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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

Customers stand at the counter of an exchange office, Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 23, 2022.

In Turkey, high inflation drives home sales

The demand on Turkey’s housing market, stoked by a rush to protect savings from soaring inflation, is likely to increase despite skyrocketing prices unless inflation shows signs of easing.

Rough diamonds for sale at Koin International in Dubai, June 3, 2021, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Israeli diamond exchange opens office in Dubai

The Israeli and Emirati diamond sectors pledged to do business together following the signing of the Abraham Accords.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Israel Morocco

Analysis

Israel hopes to triple trade with Morocco

Israel and Morocco have signed a trade and investment cooperation agreement, with Israel aspiring to enlarge its annual trade volume with Morocco from $131 million to $500 million.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

(L to R) Mohamed Hamel, Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) summit, Qatar's Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, and Egypt's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tarek el-Molla give a joint press conference during the GECF summit in Qatar's capital Doha on Feb. 22, 2022.

Demand for natural gas up more than 20% in past decade

The Gas Exporting Countries Forum is convening in Qatar amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which could have a major effect on Europe’s energy supply.

KRG Prime Minister Barham Salih speaks at a Kurdistan-Iraq Oil and Gas Forum in Erbil, Nov. 13, 2011.

Erdogan not giving up on gas from Iraqi Kurdistan

Erdogan appears bent on advancing energy deals with Iraqi Kurdistan, even as a gas project remains bogged down by legal, technical and financial snags.

Cargo ships are moored along a dock at the port of Haifa, Israel, June 24, 2021.

Analysis

Turkish company disqualified from tender to operate Israel’s Haifa port

Israeli intelligence agencies fear that a French-Lebanese company, associated with Turkish company Yilport, which is interested in operating the Haifa port, could be affiliated with Hezbollah.

Danny Zaken

In Ma'ale HaHamisha, reporting on Israel

Lebanese anti-government protesters take part in a candlelight vigil outside the headquarters of Lebanon Electricity company in Beirut on Nov. 11, 2019.

Lebanese wary of rise of customs duties amid economic crisis

The cash-strapped Lebanese government has approved a draft budget law for 2022 that hikes the customs dollar and imposes new duties, as the country battles a severe economic crisis.

Gaza women

Bleak economy pushes Gazan women toward domestic work

The difficult economic conditions in Gaza have prompted women to resort to domestic work, a profession fraught with challenges as they live in a very conservative society.

Turkcell

Fitch downgrades several Turkish companies

The leading rating agency previously downgraded Turkey on its debt scale due to high inflation in the country.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Dubai expo

UAE explores economic cooperation with Cuba

The Abu Dhabi and the Cuban chambers of commerce met at the Expo 2020 Dubai event, and a Cuban minister visited an Emirati renewable energy company.

United Arab Emirates

Oman power

Gulf states plan to phase out below-cost electricity for their citizens

Subsidy reform is at the crux of state-led pushes to instill a change in thinking among citizens and a powerful tool to raise environmental awareness.

Serbia expo 2020

Emirati cloud firm G42 signs agreement with Serbia

The memorandum was signed at the Expo 2020 forum in Dubai.

United Arab Emirates