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Economy & Business

Pictured in this undated image is the Al-Thawra oil field in Raqqa governorate, as rehabilitation works continue to restore production capacity.

Syria restores Raqqa oil field in former ISIS stronghold: What to know

Before Syria's civil war erupted in 2011, national oil production stood at between 400,000 and 500,00 barrels per day before falling to under 100,000 bpd during the conflict.

Guests stand at the Aramco booth during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 3, 2025.

Aramco profits jump 26% as Hormuz disruption chokes supply

Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said the market has already lost around 1 billion barrels of oil supply since the US-Israel-Iran war erupted on Feb. 28.

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

Kaja Kallas

EU restores economic pact to pursue fuller trade ties with Syria

The move marks a major economic step for Syria's recovery after its 13-year civil war and the fall of the Assad regime.

CN-STR / AFP via Getty Images

China’s overland trade routes offer Iran wartime economic lifeline: What to know

Cargo rail traffic between China and Iran has reportedly surged since the US blockade began in April as Tehran seeks overland trade alternatives to help buy time.

Latest News

What to know about Iran's 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' to control Hormuz traffic

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, the Iran-flagged tugboat Basim sails near a ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

Egypt ramps up energy investments amid war-driven price pressures

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks in Beirut on Dec. 19, 2025.

Few ships pass Hormuz despite US efforts to break Iran's hold

Tankers are seen at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in the Sharjah Emirate, along the Strait of Hormuz on June 23, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via 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

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

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.

The exterior of a 787 Dreamliner at the Boeing manufacturing facility in North Charleston, on December 13, 2022. - Betting on robust demand for international travel, United Airlines on Tuesday unveiled an order of 100 new Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options for an additional 100 jets. (Photo by Logan Cyrus / AFP) (Photo by LOGAN CYRUS/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia to buy 121 Boeing-787s in ‘historic’ $37 billion deal

The agreements make up the fifth-largest commercial order by value in Boeing’s history and is valued at nearly $37 billion.

Lebanese protesters demonstrate against the monetary policies of Lebanon's Central Bank governor in the capital Beirut on January 25, 2023. - European investigators will question Lebanon's central bank chief Riad Salameh (portraits) next month as part of a probe into his and his brother's affairs, a judicial official told AFP earlier this week. Investigators from France, Germany and Luxembourg heard witnesses in Beirut last week as part of the case of suspected financial misconduct including possible money

Lebanon's pound hits new bottom, ahead of Riad Salameh interrogation

A French judge arrived in Lebanon this week to question central bank head Riad Salameh over his alleged financial crimes.

This picture taken on May 13, 2013 shows untreated phosphate being dropped off on a montain at the end of a conveyor belt at the Marca factory of the National Moroccan phosphates company (OCP/public), near Laayoune, the capital of Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara. - As a global leader in the market for phosphate and its derivatives, OCP has been a key player in the international market since its founding in 1920, the worlds largest exporter of phosphate rock and phosphoric acid and one of the worlds large

Morocco’s phosphate giant OCP put to test as Africa’s fertilizer market heats up

Global players are taking an interest in the African fertilizer market, putting the dominant position of Morocco's phosphate producer to the test.

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (L) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People on December 23, 2014 in Beijing, China. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is undertaking his first visit to China in hopes to secure investment deals. (Photo by Greg Baker - Pool/Getty Images)

Egypt’s exports to China up more than 20% in 2022

China is making inroads in the Middle East, including by strengthening economic ties to Egypt.

Lebanon's Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh gestures during an interview with AFP at his office in the capital Beirut on December 20, 2021. (Photo by JOSEPH EID / AFP) (Photo by JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images)

Lebanon’s bank chief Salameh in hot seat as French judge arrives in Beirut

The French judge will question Riad Salameh over the central bank governor’s alleged involvement in financial crimes.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Silicon Valley Bank collapse reverberates in Israel, Gulf

Israeli startups had a lot of money in Silicon Valley Bank and may need the government’s help.

Riyadh Air

Saudi’s new Riyadh Air set to compete with Emirates, Qatar Airways

The airline is expected to better connect travelers to Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural attractions, create more than 200,000 jobs and add $20 billion to non-oil gross domestic product.

A man counts Egyptian pounds at a currency exchange shop, Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 3, 2016.

Major bitcoin fraud case rattles Egypt

Hundreds of Egyptians were swindled by an international crypto mining company, raising controversy over the digital currency that has grown in popularity in cash-strapped Egypt.

An aerial view shows the Kingdom Centre skyscraper (Kingdom Tower) and the King Fahad road in the Saudi capital Riyadh, on May 24, 2020. (Photo by FAISAL AL-NASSER/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia’s 2022 GDP breaks record, exceeds $1 trillion

Saudi Arabia’s government report states that it achieved its highest gross domestic product growth rate in over a decade in 2022 at 8.7% and broke its total amount record of more than $1 trillion last year.

The Ritz hotel is pictured in central London on May 18, 2020.

UK Islamic bank: Soccer boosting Gulf property investments

Andrew Ball, the CEO of the Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME), spoke to Al-Monitor about how soccer is fueling a rise in Gulf investment in northern England.