Saudi Arabia is letting foreigners into its stock market, but don’t expect an explosion of new capital. The inflows will build slowly, writes George Mitton.

If all goes to plan, Iranian banks could soon be reconnected to the Swift settlement system. That means big inflows into Tehran’s attractive stock market, says Dominic Bokor-Ingram of Charlemagne Capital. George Mitton reports.

Amid the excitement, asset managers should remember there are significant business risks associated with buying assets in Iran, writes George Mitton.

Tangible, reliable and usually sharia-compliant, real estate has long been a favoured asset class in the Middle East. But will the low oil price cause problems for this market? Dave Waller reports.

Aref Karim spent 13 years at Abu Dhabi’s main sovereign wealth fund, during which time he set up its alternatives portfolio. He tells George Mitton about those times.