Macron secures Gulf diesel supplies as France grapples with fuel costs, unrest France now has commitments for 295,000 metric tons of diesel per month from the Gulf, accounting for just over 10% of the European country’s consumption. Bahrain
Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' until 2027 amid Houthi attacks The Future Investment Initiative, which typically attracts the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in business, finance, and technology to Riyadh, will now be held next year. Saudi Arabia
Analysis How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria Iraq and Syria are expanding trade and energy cooperation, but security risks, economic challenges and longstanding mistrust raise questions about whether their growing partnership can endure. By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
Syria to rejoin Arab group at IMF, leaving Russian-led constituency Syria will rejoin the Arab constituency at the International Monetary Fund beginning Nov. 1 and has applied for membership in the EBRD. Syria
Egypt establishes sovereign fund The Egyptian government has moved to establish a sovereign fund as part of reforms intended to boost the economy and shrink unemployment. Egypt
Iran pushes for transparency to deal with currency instability While Iran’s push for transparency is positive, its new integrated system for hard currency transactions seems ill-prepared to manage the complexities of the Iranian currency market. Iran
Iran’s currency tensions spur crypto ban Iran’s recent move to ban cryptocurrencies is not only far from clear in its scope, but also likely a mere temporary fix amid efforts to combat capital flight. Iran
Economic disobedience looms in Gaza Gaza’s private sector is threatening to start acts of economic disobedience in a bid to pressure the Palestinian Authority and Israel into alleviating the economic crisis plaguing the enclave. Palestine
Can 'nudge theory’ change citizens’ behavior, government policy in Lebanon? An upcoming conference on behavioral economics in Beirut will examine a political tool that could shape national policies and improve public services. Lebanon
Can 'de-dollarization' break Iran’s economic isolation? While there are many risks involved with currency swaps, such endeavors do present an opportunity for Iran to enhance the stability of its economy. Turkey
Saudi Arabia eyes Iraq's Anbar for potential investments Riyadh is considering significant investments in Iraq's Anbar province, but is facing opposition from certain Iraqi political forces and Shiite factions. Saudi Arabia
Egypt's street vendors face new restrictions Egypt’s parliament is drafting a law regulating the work of street vendors, which would save street vendors from remaining under the mercy of local authorities. Egypt
Why Iran moved to unify dual exchange rates Iran’s government was left with no choice but to resort to unifying the official and open market currency exchange rates to tame the rial's slide during a currency crisis, which has spurred some positive efforts. Iran
Why are Turkey’s gold reserves on the rise? The Turkish central bank’s gold reserves have reached an unprecedented level of more than $25 billion under a strategy shift driven by a combination of financial strains and risks stemming from tensions with the United States. Turkey
Shared airspace helps Egypt, Russia gain common ground Tourism and joint development projects should get a boost from recently resumed flights between Cairo and Moscow. Egypt
Will Iran’s banking sector collapse? While Iran is certainly on the brink of a major banking crisis, the likely outcome won’t be financial collapse but rather a restructuring of banks. Iran
