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
Turkey bans cryptocurrency payments The Turkish Central Bank said cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are too risky and forbade their use in the country. News Brief
Israel’s first digital bank now rolling Israel’s first digital bank wants to create a revolution in the banking sectors, much like Spotify revolutionized the music industry and Tesla the vehicle market. Israel
Turkish markets rattled after surprise firing of central bank head Turkey’s lira and main stock index slid about 9% Monday as markets reacted to the surprise removal of the nation’s central bank chief amid broader political turmoil. Turkey
Turkish Central Bank holds interest rate steady As forecasted, Turkey’s Central Bank policymakers held a key interest rate steady Thursday, saying they would continue working to reel in the nation’s double-digit inflation. Turkey
Cash-strapped Turkey relies on Qatari investments In only five years, Qatar has come to account for 15% of all foreign direct investments in Turkey, second only to deep-rooted Dutch investors. Turkey
International financial alliance forms to help Iraq Several countries are forming an economic alliance to help Iraq in its financial crisis. Iraq
Iran desperate to maintain Iraqi financial lifeline Iran seeks to maintain the flow of hard currency from Iraq to help it overcome the US sanctions. Iraq
Egyptians turn to Bitcoin amid coronavirus crisis Soaring prices of cryptocurrencies, most notably Bitcoin, are tempting many unemployed Egyptians seeking to achieve quick gains, amid fears of Bitcoin being exploited to finance terrorism or illegal trade. Egypt
Tehran Stock Exchange: The end of an illusion Many Iranian investors have recently seen the value of their portfolios drop significantly due to governmental overregulation in times of market growth. Iran
Lebanon-IMF talks make little progress despite bank collapse The Lebanese ruling elite is still bargaining over the economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund, while the country’s economic situation continues to go downhill. Lebanon
Lebanon's central bank to take over banks that cannot boost capital The central bank is giving Lebanese banks until February to increase their capital by 20% or give their shares to the government amid fears that people's deposits are at risk. Lebanon
