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Economy & Business

Saudi Arabia football supporters wave flags

China-Saudi consortium wins $306M World Cup stadium deal: What to know

The project is a vote of confidence to Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy away from oil, despite an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the kingdom in recent weeks.

The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah east of the UAE, on Oct. 13, 2026.

Gulf oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks

According to data from Kpler, oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and alternative routes across the Middle East averaged more than 24 million barrels a day last week, surpassing prewar levels of 23.3 million.

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

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

Macron secures Gulf diesel supplies as France grapples with fuel costs, unrest

France now has commitments for 295,000 metric tons of diesel per month from the Gulf, accounting for just over 10% of the European country’s consumption.

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Explainer

Indonesia first foreign country to own property in Saudi Arabia's Mecca

Vehicles move along a main street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on Sept. 16, 2026.

Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' until 2027 amid Houthi attacks

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

As Iran’s oil lifeline runs dry, can it outlast Trump's economic siege?

shoppers walking through the Tajrish Bazaar, a traditional market in Tehran

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Analysis

How much oil can cushion another Middle East supply shock?

A vessel transits the Gulf of Oman

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

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

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

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (4th R) attends a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (3rd L) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on February 22, 2019. (Photo by HOW HWEE YOUNG / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read HOW HWEE YOUNG/AFP via Getty Images)

From roads to routers: The future of China-Middle East connectivity

Latest Trend Report: China is deepening its engagement in the Middle East, and the region, by and large, is welcoming it.

Qatar Economic Forum

Qatar forum warns of economic downturn, shift in cryptocurrency

One Qatar Economic Forum participant says it will take at least a generation to reach a point where the world can depend on clean power.

Turkey elections

Turkey Elections: Fears of internet restrictions mount with over a dozen under Erdogan

With a critical presidential election runoff on Sunday, Turks are on high alert for potential censorship and internet shutdowns.

A picture shows the headquarters of UAE's state oil company ADNOC in Dubai on July 27, 2022. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

ADNOC boosts Middle East IPO activity as Saudi Aramco debates next moves

Amid an enduring global IPO slump, the Middle East continues to produce new listings in 2023 — headlined by Abu Dhabi’s national oil company ADNOC with the largest IPO globally of Quarter 1.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

UAE Sultan Al Jaber

UAE unlikely to remove oil CEO as COP28 head despite Western protests

With his experience in both renewables and fossil fuels, the United Arab Emirates sees Sultan Al Jaber's role as important in bridging climate negotiators' interests and creating energy company buy-in.

United Arab Emirates

Qatari men walk next to a Qatar Airways cargo airplane on the tarmac of Hamad International Airport near the capital Doha, as the first commercial flight to Saudi Arabia in three and a half years following a Gulf diplomatic thaw prepares to take off, on January 11, 2021. (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Qatar Airways struggles to rebound in China with post-COVID labor shortages

CEO Akbar Al Baker said that his airline was seeing a huge demand for travel post-pandemic but a “massive shortage” of capacity due to supply chain issues.