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. Turkey
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. Turkey
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. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
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. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: Business & Tech A year of rapid growth reshapes Gulf finance By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis Gulf finance hubs race to expand as hedge funds flock to Dubai, Abu Dhabi By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Emirati and Turkish businesspeople discuss bilateral trade, investment The meeting between the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Turkey’s ULUSKON business federation occurred in the context of rapprochement between the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Turkey
Egypt institutes price controls for bread Bread prices in Egypt have increased considerably since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Egypt receives the majority of its wheat from the two Eastern European countries. Egypt
Lebanese turn to cryptocurrency as economy tanks Lebanon is bursting with crypto mining shops, traders and online mentors to fulfill the surging demand from people desperately looking to gain financial freedom and much-needed US dollars. Lebanon
Turkish tourism sector scrambles to minimize fallout of Ukraine war Bracing for a big loss of Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers this summer, Turkey’s tourism industry is looking for replacements in Europe and the Middle East. But few are hopeful that the gap can be closed. Turkey
Egypt raises interest rates for first time since 2017 Inflation and bread prices have risen significantly in Egypt recently, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also raised their rates. Egypt
Analysis 'Hot money' singes Egypt’s economy Although capital outflows are no surprise, devaluation looks imminent to mitigate pressure on the pound. By Ahmed Elleithy
UAE continues to grow influence in Africa with Zimbabwe trade The Emirates has expanded its presence on the African continent in recent years via infrastructure investments, military bases and more. United Arab Emirates
Turkish minister’s pledge to foreign investors causes uproar at home As foreign investments decline, Nureddin Nebati's promise to "take the bureaucracy down" raises concerns at home and abroad about evading the rule of law. Turkey
Fitch downgrades Tunisia’s debt rating The assessment from the leading credit agency is based on the Tunisian government’s high deficit and the political instability brought on by the president power grab last year, among other things. Tunisia
Jihadi group raises prices in Syria’s Idlib as war rages in Ukraine While some believe the Russian war on Ukraine has upped prices in northwest Syria, others accuse Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of exploiting the crisis to make gains. Syria
UK loans $2.3 billion to Turkey for high-speed rail line Turkey and the United Kingdom have gotten closer economically recently, which is in part related to tensions with the European Union. By Al-Monitor Staff
Egypt seeks to boost gas exports to Europe as Russia-Ukraine war drags on Egypt hopes to boost its natural gas exports at a time when European countries are gradually giving up reliance on Russian hydrocarbons, including gas, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Egypt