Bloomberg Horizons Middle East & Africa: AI Trade Rout, Oil Slump, and Central Bank Signals

A morning edition of Bloomberg's Horizons Middle East & Africa surveys a turbulent week for global markets and politics. Coverage spans the deepening sell-off in AI and chip stocks, sharp weekly losses in crude oil, hawkish central bank messaging, and key political developments across the Middle East and Africa.

■ Global Markets and the AI Trade
- Asian equities fall for a fifth straight session, with Japan, Taiwan and South Korea under pressure as investors reassess AI spending and data center build-outs
- Hedge funds unwind established AI positions while central bank policy expectations are trimmed
- Jeffries' chief economist discusses whether the sell-off stays confined to the AI trade and outlines a barbell strategy for year-end

■ Commodities and Central Banks
- Oil heads for its steepest weekly loss in years amid hopes for an end to the Iran conflict, alongside Aramco's price cuts to Asian buyers
- Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey explains rate guidance and the risks around energy prices, with comparisons to the Fed and ECB

■ Politics and Regional Economies
- Israeli coalition-building talks and the prospects for a new governing majority
- U.S. post-midterm political fallout, including cabinet and impeachment developments, plus France's cost-of-living protests
- Alpha Dhabi Holdings' nine-month results and its long-term approach to technology and private credit investment
- South Africa's potential removal from AGOA and the implications for trade with the United States

The broadcast is aimed at investors, analysts and anyone following Middle East and Africa markets. Viewers gain a structured picture of how political events, energy markets and monetary policy are interacting, along with expert perspectives that can inform portfolio decisions heading into year-end.