Nahed Taher

Seeds Consulting

Environmental concerns pose a serious threat to sustainable development in both developing and developed countries. But the environmental challenges facing the oil-rich economies of the Gulf are especially dire because of their excessive dependence on conventional energy sources to power electricity, transportation systems and water desalination ac...

Government incentives are undoubtedly key drivers and catalysts behind the rapid take-off of the environmental technology industry around the world. The same sets of incentives (financial, legal, and regulatory) could also play a key role in attracting private investments in environmental technologies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Needless to say...

Investments in environmental business can play a key role in promoting sustainable development, which in itself is a bankable concept since such investments could generate returns with a substantial net present value. Environmental investments could, therefore, serve as a catalyst or multiplier to wealth creation and can also induce policy changes...

Environmental (‘green’ or ‘clean’) investments can achieve both commercial and social objectives by generating high rates of return for investors and promoting environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and social well-being. However, investments in clean products or technologies are generally characterised by relatively high sunk costs alb...

The vast oil resources in Saudi Arabia have for decades encouraged a generous system of oil subsidies, making the Kingdom one of the leading countries in the world with the cheapest domestic price of oil. Such subsidies have, however, encouraged inefficient utilization of oil, which is largely consumed in the power, water and transportation sectors...

It is widely recognized that the current global environmental problems largely stem from man’s unreasonable exploration and exploitation of natural resources for economic development purposes. Like many other developing countries, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia faces various environmental challenges. These challenges escalate as a result of rising pop...

Environmental concerns have recently taken centre stage in policy discussions around the globe due to the frequently observed impact of environmental degradation on socio-economic phenomena. Moreover, and to a large extent, many developed economies have managed to turn environmental challenges into profitable businesses rather than fee-based genera...

There are currently over 40 sovereign wealth funds (SWFs) globally, with total assets of around US$5 trillion. Nearly half of the total assets of the top ten SWFs are accounted for by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The leading SWFs in the region are Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Saudi Arabia Investment Funds, consisting of S...

As financial crises followed capital account opening in the 1990s the hard peg of a currency board regime was seen as the remaining 'polar' alternative to flexible exchange rates. With the Argentine peso devaluation of early 2002 suggesting that the fundamental requirement may be peg abandonment through either floating or 'dollarisation', the issue...