Economy and trade

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019, shows the drilling ship Yavuz scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus.

Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.

A platform for the satellite launcher is seen ahead of the Shenzhou-19 mission to the Tiangong space station at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, in China's northwestern Gansu province, on Oct. 29, 2024.

Analysis

From Sputnik to satellites: How China is pulling Egypt and Gulf into its space orbit

Beijing is emerging as a key partner for Middle Eastern and North African states seeking to develop satellites, navigation services and space industries of their own.

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Saudi Air Force advanced F-15SA fighter jets perform during a ceremony in Riyadh on Jan. 25, 2017.

Analysis

2025: Why Gulf defense megadeals finally met reality

From fighter jet debates to drones and megadeals, Gulf defense planners are shifting from political signaling to tangible results.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

A picture taken from a station of Dubai's Palm Monorail shows traffic on a road in Palm Jumeirah on Aug. 28, 2025.

Feature

Cheap oil, tighter finances, wars constrained Mid East economies in 2025

Low oil prices, tighter financial conditions and elevated geopolitical risk hampered growth across much of the Middle East and North Africa this year.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Latest News

Analysis

Egypt’s $35B Israel gas deal buys time, tests fragile energy partnership

View of Damietta Segas LNG Terminal, in Damietta, Egypt, which is an export terminal belong to Spanish Egyptian Gas Company.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

Iran currency plunges to historic low amid factional blame game

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Iranian 100 rial banknotes.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Yemeni ministries declare support for STC campaign as Gulf tensions flare

Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Gulf finance hubs race to expand as hedge funds flock to Dubai, Abu Dhabi

Traffic moves on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on March 24, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

The picture illustrates United States 100-dollar bills bearing the portrait of US statesman, inventor and diplomat Benjamin Franklin next to Iran's various Rial banknotes, bearing a portrait of Iran's late founder of Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in Tehran on January 18, 2012. The Rial's plunge, to 18,000 to the dollar hit a record low on January 18, based on rates in black market trading that the government has tried to ban. AFP PHOTO/ATTA KENARE (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP via

History repeats itself in Iran's currency exchange market

The Iranian rial continues to lose value against foreign currency, as exporters face high costs due to sanctions and the government continues a policy of forcing them to accept low exchange rates.

An Iraqi woman wearing a protective mask amid the COVID-19 pandemic, buys fresh produce from a street seller at a market in Karrada, in the capital Baghdad, on July 14, 2020. - Iraq, in a bid to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 illness, shut its 32 border crossings to goods and people coming from Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia in mid-March, which helped its agriculture ministry accelerate a campaign to make Iraqi food markets self-sustainable, after years of relying on foreign imports

The long road to post-COVID economic recovery in the Middle East

Indicators show that economic recovery across the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf following the coronavirus pandemic may take longer and more effort than initially thought.

Israelis take to streets, blame Netanyahu for economic crisis

Thousands of Israelis hit the streets over the the weekend in protest of the government’s failure to effectively and quickly address the economic crisis induced by the coronavirus.

A member of the Iraqi forces stands guard on the Iraqi side of the Mandili crossing on the border with Iran on July 11, 2020. - Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi launched a new campaign against corruption at the country's borders, saying millions of dollars were being lost by not properly taxing imported goods. (Photo by Thaier Al-SUDANI / POOL / AFP) (Photo by THAIER AL-SUDANI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Can Iraqi government control corruption at border outlets?

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi's government has set its sights on controlling corruption that could ease the impact of the financial crisis in the country, while prioritizing the border outlets.

COVID-19 puts Gulf entrepreneurs at crossroads

Innovative businesses could turn the pandemic-induced downturn into an opportunity to transform Gulf economies. Are government policies responsive enough?

Why Turkey is trying to improve its profile in the Maghreb

In parallel with its military activities in Libya and rising profile in Africa, Ankara moves to strengthen its geostrategic and geo-economic ties with Maghreb countries.

Israel, UAE test potential for cooperation on COVID-19

The agreement signed between the United Arab Emirates' Group 42 and Israel’s IAI and Rafael companies offers a glimpse of the potential for cooperation -- if not deterred by annexation.

United Arab Emirates

A billboard displaying an advert for Aramco is pictured in the Saudi capital Riyadh on November 10, 2019. - From robots to sniffer drones, Saudi Aramco has ramped up spending on technological innovation while its rivals cut back amid soft oil prices, but the energy giant risks losing its edge after its much-anticipated IPO. Saudi Arabia is offering a sliver of the company, touted as the kingdom's crown jewel, in its upcoming initial public offering that is the bedrock of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's a

R&D potential could be key to spark Saudi economy

The impact of COVID-19 and low oil prices has led to even further expected declines in Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product, but research and development could hold the key to an economic reset.

Yemeni economy in free fall amid collapsing currency, COVID-19

The majority of Yemeni society bears the consequences and stands alone, unable to confront the ravages of war, division and the ongoing economic deterioration.

Egyptian loans raise fears of impact on economy

The Egyptian government expands borrowing from the IMF and selling international bonds, amid warnings of the danger of trying to solve the economic crises by borrowing from abroad, and demands to search for alternatives as Egyptian foreign debt reaches record numbers.

Survey: Displaced Iraqis experiencing job losses, food shortages amid pandemic

The survey by the International Rescue Committee is the latest proof of economic hardship in Iraq as it grapples with a steep jump in COVID-19 cases.

<<enter caption here>> on March 17, 2017 in Beijing, China.

Has China gained an edge on the US in the Gulf?

China has upped the ante, but the United States holds the winning hand; Oman weighs risks and benefits of Gulf bailout; will migrant workers return to GCC?