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
IMF calls for Lebanon reforms, explores ways to assist Beirut The International Monetary Fund, which began talks with Lebanon in May, called for critical economic reforms in the aftermath of the Beirut blast. Lebanon
Turkey’s ‘peg-legged’ foreign currency reserves Turkey’s central bank appears increasingly fragile, with more than 60% of its reserves secured through swap deals. Turkey
Lebanese banks raise exchange rate to dollars as crisis worsens A member of the government's IMF negotiations team also resigned in opposition to the government's handling of the worst financial crisis in decades. Lebanon
Oman weighs costs of bailout from Gulf neighbors Gulf countries might step up to keep Oman’s public finances afloat, but experts warn strings may be attached. Saudi Arabia
Lebanon protests rage as currency plunges Protesters set fire to tires and waste containers to cut major roads throughout Lebanon. Lebanon
Is Turkey’s wealth fund becoming a crisis shelter? More company rescues could be imminent in Turkey after the sovereign wealth fund acquired the control of a leading mobile phone operator at the expense of further borrowing. Turkey
Lebanon’s central bank to inject dollars as currency crashes The Lebanese pound trades at roughly 6,000 to the US dollar on the black market; Lebanese officials take action to try to get the parallel market under 4,000 to the dollar. Lebanon
Protests erupt across Lebanon as government scrambles to rein in crumbling currency Following the sectarian protests that took place a few days ago, Lebanon's crumbling currency united the Lebanese in a cross-sectarian protests in various Lebanese cities. Lebanon
Syrian government freezes assets of Assad cousin The move to seize the assets of the businessman is the latest in a dispute that began to heat up late last year. Syria
IMF emergency financing for Egypt mitigates coronavirus crunch The International Monetary Fund has approved a nearly $2.8 billion loan for Egypt to address its economy, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis. Egypt
New banking regulations threaten press freedom in Turkey Recent measures seeking to limit damaging information on the financial system pose new threats to press freedom in Turkey. Turkey
Lebanese bank official arrested for alleged currency manipulation Lebanon's central bank denied the allegations; the Lebanese pound's value has decreased significantly amid the ongoing economic crisis. Lebanon
