Saudi Arabia leads the way once again

As in so many other respects, the Saudi Arabian economy stands out in terms of its reaction to the problems in parts of the Mena region.

HSBC calculates the economic measures announced by the government since unrest broke out in the Mena region amount to US$10,000 (Dh36,728) for every adult member of its population of 25 million, or some 30 per cent of its GDP.

At a total of $130 billion, "the enormous sum may hint at the possible nervousness of the authorities, but also underscores the financial benefits of maintaining the existing order" an HSBC report said.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE have also promised financial palliatives, but the sheer scale of the Saudi response overshadows them all.

The cash injection will stimulate the economy, making Saudi Arabia the only Mena country expected to witness an increase in growth in the current year. HSBC has revised its GDP estimates for the kingdom upwards to 4.7 per cent, slowing only slightly to 4.3 per cent as oil production flattens.

But the economic efficacy of the hand-outs is questionable. So far, it has not made up for the fall in the Saudi stock market that deepened with each new protest in the wider region.

"Moreover, the additional spending is likely to be inflationary: we now see end-year consumer inflation of around 7.5 per cent … with very limited policy tools available to tackle it, given the peg to the US dollar and monetary policy ties to the US," said HSBC.