Canada becomes latest Western country to lift Syria sanctions: What to know Like the US, Canada had strained relations with Syria during the civil war but is now showing signs of engagement. Syria
Analysis Egyptians in for another expensive Ramadan despite recovering economy Egyptians tend to spend more during the Islamic holy month relative to the rest of the year, but high inflation and low wages have reduced their purchasing power. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Meet Fahad Al-Saif, PIF exec and Saudi Arabia's new investment minister Saif previously led investment strategy at the kingdom's sovereign wealth fund and has held senior roles at the Saudi Awwal Bank and HSBC Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia names new investment minister as Vision 2030 funding lags The leadership change comes as slowing megaprojects and weak foreign inflows expose gaps in the kingdom’s ambitious economic overhaul. Saudi Arabia
Israeli cryptocurrency market attempts to catch up with global pace An Israeli crypto firm becomes the first in the country to get a capital markets license. Israel
Middle East countries must do more to recover, say IMF event panelists While oil producing countries are projected to benefit from a windfall due to high energy prices, for others the coming years "will be more challenging than ever." Legacy: Gulf
Israel to work with France against money laundering, terror financing The memorandum of understanding signed last week between Israel and France is just part of the very extensive battle championed by Israel’s Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority against criminal money laundering and financing of terror activities. Israel
Israeli autonomous driving firm goes public Mobileye’s stock rose on its first day trading on Nasdaq. Israel
Dubai-based crypto firm to offer payment card The partnership between BitOasis and Mastercard could make cryptocurrencies more usable for daily purchases. Legacy: Gulf
Egyptian Central Bank plans to establish new index of gold, foreign currencies The Egyptian pound is performing poorly against the US dollar but faring better compared to other currencies. Egypt
Saudi Arabia opens up to new fintech players While Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector presents opportunities for entrepreneurs, VC investors and consumers, there are specific, long-standing challenges hindering the market’s full potential. Legacy: Gulf
Is Saudi Arabia changing approach to cryptocurrencies? Although Saudi Arabia seems to be warming to cryptocurrencies, it is unlikely to displace the UAE as the region’s crypto hub anytime soon. Legacy: Gulf
Egyptian households turn to credit as inflation bites In the past, locals used to buy only durables in installments. Today, breadwinners buy clothes, schoolbooks, stationery and groceries on credit. Egypt
Egyptian pound continues to lose value Economists expect Egypt's central bank to loosen its grip on the exchange rate of the Egyptian pound in its meeting later this month, but the possible move is fraught with fears from a sharp rise in commodity prices. Egypt
Egypt to adopt Russian Mir payment system to encourage tourism, trade exchange Russian tourists and companies will be allowed to pay through the Russian Mir system in Egypt ahead of the winter season, which Cairo is hoping will boost its tourism sector. Egypt
Egypt to issue bonds in China’s currency yuan The US dollar may be losing its dominance in the Middle East to the yuan. Egypt
