An in-depth look

Diligencia’s Turkish Business Analyst, Dr. Agah Hazir, examines the phenomenal success of Turkish soap operas, particularly in the Middle East, and their influence culturally across the region.

While I generally try to avoid making ill-fated predictions and resolutions at this time of year, there are times when a passing comment or suggestion seems to put a new complexion on, and even set the tone for, the 12 months that lie ahead.

Uncovering entity data is a basic component of due diligence, but how does this data enable businesses ensure that they are meeting regulatory requirements?

Anyone who has worked in the Gulf is probably accustomed to seeing new roads, buildings, sometimes whole cities erupt in staggeringly short periods of time. With Saudi Arabia’s NEOM project the competitive stakes and scale of ambition have been raised to stratospheric levels.

North Africa has an abundance of renewable energy resources, with some of the highest potentials in the world for solar energy deployment.

Instagram has played an important countercultural role in Iranian society for years and, more recently, has been providing opportunities for female-led enterprise and creative expression.

In the third blog of our clean energy series, we examine how Sub-Saharan Africa, with its abundant solar and wind resources, is balancing the need to increase energy access to underserved populations, build economies and work towards decarbonisation.

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is seen as one of a number of crucial tools for addressing climate change. The technology has recently received renewed attention from the oil-rich Gulf states which are actively seeking a future for their hydrocarbon resources in a low-carbon world.

There are hundreds of free zones in the Middle East and Africa. While many set and maintain high standards of governance, various regional factors can undermine initiatives to improve compliance. Diligencia’s Jonathan Siklos examines some of the challenges associated with free zones and the steps businesses can take to minimise risk when exposed to them.

In the run-up to COP26, and with the issue of climate change rarely out of the headlines, Diligencia has been reviewing major initiatives across the Middle East & Africa to drive clean energy production. Over the next few weeks, we will publish our findings in a series of blogs and white papers and examine the organisations that are leading the way.

After years of muted progress, the Gulf states are now ramping up their efforts to address climate change with major new targets and initiatives recently announced. In our latest blog, we examine these new targets and initiatives and the organisations paving the way in promoting clean energy.

Having built up a list of local construction firms working on the giga-projects, GSN has analysed the shareholding records for several contractors, using data provided by Diligencia in a partnership to help sharpen understanding of those involved.

The pandemic has put huge pressure on government finances, but Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s favoured mega-projects have continued nevertheless. Research by GSN, supported by data provided by Diligencia, shows the bulk of contracts have gone to some of the kingdom’s most long-established companies.

In celebration of the festival of Eid al-Adha, there is a public sector holiday for many countries in MENA this week. Diligencia's offices will be open as usual, however, delivery timelines may be extended.

The ongoing story of the Wirecard scandal has raised questions around why so many people maintained a collective belief in the German company’s success story for so long. In our latest blog, Patrick Lord looks at how Wirecard maintained the illusion.

Diligencia has been ranked in the new Chambers Crisis and Risk Management Guide in the Business Intelligence & Investigations: Pre-Transactional Advisory (Investigative Due Diligence) - Global-wide table.

CSR, commercial opportunism, or part of vaccine diplomacy? In our latest blog, Patrick Lord shares examples of how the private sector is playing a key role in the procurement and distribution of Covid vaccines for some countries in the Middle East & Africa.

With the implementation deadline of the EU’s 6AMLD now imminent, in our latest blog Diligencia’s James Redfern considers the bloc’s latest initiatives to contain the spread of fraud and financial crime.

Last week’s news that the UAE has been massively increasing its US Treasury holdings took many analysts by surprise. Guest author Christopher Davidson considers the reasons behind the buying spree and the implications for the UAE’s relationship with the US.

In celebration of the festival of Eid al-Fitr, there is a public sector holiday for many countries in MENA this week. Diligencia's offices will be open as usual, however, delivery timelines may be extended.