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The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Luxembourg-based Banque Havilland and a number of its executives and employees for trying to devalue the Qatari riyal in 2017, at a time when Qatar was facing a boycott by Bahrain, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and some allied countries.

Falling unemployment: The unemployment rate for Saudi nationals fell to 8% in Q4 2022 from 9.9% in Q3 22, according to data released by the General Authority for Statistics (Gastat) in early April. The female jobless rate fell from 20.5% to 15.4% over the same period. The Medina region had the highest rate of unemployment among Saudis at 12.2%, followed by Jazan at 11%. Riyadh had the lowest level at 6.7%, with Eastern Province at 6.9% and Mecca at 7%. 

Ratings uplift: Fitch Ratings reaffirmed its AA- sovereign credit rating but upgraded its outlook from stable to positive on 28 March, citing Qatar's strong external balance sheet, low debt/gross domestic product ratio and high fiscal surplus. Fitch said the additional liquefied natural gas (LNG) export capacity due online from the North Field’s expansion would help to reduce an already low fiscal break-even hydrocarbon price.

Omani officials are working on reforms to the welfare system and drawing up measures to encourage more private sector activity, in plans that offer further evidence of Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said’s efforts to move the economy away from state paternalism.

Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) is to invest £25m ($31m) in Xlinks, which is developing an ambitious project to lay the world's longest high-voltage direct current (HVDC) subsea cable, from Morocco to the UK.

The High Court in London has issued a summary judgement against Prince Fahd Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz in his dispute with Credit Suisse over a loan for his yacht Sarafsa. Mr Justice Bright ruled in favour of the Swiss bank on 31 March and set out his reasoning in a full statement on 5 April, saying the prince had no real prospect of succeeding in defending his position if the case went to trial.

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan, one of the lower-profile sons of UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ), was due to list his company Ethmar International Holding on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) as GSN was going to press.

Saudi Aramco announced late April that a first shipment of low-carbon ammonia had arrived in Japan, where it will be used for power generation. The ammonia was produced by Sabic Agri-Nutrients, with feedstock from Aramco, and was sold to Fuji Oil Company for use at its Sodegaura refinery in Chiba, east of Tokyo.

Ratings boost: Fitch Ratings revised its outlook on Oman’s rating to positive from stable on 11 April, while affirming it at BB. S&P Global Ratings had announced the same move on 31 March. Fitch said the change reflected the improvements made in the government debt to gross domestic product ratio, with high oil prices and spending restraint reducing the external liquidity risk. Debt/GDP fell from 61% at end-2021 to 40% a year later and Fitch said it should reach 37% by end-2024.

UAE relations with South Africa have soured after a Dubai court rejected a request from Pretoria to extradite Atul and Rajesh Gupta to face charges of money laundering, fraud and corruption.

New government, further elections=political risk downgrade: Kuwaiti politics and government remain in flux after Crown Prince Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah announced the dissolution of the National Assembly (parliament) on 17 April, setting the scene for a third general election in as many years.

Manama is offering a 'golden licence' to companies that invest in large projects and create hundreds of jobs for locals, in the latest sign of increasingly stiff competition among Gulf economies for international capital

A leak of top secret US intelligence reports included allegations that UAE intelligence agents have been cooperating with their Russian counterparts to act against western interests. Abu Dhabi has denied there is any substance to these allegations, but they have come at a time of heightened concern in Washington about commercial and military ties between the UAE and Moscow.

Doha-based Urbacon Trading & Contracting (UCC) has signed a contract to build a 1GW power plant in Libya, as it looks abroad to make up for the post-Fifa World Cup lull in construction activity in its home market.

Sheikh Abdulla Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa is to take over as chief executive of Bahrain's sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat from 1 May, replacing Khalid Al-Rumaihi who has been in the post since September 2019.