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Economy & Business

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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

An aerial view of the solar mirrors at the Noor 1 Concentrated Solar Power plant, some 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) outside the town of Ouarzazate, central Morocco, Feb. 4, 2016.

Five global firms shortlisted in Morocco's controversial Western Sahara energy plans

Construction on the multibillion-dollar energy project, based in Dakhla in the disputed territory, is scheduled for completion in 2029.

A man counts Turkish lira at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, July 29, 2020.

Turkey’s Central Bank holds interest rate at 50%

It marks the eighth consecutive month without a change.

Egyptian pound banknotes lie on a table on March 6, 2024, in Cairo, after Egypt's central bank announced it will allow the exchange rate to be set by the market.

Egypt to launch first IPO in three years amid IMF-fueled privatization drive

The move comes amid a privatization drive in Egypt as part of the International Monetary Fund’s conditions to provide Cairo with an $8 billion bailout to help the North African country recover from an economic crisis.

TPAO

Turkey’s big plan to launch IPOs for state energy companies: What we know

Turkey's financial recovery travails are likely to be the key reason for the change in energy policy.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

BlackRock gets nod to establish Abu Dhabi office after Saudi HQ plans set

BlackRock, which manages around $11.5 trillion in assets, announced last month that it had obtained a license from the Saudi authorities to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh.

United Arab Emirates

NEOM CEO Nadhmi Al-Nasr speaks during the last day of the Future Investment Initiative conference, Riyadh, Oct. 25, 2018.

Analysis

Why did Saudi Arabia replace Neom's CEO amid budget concerns?

The change in leadership comes at a pivotal time for the $1.5 trillion green, megacity project central to the ambitious agenda of Saudi Vision 2030.

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

US President Donald Trump (C) and Saudi King Salman (C-R) pose for a picture with leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Riyadh, May 21, 2017.

Analysis

From F-35s to real estate: Key Gulf-Trump business deals, ties to watch

Donald Trump has a varied track record of personal and official dealmaking in the Gulf states, whose leaders appear to be prepping for his return to the White House.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A menu hangs on the wall at a Ben & Jerry's ice cream store, Miami, Florida, on Sept. 23, 2021.

Ben & Jerry's sues Unilever, accuses parent of muzzling views on Gaza war

It is not the first time tensions have been frosty between Ben & Jerry's and its parent company over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Saudi PIF trims Nintendo stake from 7.5% to 6.3% in second cut of month

A filing with Japan’s Finance Ministry said the move follows the sale of more than 17 million Nintendo shares, which concluded in October.

This aerial photo taken on June 22, 2021, shows cargo containers stacked at Yantian port in Shenzhen in China's southern Guangdong province.

Analysis

How Trump could squeeze shipping firms impacted by Red Sea crisis

Xeneta, an ocean freight intelligence platform, warned Nov. 6 that shipping container rates grew by 70% during the last Trump administration.

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

A picture shows the headquarters of UAE's state oil company ADNOC in Dubai on July 27, 2022.

UAE's ADNOC doubles down on gas, allocating $15B over next 5 years

In a Monday statement ADNOC Gas said it had raised its capital expenditure plan to around $15 billion for the next five years, from about $13 billion.

United Arab Emirates

The entrance gate stands illuminated outside the conference venue prior to the COP29 Climate Conference, Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 10, 2024.

COP29: Mideast players chase over $1T climate finance as Trump cues US retreat

Climate finance will be a key topic of discussion for world leaders gathering in Azerbaijan this week, yet there is little agreement on this issue that looms large for the Middle East and North Africa.

United Arab Emirates