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Economy & Business

A ship sails along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia, April 16, 2025.

Maersk resumes Red Sea passage after two-year halt amid easing Houthi threat

A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October has prompted some shipping companies to consider resuming services, but security concerns persist.

Solar panels in a Sinai desert, Egypt.

Egypt lands $572M UAE-backed solar deal, expanding Gulf's clean-energy footprint

Gulf companies have been increasing their investments in North African renewable energy.

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO - AUGUST 20: In this handout image from Populous, digital renderings of the proposed Stade Hassan II stadium in Morocco, projected to be the largest football stadium in the world with 115,000 capacity are depicted on August 20, 2024 in Casablanca, Morocco. The stadium design is by Populous and Oulalou + Choi (Photo by Populous via Handout/Getty Images)

Morocco’s markets rise as World Cup spending fuels largest IPO in decades

Shares in SGTM jumped by 10% on Dec. 16 after the construction firm raised roughly $550 million from its IPO, underscoring demand in a market that has featured few new listings in recent years.

Latest News

India’s Modi eyes closer ties with Jordan, Oman during visits

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II (R) meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jordan, on Dec. 16, 2025.

Egypt secures Qatari investment boost, launches first SCZONE industrial deal

Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib speaking at the Egyptian-Qatari Investment Forum in Cairo, Egypt on Dec. 14, 2025 (State Information Service)

Analysis

Yemen’s oil heartland fuels new conflict as STC seeks new political power

Yemeni employees walk at the Aden oil refinery company in Yemen's port city of Aden on Sept. 29, 2015.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

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)

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

Ben Gurion Airport

Full list of airlines that have suspended Israel flights after Hamas attacks

Israel’s main international airport has remained open despite the conflict, and most Israeli airlines are still operating.

Gaza Strip

EU's backpedaling on Palestinian aid exposes fissures on foreign policy

An EU Commission spokesperson said at a Brussels briefing on Tuesday that earlier comments by a senior EU official were not endorsed by the top leadership of the 27-state bloc.

first tests of Alstom's Coradia iLint Hydrogen train between Reignac-sur-Indre and Loches, central France.

Saudi Arabia set to begin Middle East’s first hydrogen train trials

Saudi Arabian Railways, in partnership with French manufacturer Alstom, will begin to operate the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train in Riyadh later this month.

Gaza

Israel-Gaza war: Oil prices spike, Israel begins sell-off to support shekel

Israel's currency tumbled to its lowest level against the dollar since 2016 and the central bank is selling foreign reserves to prop up its value.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Can UAE's currency swap offer Egypt's spiraling economy some respite?

The arrangement is expected to relieve some pressure on Cairo’s foreign currency reserves, secure FX liquidity and bring stability to the exchange rate with Abu Dhabi.

Al-Monitor Staff

By Al-Monitor Staff

alfalfa

Explainer: What is behind the Arizona-Saudi groundwater controversy?

The US state canceled the lease for one of Saudi dairy giant Almarai’s subsidiaries, saying it has been improperly pumping groundwater out of the desert.

A vendor selling watermelons steers his horse-drawn cart along a street in Cairo on October 2, 2023. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt’s economy teeters following Moody's downgrade

Egypt is suffering from high inflation, foreign currency shortages and an IMF-supported currency devaluation as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeks reelection.

A bird flies past a boat sailing along Dubai creek in the Gulf emirate on May 2, 2021 while the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is seen in the background. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

20% rise in Middle East late-stage venture capital funding despite global decline

Startups in the Middle East and North Africa have so far in 2023 reported a 20% year-on-year growth, new data shows, while global funding activity of this type has seen a 49% decline from 2022.

Sustainable fuel

UAE’s Masdar signs sustainable aviation fuel deal with Boeing

Several Gulf entities are investing in the bio-based alternative jet fuel, though its development faces several challenges and is not ready for mass use.

The Pioneering Spirit vessel, which will carry out construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline, passes the Yavuz Sultan Selim Brigde on the Bosporus, Istanbul, Turkey, May 31, 2017.

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ in talks with Turkey to build railway for trade corridor

Amid increasing cooperation between the two countries, an alternative trade corridor is planned linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Dubai marina

Middle East economic growth to fall sharply in 2023, World Bank says

The Middle East and North Africa’s gross domestic product is expected to plummet to 1.9% in 2023 from 6% in 2022.

Italian FM

Italy's FM in Saudi Arabia to talk energy partnerships, investments as ties grow

The far-right government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has worked to strengthen ties with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.