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Economy & Business

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

Analysis

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

The agreement is a critical stopgap as Cairo grapples with domestic power demands, but the last two years have tested Egypt-Israel energy cooperation in unprecedented ways.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Employees install new solar panels at the Kalyon Energy's Karapinar Solar Power Plant on December 02, 2021 in Karapinar, Turkey.

Turkey hits renewable milestone as solar surpasses gas in power capacity

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said in a statement that wind and solar capacity combined had risen to 39,215 megawatts by the end of November.

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

Analysis

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

The Gulf’s top financial hubs have posted another strong year in 2025, with the UAE spearheading a regional push to attract hedge funds, asset managers, crypto and fintech firms as regional neighbors target growth of their own.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A ship sails along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia, April 16, 2025.

Maersk resumes Red Sea passage after two-year halt amid easing Houthi threat

A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October has prompted some shipping companies to consider resuming services, but security concerns persist.

Latest News

Egypt lands $572M UAE-backed solar deal, expanding Gulf's clean-energy footprint

Solar panels in a Sinai desert, Egypt.

Morocco’s markets rise as World Cup spending fuels largest IPO in decades

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - AUGUST 20: In this handout image from Populous, digital renderings of the proposed Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity are depicted on August 20, 2024 in Casablanca, Morocco. The stadium design is by Populous and Oulalou + Choi (Photo by Populous via Handout/Getty Images)

India’s Modi eyes closer ties with Jordan, Oman during visits

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II (R) meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jordan, on Dec. 16, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

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

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Correspondent

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice-President for Africa and Middle East.

Gulf's economic transformation will drive air traffic, IATA says

Kamil Al-Awadhi, the association's Middle East chief, said countries in the region have spurred air traffic by hosting global business, political and sporting events.

Saudi mining

Saudi Arabia will mine minerals, but can it extract maximum added value?

The kingdom wants to leverage its untapped mineral deposits to boost non-oil exports and incentivize local manufacturers to turn raw materials into high-value products.

In this picture taken on March 22, 2023, a woman speaks with a merchant as she shops for dates at the traditional Rod el-Farag market in northern Cairo during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. - Muslims follow the tradition set by the prophet Mohammed whom believers say used to break his fast by eating dates and drinking goat's milk during the holy month. The dawn-to-dusk fast is conceived as a spiritual struggle against the seduction of earthly pleasures, but the evening iftar festive meals traditi

Egypt's rate hike viewed with skepticism as inflation persists

Economists question the logic behind Egypt's new interest rate hike, especially after previous raises failed to bring the inflation rate down.

Yorkshire County Cricket Club

Analysis

Yorkshire cricket club is latest UK team to seek Middle East investment

Experts see a growing trend in Middle Eastern investors wanting to get involved in British sports, as countries in the region diversify their economies.

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

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

New UAE-Canada flight agreement boosts Emirates capacity by 40%

Emirates said it will add two flights per week between Dubai and Toronto to serve its large number of travelers starting April 20.

February 9, 2023, an EgyptAir aircraft flies on its landing approach past the 19th century Mosque of Mohamed Ali in the Cairo Citadel. (Photo by Amir MAKAR / AFP) (Photo by AMIR MAKAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt’s privatization plans stall despite growing buzz

Only a fraction of the targeted sales to Gulf investors have materialized over the last year, largely due to a general lack of agreement and volatility of the Egyptian economy

Locals and tourists ride in speed boats at the Wadi Darbat (Darbat Valley) near Salalah, in the southern Omani province of Dhofar on July 21, 2022. (Photo by Mohammed MAHJOUB / AFP) (Photo by MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP via Getty Images)

Oman bets on tourism to protect itself against global shocks

In order to diversify its economy away from oil and gas, Oman is going all-in on its tourism industry.

Tamara Juburi

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) invites Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud (L) to view an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony inside the Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China, March 16, 2017.

China’s CICC plans UAE, Saudi expansion as Xi builds Middle East ties

CICC has about five to six people in its Middle East offices serving the entire region with a mix of Chinese and regional staff.

An engineer sets up new beehives, part of the high-tech Beehome project, in Israel's Kibbutz Bet Haemek in the northern Galilee, on May 14, 2022. - They function as normal hives, but apiaries built at a kibbutz in Israel's Galilee are decked out with high-tech artificial intelligence systems set to ensure longevity for these vital pollinators. (Photo by JACK GUEZ / AFP) (Photo by JACK GUEZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Growing demand for AI to spare Israel from prolonged tech downturn

The medium-term prospects for Israel's AI sector look uniquely strong.

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

Patrick Pouyanne, CEO, TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies confirms $10 billion investment in Iraq oil fields, solar plant

The long-delayed deal is expected to bolster the regional electricity grid in the south of the country.

TotalEnergies CEO

Iraq to take 30% stake in $27 billion TotalEnergies project

Progress had stalled on multi-million-dollar deal amid disagreements with Iraqi lawmakers over terms.

Workers work on the construction site of the Golden Gate towers at Bahrain Bay in Manama on March 25, 2023. - With a multi-billion dollar economic revamp in full swing, tiny Bahrain is vying to keep pace with its Gulf neighbours after more than a decade beset by political unrest. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Bahrain launches 'Golden License' to attract major investment, jobs

Only companies with major investment and project portfolios will be eligible for the license, with either a $50 million value or a plan to create 500 jobs in the country, according to the Bahrain Economic Development Board.