Rising markets capture the attention of many market participants – excited by the possibilities of profiting from new opportunities. The Middle Eastern derivatives exchanges launched with much celebration. However, the conditions for exaggerated growth seemingly vanished when the global financial crisis hit in 2008. Despite the region being rich in natural resources, it was not immune to the global financial crisis. Colin Packham investigates the development of the Middle East futures and options market, examining the impact of the global recession, the proposed enhanced exchange landscape, and the prospects for the region.
The Middle East is one of the world economy’s most impressive success stories. The Gulf Emirates have built world-leading infrastructure in only a few decades. The region’s economic success relies both on internal strengths and its international openness, and some experts say that it will be the same for its derivatives markets.
The market...