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Economy & Business

A picture taken at the port of Dilovasi, outside Istanbul, on June 20, 2019, shows the drilling ship Yavuz scheduled to search for oil and gas off Cyprus.

Turkey eyes offshore energy pact with Syria in 2026 amid East Med isolation

Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar has offered up details on a deal with Syria that could unsettle regional rivals in the gas-rich Eastern Mediterranean.

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Australian LNG deal marks latest step in Turkey's energy diversification push

Although Turkey does not have abundant oil and gas resources, Ankara wants to position itself as a regional gas hub linking Europe and Asia.

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

Latest News

Turkey hits renewable milestone as solar surpasses gas in power capacity

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

Analysis

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

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

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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.

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

Ras al-Khaimah

UAE doubles tax inspections in first half of 2022

The Gulf state is seeking to increase its financial transparency and boost tax revenue.

STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Oil falls below $100 to lowest price in two weeks

US President Joe Biden failed to convince Saudi Arabia to significantly increase oil production during his recent trip to the region but the boosts endorsed by the OPEC+ alliance came into effect this month.

Al-Monitor Staff

By Al-Monitor Staff

Libya oil

Libyan oil production to return to normal following resolution of dispute

Tribes loyal to former rebel Khalifa Hifter shut down oil fields and ports in eastern Libya recently over a dispute with the transitional government.

MAHMOUD kHALED/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt to list more state companies on stock exchange

Egypt is selling state firms amid its economic crisis and Gulf entities are particularly interested in acquiring them.

A partial view shows residential buildings in Tehran on Dec. 22, 2021.

Iran's middle class priced out of housing market

As housing costs in Iran see record increases, officials are exchanging blame.

Egypt McDonald's

Reports: McDonald’s raises Big Mac price by 50% in Egypt

One Egyptian media outlet is encouraging people to make McDonald’s food at home in response to the price hike, which comes amid soaring food costs across the region.

an. 13, 2022, photo shows the broadcasting headquarters of the Egyptian Radio and Television Union in Cairo.

Saudi Arabia, Egypt go in on media project ahead of COP27

Preparations are underway in Egypt to launch an international news channel after securing an agreement with Saudi Arabia to fund the media project.

(L-R) Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Russia to invest $40 billion in Iran’s oil sector

The news came during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Iran and may have been motivated by US sanctions.

(L to R) Amos Hochstein, the US senior adviser for Energy Security, speaks with the Saudi Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih.

Venture capital investments in Saudi startups triple to $584 million

Saudi Arabia is proud of its emerging startup scene, but oil remains the bedrock of the Saudi economy.

A picture taken on Jan. 29, 2018, shows a man walking on the Iraqi capital's Rasheed Street, one of the oldest streets of the city.

Mega projects do little to calm Iraq's housing crisis

Despite several mega housing projects launched in Iraq, most notably the Al-Rafeel City project and Bismayah New City in Baghdad, Iraq still needs millions of houses to end the housing crisis.

A general view taken on April 9, 2014, shows the oil terminal of Marsa al-Hariga in Libya.

Explainer: Libya exports oil to Italy after end of shutdown in east

Tribes affiliated with Gen. Khalifa Hifter, who fought the government during the civil war, closed several oil fields due to a dispute with Libya’s state oil company.

Mazeej community products at a HORECA booth in Beirut, Lebanon, March 24, 2022.

Lebanese initiative to support struggling zaatar producers

Small-scale producers in Lebanon are struggling to stay in business due to harsh economic conditions, but projects like Mazeej are helping them to turn things around for the better.