HOW IT WORKS: Arabian Business has put together nine business leaders from a variety of sectors, to form the Arabian Business Think Tank (ABTT).
We have created five questions for the panel to make exact numerical forecasts on:
The index value of the Dubai Financial Market
The index value of the Saudi Tadawul Market
The price of a an apartment on the Palm Jumeriah in Dubai
The price of an ounce of gold
The value of the euro against the dirham
The average answer for each question is then taken to create the forecast, against the current value.
Individual responses and comments will not be revealed, but we will publish the general comments made as part of the analysis.
Every two months, the ABTT will again be asked the same five questions, and again their responses used to create forecasts.
The answers published are not scientific, but intended as a guide to thinking of senior business leaders on the key economic issues.
Click on the links below to see the ABTT's latest predictions and comments.
Previous AB Think Tank articles:
Palm Jumeirah prices to fall 20% - Think Tank
AB Think Tank votes 9-0 against job cuts in 2010
Jobs respite but worse is far from over: ABTT analysis
AB experts say no to Q4 house price rise in UAE
OUR PANELISTS
Elie Khouri
Regional Managing Director, Omnicom Media Group
Khouri has been a frontrunner in the Middle East's media industry since being appointed regional managing director OMG in 2007.
Mishal Kanoo
Deputy Chairman, Kanoo Group
With much experience in regional economic affairs and financial markets, Mishal Kanoo is a key speaker at various conferences in the Gulf.
Philip Barnes
Regional Vice President, Fairmont Hotels
Barnes has been in Dubai since 2007, when he was appointed regional vice president of Fairmont Hotels — he added the Fairmont Dubai to his portfolio in May this year, re-locating to the actual hotel where he is now based.
Karam Awad
Managing Director, ITP Executive
Karam Awad heads up ITP Executive, publishers of Arabian Business and CEO Middle East magazines.
Eckart Woertz
Chief Economist, Gulf Research Centre
Dr Eckart Woertz is the program manager in economics at the Gulf Research Center, and a much respected voice on Middle East economic issues — so much so that when he speaks, Gulf policymakers listen.
Sunil John
CEO, Asda’a Burson-Marsteller
Having played a key role in building the corporate image of Emaar and handling the personal PR of chairman Mohammed Alabbar, John has also found himself in demand with the upper echelons of the Dubai government.
Ziad Makhzoumi
CFO, Arabtec
As chief financial officer of Arabtec, Makhzoumi has his hands right on the pulse of the financial world.
Badr Jafar
CEO Crescent Investments
Just 29 years old, Badr Jafar was voted Young CEO of the Year in this year’s CEO Middle East Awards.
John Davis
CEO, Colliers International, Middle East
John Davies serves as regional CEO of one of the world's largest real estate consultancies.