The Middle East economies and their respective capital markets are a unique combination of extremes—from the vibrant, trade-based United Arab Emirates and resource rich Kuwait and Qatar to ones that are currently experiencing challenging times, such as Iraq and Lebanon.

This brief covers the history, current characteristics, and challenges and opportunities of 10 capital markets from the Middle East. Each chapter is written by local authors familiar with the corresponding market: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.