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

Business and Economy Cover Image

Economy & Business

U.S. President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Oval Office at the White House on September 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump has signaled that the U.S. might lift a ban on F-35 sales to Turkey during Erdogan's first visit to the White House since 2019. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Turkey, US push toward $100B trade goal as Bolat heads to Washington

Bilateral trade between the United States and Turkey reached almost $43 billion in 2024, according to the US trade representative.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan walk at the Kremlin following their talks in Moscow on August 7, 2025. (Photo by Gavriil Grigorov / POOL / AFP) (Photo by GAVRIIL GRIGOROV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE, Russia host first joint business forum despite Ukraine war sanctions

Trade between the two countries is projected to exceed $10 billion in 2025.

United Arab Emirates

Multiple exposure photograph of the Netflix and Warner Bros logos in front of a television screen at Kerlouan in Brittany in France, on Dec. 5 2025.

Mideast funds back Paramount's $108B Warner Bros. takeover bid

Netflix appeared to have won a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount and Comcast, securing a $72 billion equity deal for Warner Bros. Discovery's TV, film studios and streaming assets, but Monday's $108 billion bid changes the calculus.

Latest News

Saudi Arabia deepens footprint in Syria with four new oil and gas deals

An employee works at the Rmailan oil field in the northeastern Syria, near the border with Turkey, on Jan. 8, 2025.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar ink high-speed rail deal advancing Gulf integration

People walk on the platform of the Haramain High Speed Rail Network at the airport station in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, on Dec. 12, 2019.

Qatar, UAE step up LNG plans as global demand surges

KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Feature

Syria’s new order faces old problems: Sanctions, reconstruction and volatility

An aerial view shows the destruction across Yarmouk camp, Damascus, Syria, on November 8, 2025. Established in 1957, Yarmouk was once the largest Palestinian refugee community in Syria, but years of conflict left much of it in ruins. (Photo by Omar Albaw / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

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

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

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Correspondent

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

A branch of Barclays in the United Kingdom vandalized by protestors and circulated by Palestine Action on June 10, 2024

Barclays plays down Israel military links as protesters target branches

More than 15 branches of the bank across England and Scotland were found with windows smashed and red paint daubed over the buildings as part of a protest calling on the bank to divest from arms companies that sell to Israel as well as from fossil fuel businesses.

An Egyptian man drives a tuk-tuk (motorised rickshaw) in the al-Khalifa district of Egypt's capital Cairo on January 11, 2023. - With Egypt's economy in crisis, the currency in freefall and inflation skyrocketing, the poor have been hit hard but the middle class is also teetering on the brink. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt's year-on-year inflation drops below 30% in first since January

The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced that Egypt’s inflation rate has maintained its downturn for the fourth consecutive month, dropping to 28.15% in May from 32.54% in April.

(From L) Saudi actor Yaqoub Alfarhan, Saudi actress Maria Bahrawi and Saudi director and screenwriter Tawfik Alzaidi pose during a photocall for the film "Norah" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 24, 2024.

Analysis

How Saudiwood’s power play is reshaping Middle East film industry

While the country's first entry at Cannes didn’t win, its inclusion in the festival was another step toward Saudi ambitions to become a film industry powerhouse.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A man watches stock movements on a display at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in the Gulf emirate on April 12, 2022. Shares in the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) rose 16 percent on April 12 in the Gulf region's biggest initial public offering since Saudi oil giant Aramco in 2019.

Saudi Arabia poised to raise $11.2B in Aramco's second IPO

Aramco had set a price range of its shares between 26.7 and 29.0 riyals ($7.12 and $7.73) but said on Friday it ended up pricing them at 27.25 riyals ($7.27).

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP via Getty Images

Invest Qatar sees big role for logistics sector, World Cup spurred investments

The Gulf country ranks seventh globally in logistics competence in Agility's Emerging Markets Logistics Index as the Qatar Free Zones Authority brings in top companies in the sector.

Haitham al-Ghais, secretary general of OPEC, speaks with Carlos Pascual during CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, Texas on March 7, 2023.

OPEC chief defends oil cut phase-out plans despite bearish market

The markets reacted bearishly OPEC+'s Sunday output decision, worrying it could lead to oversupply later in 2024 despite slow demand growth.

United Arab Emirates

Omani energy minister

Interview

Oman to phase out polluting industries 'too difficult to decarbonize'

Omani Minister of Energy and Minerals Salim Al Aufi told Al-Monitor that if his government finds an industry too difficult or costly to decarbonize, there will be discussions taking place about phasing the sector out all together.

Salim Al Aufi

Salim Al Aufi

Oman Minister of Energy and Minerals

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Qatar National Bank says GCC banks have more liquidity than global rivals

An executive at the Qatari lender said that Gulf countries will have to compete with the rest of the world for billions of dollars in equity to finance infrastructure projects, of which there is a higher demand than supply.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian attends the Moldova support conference at the Foreign Ministry, Berlin, Germany, April 5, 2022.

Le Drian says France keen to help Saudi Arabia transition away from oil

France's former top diplomat said that his country was supportive of Saudi Arabia's efforts to diversify its economy.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt’s foreign reserves hit record $46B on back of UAE, IMF deals

Egypt’s foreign reserves have been boosted by a recent Emirati investment in the Ras El-Hekma coastal area, though the economy is still struggling with inflation.

AYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia sees 477% increase in multinational HQs in first quarter

The 127 international companies relocating to Saudi Arabia so far this year follow a Saudi program to attract world businesses.

A teller counts US dollar bills at an exchange office in Ankara, Turkey, July 20, 2023.

Turkey’s inflation tops 75% but economy czar says 'worst is over'

Finance and Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek has said that inflation will begin dropping from June.