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Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives to attend the second day of the first Syrian-Emirati (United Arab Emirates) Investment Forum, at the People's Palace in Damascus on May 12, 2026. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Ports and infrastructure: UAE embraces new economic order in Syria

UAE-Syrian ties have moved faster than expected, with Abu Dhabi embracing President Ahmad al-Sharaa and relations shifting from normalization to investment opportunities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2026, and was warmly received by the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the airport. The PM is shown being accorded a Guard of Honor upon his arrival.

UAE unveils $5B India investment push during Modi visit: What to know

India and the UAE signed deals related to energy supplies and maritime security, further strengthening ties amid the war in the region.

United Arab Emirates

A Syrian citizen exchanges old banknotes for new notes released and distributed by the central bank, at a bank in the capital, Damascus, on Jan. 3, 2026.

Interview

UK fintech brings foreign currency accounts to Syrians at home

The launch comes as Syria’s new government attempts to stabilize the country’s shattered economy following the January 2025 rise to power of President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad.

Jag Vasant, an Indian-flagged tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that transited through the Strait of Hormuz amid the Middle East war, remains docked at an offloading terminal along the coast in Mumbai on April 1, 2026.

Uptick in Chinese tankers transiting Hormuz amid Trump-Xi summit

President Donald Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday, a meeting closely watched in Iran.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

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

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

Aramco profits jump 26% as Hormuz disruption chokes supply

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

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

EU restores economic pact to pursue fuller trade ties with Syria

Kaja Kallas

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

An electronic sign on a building shows the price of Brent crude oil in Hong Kong, March 9, 2022.

Brent crude falls nearly 10%, OPEC basket drops slightly

Saudi Arabia has acted to keep prices high recently against the wishes of the US.

An Algerian employee prepares bread at a bakery in the capital Algiers, on Feb. 27, 2022.

War in Ukraine tests Algeria’s wheat reserves amid inflation, drought

Wheat supplies should be sufficient for the rest of 2022. But the country will eventually be compelled to secure additional quantities at higher prices

StoreDot's headquarters in the Israeli coastal city of Herziliya on Feb. 16, 2021.

Fundraising by Israeli startups expected to decline during 2022

A survey of Israeli startup companies shows a significant drop in fundraising.

A general view of the Egyptian Stock Market in the capital, Cairo, on Jan. 6, 2013.

UAE investments boost Egyptian economy

The United Arab Emirates is seeking profits by investing $2 billion in Egyptian state-held stakes in some companies.

Korea UAE

Abu Dhabi, South Korea pledge to boost economic relations

South Korean entities have signed major deals with Egypt and Saudi Arabia recently.

United Arab Emirates

An employee counts banknotes at a currency exchange shop, Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 3, 2016.

Fitch gives Egypt ‘stable’ debt rating, citing reforms

Egypt is pursuing deregulation and tax reforms to some success, but the war in Ukraine has severely hurt the country’s economy.

Georgian border guards work at the Darial Gorge (Verkhniy Lars) border crossing, March 1, 2010.

Russian invasion of Ukraine slams Turkey’s transportation industry

Traffic at the Turkish border crossings have come to a grinding halt after trucks en route to Russia, Belarus and Central Asia diverted routes to Turkey and Georgia following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This picture taken on March 13, 2020, shows an aerial view of low-rise luxury housing in the residential suburb of Madinaty in Cairo.

Buyers rush to purchase Egyptian real estate as prices rise

Oman

Oman on cusp of introducing personal income tax

Income tax is now in the pipeline in Oman, and other nations in the Gulf, one of the world’s largest bastions of tax-free wages, are watching with interest.

H.M. King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Saudi Arabia sends $50 million to Jordan for budget as economy falters

The Jordanian government is working to close tax loopholes and increase its revenue collection amid its economic struggle.

LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE-India economic agreement to lower tariffs, duties in bid to boost trade

India is one of the UAE’s largest trading partners, with oil, jewelry and textiles forming a bulk of the trade.

United Arab Emirates

Picture of the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange building, Jan. 16, 2011.

Tel Aviv Stock Exchange continues to reach historic highs

The TA 125 index’s growth is being led by banks and not Israel’s large tech sector.