Economy & Business - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Business and Economy Cover Image

Economy & Business

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

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

Latest News

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

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

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)

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

Qatar's Emir and Paris Saint-Germain owner Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani (C) looks on during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg football match between Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Manchester United at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris on March 6, 2019. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Qatar's Manchester United takeover could monetize new Mideast fan base

A Qatari takeover of the English soccer club would “turbocharge” the global presence of the English Premier League, analysts told Al-Monitor

Iraq video games

With few job openings, Iraqi youth find work in creative ways

As Iraq’s economy struggles, Al-Monitor spoke to young Iraqis who are making money via video games, social media and other means.

Traders follow the movement of stock prices at the Kuwait Stock Exchange, Kuwait City, March 2, 2022.

Kuwait asks Asian refiners to take less oil as Al Zour refinery ramps up output

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation informed some buyers that Kuwait Export Blend crude supply could be reduced under new annual contracts as soon as April, according to Reuters.

An aerial view shows the Central Business District (Ruwi) in the Omani capital Muscat on April 9, 2021. (Photo by Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP) (Photo by HAITHAM AL-SHUKAIRI/AFP via Getty Images)

Investors eye state energy firm OQ as Oman stock market poised for take off

Oman's stock market is back on investors' radar after its largest IPO in over a decade saw state energy company OQ raise $244 million.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

People take picture from a observation bridge of Rain Vortex as a train passes at Jewel Changi airport in Singapore on December 7, 2022. (Photo by Roslan RAHMAN / AFP) (Photo by ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Qatar loses 'World’s Best Airport' to Singapore, Turkey's Istanbul climbs to 6

Most Gulf Cooperation Council city airports went up in rank from last year's SKYTRAX’s World Airport Awards.

Egypt port

Egypt signs $1.6 billion deals with China, EU companies to develop sea ports

The Egyptian government wants its Red Sea and Mediterranean ports to help boost the economy amid rising inflation and declining foreign currency reserves.

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 15, 2023.

Syria, Russia to sign 40 investment deals after Assad’s visit

Syrian President Assad also said in an interview with Sputnik that he would not meet with Turkish President Erdogan until Turkey removes its troops from Syria.

A worker in an oil field developed by Almetyevneft, an oil and gas production board (NGDU) of Tatneft.

Oil sinks below $75 a barrel, lowest price in more than a year

The news follows the Saudi National Bank declining to inject more money into the struggling Credit Suisse, as well as Silicon Valley Bank’s failure.

Peugeot 207 and 206 cars are parked at a hangar after exiting production lines at the Iran Khodro auto plant, west of the Iranian capital Tehran, on August 14, 2022. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo by ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran's automotive 'mega project' will have limited impact

The Iranian government plans to sell 500,000 cars directly to consumers in order to limit the influence of intermediaries and reduce market prices. Here's why that won't work.

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

People walk past the headquarters of ByteDance, the parent company of video sharing app TikTok, in Beijing on September 16, 2020. - Silicon Valley tech giant Oracle is "very close" to sealing a deal to become the US partner to Chinese-owned video app TikTok to avert a ban in the United States, President Donald Trump said on September 15. (Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE’s G42 buys $100 million share in China's ByteDance, parent of TikTok

ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has seen its value fluctuate, predominantly due to investor uncertainty caused by a possible ban on TikTok in the United States.

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) during morning trading on March 15, 2023, in New York City.

Saudi National Bank will not increase stake in Credit Suisse after shares drop

Credit Suisse’s financial struggles follow the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and could likewise have ramifications for the Middle East.

JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Lebanon’s bank chief charged with corruption, snubs EU investigators

Visiting Beirut, World Bank’s regional Vice President Ferid Belhaj has set three conditions to reconsider financing the country’s dilapidated electricity sector.