietnam and Singapore recorded strong export gains despite U.S. tariff volatility, while the Philippines and Thailand were battered by severe weather events and political instability, dragging their economies down. The...

Apollo Global Management’s CEO Marc Rowan told Nikkei that Japan’s corporate finance market is becoming more dynamic than London’s, prompting Apollo to expand its private‑credit platform in the country. He highlighted the need for long‑dated funding to support infrastructure, energy...

Myanmar’s December‑January 2025‑26 election was conducted solely in areas under junta control, cementing the military’s claim to power while excluding large swaths of the population. The vote did little to curb the civil war, as resistance forces—including the People’s Defence...

Vietnam aims to build an international financial centre by drawing on global precedents such as Dubai’s DIFC, China’s Shenzhen and Hangzhou, and Kazakhstan’s AIFC. Experts stress that independent, long‑term regulation, niche specialization in digital and green finance, and adaptive legal...

Vietnam and the United Kingdom have upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership, the highest tier in Vietnam’s foreign‑policy framework. The deal follows Party General Secretary To Lam’s October visit to Britain and opens cooperation in politics, security, trade, education...
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal launched the ₹25,060‑crore Export Promotion Mission (EPM), a six‑year programme designed to boost outbound shipments and simplify export processes. The initiative consolidates multiple support schemes into a single, digitally driven framework aimed at micro, small...

Nigeria's federal government ordered ministries to defer 70% of the 2025 capital budget to 2026, limiting new projects to prioritize existing ones amid weak revenues. The Independent Corrupt Practices Commission raided former Kaduna governor Nasir El‑Rufai’s Abuja home as he remains...

Most U.S. investors are still heavily concentrated in the same exposures: the classic 60/40 portfolio, U.S. large-cap growth, and The Hoodie's latest crypto disaster. But while those portfolios have been getting hit, our country-level allocations have been smoking the consensus exposures...

In this episode of Excess Returns, Jason Hsu returns for a wide-ranging conversation on China’s economy, the global AI race, emerging markets, factor investing, and what the next phase of globalization could mean for U.S. investors. We explore how China’s...

The Asia Undercurrent webinar examined how Indo‑Pacific democracies can bolster resilience by pooling innovation resources. Hosted by Professor Marie Ancherdogi, the session featured health‑tech entrepreneur Dr. Madiha Fuad, Japan‑focused economist Takashi Imamura, and economist Dr. Manish Sharma, each outlining pathways...
APM Terminals announced the acquisition of a 37.5% minority stake in DP World’s Southern Container Terminal at Jeddah Islamic Port for an undisclosed price, marking its entry into the Saudi Arabian port market. DP World will retain the remaining 62.5%...

In early February, the Trump administration convened an unprecedented critical‑minerals ministerial in Washington, drawing more than 55 nations to confront China’s near‑total control of rare‑earth elements and related supply chains. The summit marked the first large‑scale, multilateral U.S. effort to...

The Spillover episode spotlights Europe at a crossroads, after Munich Security Conference and a Belgian summit, as the bloc wrestles with its strategic role amid US‑China rivalry and the war in Ukraine. Hosts note that while Europe’s macro picture is strained—aging...

The video features Dr. Brian Fonseca discussing how China’s expanding economic, technological, and security footprint in Latin America and the Caribbean is reshaping U.S. hemispheric strategy. He frames the issue within the latest U.S. National Security Strategy, which labels Beijing...

The video reports that the Indian Navy, after a brief Twitter announcement later deleted, seized three oil tankers linked to the so‑called “shadow fleet” within India’s exclusive economic zone on Feb 5‑17. The shadow fleet, estimated at about 1,000 vessels, transports 3‑4 million...

Speakers at the Atlantic Council event argued that amid a perceived shift away from a US-led rules-based order, Turkey is consolidating its role as a middle power by pursuing strategic autonomy through hedging, expanded defense and energy self-sufficiency, regional mediation,...

Enterprise Singapore is boosting Singapore firms’ expansion into the Middle East through a new Singapore Enterprise Centre in Dubai, which aims to run about 150 advisory sessions and support 30 projects this year across infrastructure, real estate and tech-driven services....

Egyptian e‑commerce startup Breadfast closed a $50 million pre‑Series C financing round. Investors include the UAE sovereign wealth fund Mubadala, a Saudi billionaire family and Japan’s SBI Investment Co., supporting Breadfast’s plans to expand across Africa.

Saudi Arabia-based cybersecurity startup Solidrange announced a $2.4 million seed round led by Sharaka Capital, with participation from Sadu Capital, SEEDRA Ventures and Tali Ventures. The funding will support regional expansion, product development and AI integration across its GRC automation...

Philippine restaurant giant Jollibee Foods announced on Monday that it will acquire South Korean hot‑pot chain All Day Fresh, its latest overseas expansion ahead of a planned U.S. IPO of its international operations in 2027. The financial terms of the...

The Energy Security Hub 2026 panel featured Alexander De Croo, newly appointed UNDP Administrator and former Belgian prime minister, discussing the urgent need to rebuild multilateralism by integrating development into security strategies. He noted that at this year’s Munich Security Conference,...
Brandman Retail, operator of the Sneakrz athleisure retail chain, debuted on the NSE at a valuation of ₹324.85 crore, with shares closing at ₹211.80, 4.98% above the IPO price of ₹176. The company raised ₹86 crore from the public issue to fund...

Online travel portal ixigo announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in Online Travel Solutions S.L., the operator of Spain’s Trenes platform, for approximately ₹125 crore. The deal marks ixigo’s first overseas acquisition and will make Online Travel Solutions a step‑down...

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s investment arm, CPP Investments, agreed to acquire a 50% stake in Peruvian power producer Inkia Energy, valuing the company at $3.4bn including debt. The acquisition is partnered with I Squared Capital, which will hold the...