MENA bond issuance totalled $48.1 billion during the first three months of 2026, down 12% from the same period in 2025, as escalating geopolitical tensions weighed on market activity, according to LSEG data.  The number of issues fell 11% year on year. Already seasonally subdued during Ramadan, which began in mid-February, GCC bond and sukuk issuance effectively ground to a halt in March as issuer caution intensified following the Iran–Israel war. [...]