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Economy & Business

Crude oil tankers, bulk carriers and vessels sit anchored around Qaboos Port on June 22, 2026, in Muscat, Oman.

Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress."

People walk past a cryptocurrency exchange office with a screen featuring US President Donald Trump holding cryptocurrency coins in Hong Kong on March 12, 2025.

Trump earns $810M from UAE-backed crypto firm: What to know

According to the disclosure, Trump earned $810 million from crypto token sales and sales of interests in UAE-backed World Liberty Financial.

United Arab Emirates

Omar Albaw / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images

Kuwait's Zain eyes $1.5B mobile network in postwar Syria: What to know

The Kuwaiti company is planning to invest more than $1.5 billion in Syria after securing a license to operate there, Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

Latest News

Here's what to know about Iraq's corruption as Zaidi launches crackdown

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire

AFP via Getty Images

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

Analysis

Why the Hormuz oil shock never became an energy catastrophe

A tourist boat passes near crude oil tankers, bulk carriers, and other vessels anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, Oman, June 19, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Real Madrid's Karim Benzema

Karim Benzema to leave Real Madrid for Saudi Arabia's Pro League

Reports emerged this week that the 35-year-old French striker was offered a two-year contract worth €400 million to move to the Saudi Pro League's Al Ittihad.

A picture taken on October 31, 2017 shows advertising billboards in Cairo for "WE" a new mobile service from Egypt's state-owned company Telecom Egypt. In a country with more mobile phone subscriptions than residents, Egypt's only fixed-line operator is hoping to get in on the action with its new mobile service, WE. / AFP PHOTO / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)

Telecom Egypt sale foreshadows Cairo's uncertain privatization path

The sale came as authorities in Cairo move to reduce the state’s footprint on the economy, give more space to the private sector, and secure liquidity to improve the state’s precarious financial position.

Marc Español

Wheat in Morocco

Drought threatens Morocco's bread basket economy: World Bank

Last year, the Maghreb experienced one of its worst droughts in decade, causing a 60% decline in Moroccan cereal production.

Israeli gas fields

Israel announces new natural gas field off its coast

The official announcement on the discovery of the Katlan-Orca natural gas field off Israel's coast paves the way for hydrocarbon exploration company Energian to seek development and exploitation permits.

Erdogan MBZ

Turkey, UAE ratify $40 billion trade deal after Erdogan's victory

Abu Dhabi’s ratification of the partnership agreement came three days after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s election victory.

Qatar Airways plane 2

Qatar Airways first in Mideast to sign Shell deal for 3K tons of sustainable fuel

The airline said that the deal will allow it to reduce emissions on flights from Amsterdam by approximately 7,500 tons of CO2 for the fiscal year.

UAE financial

Explainer: Understanding UAE’s first-ever corporate tax

Taxes are increasing across the Gulf, and the UAE is seeking to boost tax compliance as well as cut down on money laundering.

People walk through an alley of a traditional souk in the old Medina of Marrakesh on Dec. 30, 2014.

Morocco’s textile industry rebounds, as demand spikes from Northern Europe

The head of Morocco's textile association said there is growing demand from Northern European buyers for locally made knitwear and corporate apparel.

A Chinese vendor displays notes during a cash transaction in Beijing 14 January 2007. The yuan was pegged to the US dollar until 2005 when Beijing decided to revalue it by 2.1 percent and place the unit in a currency basket, allowing a greater but still very tightly controlled margin of flexibility, but the yuan has since slowly but steadily risen in value on the back of China's booming economy and the breaching of the 7.80 level. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s push for trade in yuan has downsides for Gulf states

Paying for the import of Gulf fossil fuels in yuan is at the top of China’s list to lay the foundations for a greater global adoption of its currency.

Sebastian Castelier

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Men drink chai in the street the day after President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was re-elected on May 29, 2023 in Istanbul,Turkey. Erdogan won another five-year term after being forced into a runoff with the opposition politician Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Erdogan prevailed despite criticism of his management of the country's economy and the government's response to the devastating earthquakes earlier this year. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

Turkish lira slips to new low as Erdogan forms economic team

Turkey's currency has dropped again in the wake of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s reelection.

People carrying flags of Pakistan take part in a rally to show solidarity with Pakistan's army in Islamabad on May 17, 2023, after military installations were allegedly damaged by supporters of former Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan following his arrest last week.

Instability in Pakistan increases risks for UAE, Saudi Arabia

Beach with parasols and blooming bougainvillea near Sharm el-Sheikh,Red Sea,Egypt.

Egypt’s tourism sector continues to lure private investors despite economic difficulties

Opportunities in the sector are set to increase following the government’s renewed bid to double the number of annual visitors from pre-pandemic levels and nearly triple annual tourism revenues to $30 billion by 2028, up from $12.2 billion in 2022.

Marc Español