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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

SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia, Qatar raise repo rates while Turkey stays put

Central Banks in the Middle East are responding to the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates due to rising inflation.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez (2nd-L) and Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov (2nd-R) attend the Turkey-Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan) Natural Gas Pipeline Project signing ceremony at the Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Ministry headquarters, Ankara, Turkey, Dec. 15, 2020.

No magic tap for Europe to replace Russian gas via Turkey

Europe has been looking to Azerbaijan, Israel and other countries to transit gas via Turkey, but assuming political obstacles can be overcome, the massive investments needed will take time to realize.

A picture taken March 1, 2006, shows traditional buildings in Sanaa's Old City.

Real estate in Yemen’s Sanaa still thrives despite war

Despite the destruction in Yemen, land and residential prices are skyrocketing and the industry is becoming an attractive investment.

DONT USE - Gulf Pulse

Abramovich yacht

Israel implements some but not all sanctions against Russian oligarchs

Israel’s leadership said that the country will not enable Russian oligarchs to bypass Western sanctions, but at the same time it did not commit clearly to adopt all the sanctions.

A security guard opens the main entrance to the Oasis Casino on May 3, 2001.

Jericho’s casino may reopen after 21 years

The Oasis Casino in the West Bank, once considered the largest gambling hall in the Middle East, has returned to the fore again amid talks about reopening the venue 21 years after it closed.

Mosque Gaza

Gazans outraged over millions of dollars spent building mosques

The upcoming inauguration of a mosque that was built at a cost of $2 million in the cash-strapped Gaza Strip has shocked residents whose homes have been destroyed by the repeated wars.

Sisi & Bennett

Israel, Egypt launch new flight route ahead of Passover

Following up on the September meeting between Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Jerusalem and Cairo announced the opening of a flight route between Tel Aviv and Sharm el-Sheikh.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) and Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa.

Saudi GDP grew 3.2% in 2021, highest in seven years

Saudi economic progress includes growth in the non-oil sector, as foreign direct investment moves more slowly.

China currency

Analysis

Saudi considering China’s yuan for oil purchases

Saudi Arabia and China have been growing closer for years, and the news comes at a time of frustration among Gulf states with the US.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Leonid Nevzlin, a former Russian oligarch.

As West ups sanctions on Russia's oligarchs, many maintain Israeli citizenship

Dozens of Russian oligarchs have obtained Israeli citizenship in recent years due to their Jewish heritage. Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could affect Israel’s relationships with the billionaires as well as its technology sector.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Ultra-Orthodox Jewish children.

Israel's ultra-Orthodox reject housing in new Negev town

Ultra-Orthodox leaders search for a solution to the housing crisis in the sector, but they are not in favor of the solution proposed by the government to establish a new ultra-Orthodox town in the Negev region.

A Palestinian employee works inside a wheat mill.

Egypt to see wheat imports resume from Ukraine, Russia

Egypt also banned wheat exports to protect its grain supply, which has been threatened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Egypt is one of the largest wheat importers in the world.

Al-Monitor Staff

By Al-Monitor Staff