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

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Economy & Business

Kaja Kallas

EU restores economic pact to pursue fuller trade ties with Syria

The move marks a major economic step for Syria's recovery after its 13-year civil war and the fall of the Assad regime.

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

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

People sit in front of a currency exchange office on July 19, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey.

Turkey ends unpopular bond scheme in latest fiscal policy change

Turkey’s fiscal policy has reversed since President Erdogan won reelection in May, most notably with regards to interest rates.

A teller holds Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office, Istanbul, Aug. 13, 2018.

Turkey’s Central Bank hikes interest rates to 35%

The bank cited geopolitical risks for the move along with a larger than expected increase in inflation in the third quarter.

TOPSHOT - A picture taken from the southern Israeli city of Sderot on October 25, 2023, shows smoke ascending over the northern Gaza Strip following an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP) (Photo by RONALDO SCHEMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel-Hamas war poised to inflame Middle East arms race, pressure security partnerships

As the Middle East descends into a new phase of conflict and confrontation, regional states look poised to significantly boost military spending and procurement.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Smotrich

Israel credit outlook lowered, budget to be amended amid Hamas war

Israel’s credit rating was in trouble before the war in Gaza due to the government’s controversial judicial reform plans, and the war is affecting the country's fiscal situation.

IAN TIMBERLAKE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Aramco, South Korea's Hyundai sign $2.4B contract to develop gas field

The contract was signed during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s visit to Saudi Arabia.

DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images

Bank of Israel leaves interest rates unchanged, citing Hamas war

Israel's central bank is concerned with the prospect of an extended war in the Gaza Strip and the depreciation of the shekel.

The Tamar drilling natural gas production platform, some 25 kilometers west of Ashkelon, Israel, February 2013.

Analysis

Could Israel-Hamas war lead to another winter energy crisis for Europe?

LNG spot prices have shot up since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out, but European inventories are at all-time highs.

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

Shell's Brent Delta Topside offshore oil drilling rig platform.

Oil prices on rise amid Israel-Hamas war, Iran embargo call

Oil prices have risen to an extent following the start of the Israel-Hamas war, but further gains may be dependent on how the conflict plays out.

Octopus Energy's wind turbine in Glastonbury, June 13, 2023.

Morocco-UK Xlinks undersea power cable to generate 'real value': Octopus Energy

Octopus Energy CEO Greg Jackson said that it would help Morocco fight climate change.

Patrick Pouyanne, CEO, TotalEnergies 1

COP28 could allow oil industry to form coalition to cut emissions: TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies CEO and chairman Patrick Pouyanne said that national oil companies as well as public and private ones must join the group.

United Arab Emirates

Survivors fill up water from a tanker truck in their earthquake-hit village of Ineghede on September 17, 2023. Over a week since a 6.8-magnitude quake devastated parts of central Morocco, many worry that the dire living conditions and poor hygiene spell new threats for the survivors. The disaster killed nearly 3,000 people and injured thousands more when it hit in Al-Haouz province. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

Morocco earthquake reconstruction to test government’s speed of execution

The speed and depth of Morocco's $11.7 billion reconstruction following the massive earthquake last month will have a huge impact on the economy and budget over the coming years.

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Israeli oil platform extracting natural gas from Mediterranean Sea.

Israeli gas continues to flow despite Gaza conflict, but risks remain

A prolonged war might mean less exported gas to Egypt, and in turn less supply for Europe.