Economy & Business - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Business and Economy Cover Image

Economy & Business

CN-STR / AFP via Getty Images

China’s overland trade routes offer Iran wartime economic lifeline: What to know

Cargo rail traffic between China and Iran has reportedly surged since the US blockade began in April as Tehran seeks overland trade alternatives to help buy time.

In this picture obtained from Iran's ISNA news agency on May 4, 2026, the Iran-flagged tugboat Basim sails near a ship anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas in southern Iran.

What to know about Iran's 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' to control Hormuz traffic

The establishment of an entity seeking to control maritime transportation in the Strait of Hormuz is the latest sign that Iran wants to formalize authority in the strategic waterway.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks in Beirut on Dec. 19, 2025.

Egypt ramps up energy investments amid war-driven price pressures

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Wednesday that Egypt has secured commitments exceeding $19 billion from international oil companies over the next three years.

Latest News

Few ships pass Hormuz despite US efforts to break Iran's hold

Tankers are seen at the Khor Fakkan Container Terminal in the Sharjah Emirate, along the Strait of Hormuz on June 23, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran strikes UAE’s Fujairah oil hub as US pushes Hormuz reopening

Meysam MIRZADEH / TASNIM NEWS / AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers

Crops of wheat and barley in Terbol village on May 10, 2022, in Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Oman enters Gulf AI race with new special economic zone in Muscat

Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP via Getty Images

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

Iranian rials are displayed in Tehran, on July 31, 2019.

Iran’s currency drops to more than 1 million rials to US dollar: What to know

This is yet another record low for Iran’s currency, as the country navigates intense sanctions and US pressure.

Protesters clash with Turkish riot police using tear gas and water cannon during a demonstration following the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul in Ankara, on March 22, 2025.

Imamoglu's arrest triggers emergency market measures as Turkey stocks plunge

The Turkish lira and equities have fallen sharply since the arrest last week of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu — a key rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — on corruption charges, which he denies.

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ national security advisor and a key proponent of the state’s artificial intelligence ambitions, met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, March 18. Embassy of the United Arab Emirates

Analysis

AI, aluminum and chips: Decoding UAE's Sheikh Tahnoon's visit to Trump

The Emiratis continue to negotiate with Washington to facilitate access to AI chips produced by US firms.

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

Heathrow

Mideast airlines cancel flights as outage closes Heathrow Airport

At least 1,357 flights were scheduled to depart or arrive from Britain's busiest airport on Friday, and the Middle Eastern carriers were not spared from the disruption.

United Arab Emirates

University student wave Turkish national flags as they gather in protest in Besiktas district in Istanbul on March 20, 2025 following Istanbul metropolitan Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's detention over a corruption probe.

Analysis

Turkey’s shaky economy early casualty of Imamoglu’s arrest on terror charges

The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on dubious terror charges has rattled investor confidence, sending the lira plunging, triggering market turmoil and raising fears of prolonged political instability.

Amberin Zaman

By Amberin Zaman

Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture

SUEZ, EGYPT - NOVEMBER 3: A ship transits the Suez Canal towards the Red Sea on November 3, 2024 in Suez, Egypt. The shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk recently said it did not expect to resume sailing through the Suez Canal until 2025 due to the continued threat of attacks in the Red Sea. The Iran-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen has launched regular attacks on vessels off its coast since late 2023, disrupting a vital shipping route in east-west trade. A report this summer indicated that Suez Canal traffic

Maersk raises rates as Red Sea crisis costs Egypt $800M per month

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have resumed attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the United States is escalating its military campaign against the Iran-backed group.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Ben & Jerry’s says CEO ousted by Unilever over activism: What to know

In an ongoing legal battle, the ice cream maker and its parent company, Unilever, have locked horns over Ben & Jerry’s social activism and particularly its advocacy for Palestinians during the Gaza war.

Sheikh tahnoon

UAE seals cloud deal with Microsoft, Core42 as Sheikh Tahnoon visits US

The deal follows Microsoft's $1.5 billion investment last year in G42 to accelerate AI development.

United Arab Emirates

In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FRG4s is being prepared to conduct further strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen at RAF Akrotiri on Feb. 3, 2024 in Akrotiri, Cyprus.

US strikes on Yemen's Houthis, China stimulus drive surge in oil prices

Brent crude was up 1.3% to $71.53 a barrel on Monday morning compared to close on Sunday.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon makes first US visit since Trump reelection: What to know

The UAE's influential national security advisor, who chairs some of the country's most important funds and firms, will reportedly meet with White House officials and business leaders including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

United Arab Emirates

NYSE

Analysis

US stock plunge poses dilemmas for Gulf investors while exposing PIF, Mubadala risks

Middle East investors are bracing for steep losses and questioning about their long-term investments in America amid a drop in the US stock market.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Participants arrive to attend the annual Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in Riyadh on Oct. 29, 2024.

UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia finance startups lead Forbes Middle East Fintech50

Some 119 fintech startups across the Middle East and North Africa raised $700 million in 2024, accounting for 30% of the total MENA startup funding for last year.