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Economy & Business

a large billboard featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

What Netanyahu win or loss could mean for Israel’s economy

Economic concerns have taken a back seat to security as voters weigh Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future — but rising deficits, cost of living and politically charged issues will be a challenge for whoever eventually prevails.

Qatar's Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi speaks during a press conference in Doha, on June 22, 2026.

Qatar locks in US LNG through 2054 as it looks beyond Hormuz

The Gulf state agreed to buy up to 4 million tons of US liquefied natural gas annually through 2054.

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.

Latest News

Gulf oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks

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.

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

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

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

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

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

This photo taken on May 11, 2019, shows a Chinese employee holding a self-developed chip at an industrial park in Jinan in China's eastern Shandong province.

Abu Dhabi to cooperate with Chinese province on industry

China's Shandong province has signed an MOU with the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

Morocco refinery

Calls rise to reactivate Morocco’s only refinery as oil prices soar

Activists and opposition parties are calling for Morocco’s SAMIR oil plant to be brought back online after a seven-year hiatus to alleviate fossil fuel import pressure and enhance energy sovereignty.

A general view of Al-Reesa Seawater Desalination Plant in El-Arish city, in the northern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, March 20, 2022.

Egypt expands water desalination projects as Nile dam talks hit new snag

The Egyptian government is seeking to expand seawater desalination projects in the upcoming period, especially in coastal and border cities, by establishing 14 new plants.

Cyprus' Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides (R) holds a joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud.

Saudi Arabia, Cyprus set up joint business council

Cyprus has important relationships with several Middle Eastern states, including Egypt.

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the northern coastal city of Caesarea, Israel, Dec. 19, 2019.

Egypt's gas imports from Israel hit all-time high

Gas flows hit a new record in the first quarter of the year and peaked in March, when Cairo purchased above contractual volumes.

A man carries a bale of wheat during the harvest in the village of Bamha near al-Ayyat in Egypt.

Egypt asks World Bank for $500 million to buy wheat

Egypt is asking the World Bank for $500 million to cover its wheat needs in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Emiratis walk in Masdar City, on the outskirts of the rich Emirate of Abu Dhabi, on October 7, 2015.

UAE continues renewable energy push with Azerbaijan deal

The two countries will work to develop power from wind, solar and green hydrogen sources.

Cryptocurrency

Dubai charity to accept donations in cryptocurrency

The crypto scene is rapidly expanding in the United Arab Emirates.

Israel's Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (2nd L) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (2nd R) chat with Bahrain's Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani (R) and Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (L), in Sde Boker, Israel, March 28, 2022.

With free trade agreement, Israel hopes to triple trade with Emirates

Israel and the United Arab Emirates already established a large scope of bilateral trade, but officials and businesspeople on both sides are persuaded that this is only the beginning.

A general view shows office buildings at al-Raidah Digital City of the Saudi capital Riaydh on Feb. 28, 2022.

Israelis begin doing deals in Saudi Arabia

Following a change in Saudi Arabia’s entry requirements, dozens of Israeli businesspeople arrived recently to Riyadh and even closed deals there.

A Sudanese woman and a boy gather threshed wheat stalks at the Zam Zam camp for Internally Displaced People (IDP), North Darfur, on April 9, 2015.

Can Sudan replace Ukraine as breadbasket for MENA region?

Despite Sudan’s agricultural and animal resources, political instability is hindering the country's potential to benefit itself and the region.

Jordan energy

UAE, Egypt, Jordan agree to $10 billion investment partnership

The Abu Dhabi investment firm ADQ will manage the funds, which will focus on food security and industrial integration in the region.