About this episode

The episode discusses the Federal Reserve's decision to keep rates on hold and features insights from various economists and industry leaders on the regional economy and hospitality sector.

30 Apr 2026. The Fed kept rates on hold and Jay Powell confirmed he's staying on as Governor. Economist Jeanne Walter and Keith Fitz-Gerald break down what it means for the region. Plus Euromonitor on a very different Gulf travel market ahead. Dubai Tourism's Hoor Al Khaja on whether the hospitality sector is seeing the first green shoots of recovery. RAKBank CEO Raheel Ahmed on record profits and careful provisioning. And BlackRock's Ehsan Khoman on what it would take to call a turning point for the regional economy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Guests: Jeanne Walter, Keith Fitz-Gerald, Hoor Al Khaja, Raheel Ahmed, Ehsan Khoman

Topics covered

• Federal Reserve
• Interest Rates
• Economic Analysis
• Gulf Travel Market
• Hospitality Sector Recovery
• Banking Profits
• Regional Economy

Keywords

• Jay Powell
• Federal Reserve
• interest rates
• Gulf travel market
• hospitality recovery
• RAKBank profits
• regional economy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Euromonitor, Dubai Tourism, RAKBank, BlackRock

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