@joumanna.bsky.social
Bloomberg TV anchor & journalist in Dubai. Reformed banker… once upon a time a central bank nerd. I will post about the Mideast & economics / global markets but mostly here for the bants
The G7 leaders have agreed to a statement on recent developments between Israel and Iran:
17.06.2025 03:36 — 👍 28 🔁 9 💬 5 📌 6
‼️Major Mideast Escalation as Israel strikes Iranian nuclear facilities,takes out 2 senior Iranian commanders (head of IRGC & chief of staff of armed forces),warns more strikes will come
Iran vows crushing response
Oil was +10% now +7% as Iran says oil infra damage is limited
Who needs White Lotus when there’s Musk POTUS
06.06.2025 02:32 — 👍 21 🔁 4 💬 1 📌 0
how it started vs. how it’s going
06.06.2025 02:26 — 👍 77 🔁 25 💬 3 📌 1Betting against S&P 500 futures every time Trump escalated trade rhetoric and buying them five days later would have yielded 12% since the beginning of February- Nomura strategist Charlie McElligott
04.06.2025 03:14 — 👍 29 🔁 5 💬 3 📌 0
Came with a chainsaw , left with a black eye
- Elon Musk’s political career
I think he said thank you
18.05.2025 12:45 — 👍 15 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 0
Good morning. Back for Day 2 in Riyadh!
On today’s agenda
10am local : GCC leaders family photo
10.15am: GCC plenary session . MBS opens with remarks then Trump speaks again
Notably, Trump didn't demand Syria normalize with Israel to get out from under sanctions.
That would be an impossible task at the moment, but it was something that might have been expected, given how Trump managed the lifting of Sudanese sanctions in 2020 during the Abraham Accords.
Everyone thought this trip was going to be mainly a dealmaking trip
Trump just delivered a hugely significant geopolitical speech that has very clearly outlined this administration’s goals and hopes in the region.
“The birth of a new Mideast”
US secured $600bn in commitments from Saudi Arabia
* this is the same figure MBS and Trump spoke about in January after their phone call
Trump wants a trillion-dollar show of friendship from Saudi Arabia — but MBS’s massive spending spree at home makes that difficult
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Historic greeting
Crown Prince MBS and President Trump’s handshake in Riyadh
No awkward fist bumps today
Bessent in Riyadh,fresh from Geneva
“new mechanism with China will avoid new escalation. We have a very good framework. Both sides agreed we don’t want generalized decoupling between the 2 largest econs in the world. US will decouple in strategic industries”
#SaudiUSForum2025
- Hamas frees American Israeli hostage after direct talks with the US
- after 40years, Turkish militant group has announced it’s disbanding and disarming
- Saudi launch AI investment firm called HUMAIN ahead of Trump’s visit
And stocks on fire , SPX +3% , Nasdaq +4%
How is it only Monday? Today’s news
- US China major trade breakthrough
- India Pakistan truce
- Zelenskyy in Turkey on Thursday for truce talks. Will Putin join?
- Trump gets offered a jet as a gift / loan by Qatari royal family
- Trump signs Exec Order to lower pharma prices
A big win for Trump - also note this was negotiated directly with Hamas officials sidelining Israeli gov
Hamas says it released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander - www.reuters.com/world/middle...
US odds of a recession have dropped from 65% to 44% (and will likely edge even lower after today's US China news). Data is with 24h lag
Source: Polymarket
BREAKING
The US is cutting levies on Chinese goods to 30% from 145% for 90 days.
China is lowering its levies on US goods to 10% from 125% for the same time period.
Good morning ! صباح الخير!
Live in Riyadh today and tracking Trump’s visit through the GCC all week
Today talking through what’s on the agenda : diplomacy, deals and a controversial (potential) Qatari Boeing gift
I asked the Saudi taxi driver what he thinks of President Trump’s visit this week
He responded : هذا يبغى فلوس
Meaning : this guy wants money
🫠🫠
A post on Saudi’s finances below
www.linkedin.com/posts/jouman...
“A very good meeting today with China, in Switzerland,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Many things discussed, much agreed to. A total reset negotiated in a friendly, but constructive, manner.“
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Life in Gaza two-and-a-half months into an Israeli blockade: people are killing horses, butchering wild rabbits, boiling weeds and scouring the shore for turtles to get something to eat. Livestock are already dead and most of Gaza's farmland is barren. www.ft.com/content/48dc...
11.05.2025 06:40 — 👍 119 🔁 82 💬 3 📌 6
Trump’s Scant UK Deal Shows Limits of Frenzied Trade Strategy
"As the president began revealing specifics of the deal,it became clear it fell short of the full and comprehensive agreement he had promised,or the US-UK free-trade pact he pursued during his first term"
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
UK-US deal- So its a deal to have a deal. Seems to include
-streamlining US goods in UK customs
- maximum levels (quotas for duty free access) for some items subject to sectoral tariffs.
-agreement to keep talking
Both countries looking to announce a deal. Terms useful as cues for others
filling time on air until the new pope is announced is known as "pontiffication"
08.05.2025 16:18 — 👍 3056 🔁 416 💬 81 📌 22
Tough to keep track but in the past 12h, Trump has:
- teased big trade deal announcement at 10am ET (NYT saying it's UK)
- said he wouldn't consider lowering145% tariff on China to start trade talks
- On Gaza "we'll know something in the next 24h"
- Houthis "we had good outcome"
China: PBOC cut the policy rate by 10bps and RRR by 50bps
BBG Economics:
"Using our in-house model SHOK, we estimate the cuts to the policy rate and RRR could lift GDP growth by as much as 0.8-1 percentage point over the four quarters through 1Q26."
"This is a powerful signal"
Carney has definitely gone for the flattery approach (that tends to work!)
06.05.2025 16:19 — 👍 13 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0