ME PoV Summer 2011 issue

About this issue

It almost has a cinematographic quality to it: people racing along, having to stop, reassess and making a u-turn. As we enter the second half of 2011, it seems as if the world, or part of it at least, has been turned on its head.

With the world as flat as ever, people stood agape as a tsunami brought northern Japan to a halt and a quake of a different kind shook the earth in the Middle East and North Africa. In a matter of hours and days, immutable facts became historical trivia.

As is often the case in tumultuous times, more questions are raised than answered. What future for oil and gas? What about nuclear energy? As economies in some countries are just raising their heads following the financial collapse, only to be faced with unsettling political upheavals, how are banks in some Arab countries faring? What about the real estate sector?

Click the link on the left to access the Summer 2011 issue. Alternatively, you can read each article separately by clicking below.

Heavy Fuel

Given the recent catastrophic events in Japan and unrest in a number of Middle Eastern countries, it is reasonable to assume that the significant progress made in almost every country in the Middle East to promote nuclear power generation will come to a halt.

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Now what?

Before analyzing the impact of the recent upheavals in the Middle East North Africa(MENA) region on the real estate sector, it is essential to first shed light on their economic, financial and market-related effects.

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Clearly, very unclear

The numbers look good, so what, if anything, is ailing the banking sector of one of the strongest economies in the region?

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An employer's nightmare

“Our people are our greatest asset” has become a cliché that executives have been keen to repeat to anyone willing to listen, but much has changed since the latest financial crisis with business leaders having to rethink their talent strategies.

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It's not what you think it is

Fluctuations in world economies the past few years have prompted organizations to rethink the way they define, assess and measure corporate performance. Board members and executives are continually seeking ways to enhance the tools that link corporate strategy to performance and so to improve effective communication with investors and stakeholders in their narrative reporting.

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Beyond the numbers

Uncovering the realities that lie behind the data is what business analytics is all about. Precisely because they are hidden to the casual observer, they lend competitive advantages to the organizations that discover and implement them in business first.

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It's not the quantity

Auditors have suffered their fair share of criticism as a result of the financial crisis. So how can they re-instill confidence in a profession whose reputation has been tainted by a series of errors and scandal? There are several drivers, but delivering quality is the only way to ensure continuity and growth.

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