Gulf accounted for 43% of global sovereign wealth fund investment in 2025 Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund was the world's highest spending sovereign wealth fund in 2025, investing some $36.2 billion. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: China-Middle East China adjusts to Middle East turbulence in 2025, faces challenges in Iran, Yemen While evading new US sanctions on Iran, adjusting to changes in Syria and expanding military footprint with key Arab partners especially Egypt, China closes 2025 with gains in the Middle East but confronts new challenges with UAE-Saudi rupture in Yemen and Sudan. By Joyce Karam , Rosaleen Carroll
Analysis From Sputnik to satellites: How China is pulling Egypt and Gulf into its space orbit Beijing is emerging as a key partner for Middle Eastern and North African states seeking to develop satellites, navigation services and space industries of their own. By Dale Aluf In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East
Analysis Egypt’s $35B Israel gas deal buys time, tests fragile energy partnership The agreement is a critical stopgap as Cairo grapples with domestic power demands, but the last two years have tested Egypt-Israel energy cooperation in unprecedented ways. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis How Netanyahu ceded to Trump, agreed to Egypt's $35B gas deal By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Egypt weighs Hifter's role in Libyan transition Libyan National Army commander Khalifa Hifter visited Cairo and met with the US ambassador to Libya at a time of heightened tensions between Hifter and the new Libyan government of national unity. Egypt
Demands for tougher penalties against child marriage grow in Egypt As child marriage spreads in Egypt, many observers and parliamentarians call for tougher penalties for anyone involved, while some believe that toughening penalties will not be a solution because there are many ways to circumvent laws. Egypt
Egypt’s sports authorities under fire over Tokyo games Although Egypt received six medals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics for the first time in years, sports authorities in the country were criticized due to players’ complaints about inappropriate training. Egypt
CIA Chief Burns meets with Egypt's Sisi The pair discussed the situation in Afghanistan, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the crisis in Libya, according to the Egyptian presidency. Egypt
Chinese demand for hides threatens Egypt's donkey population The Egyptian Farmers Syndicate warns that donkeys are being slaughtered in large numbers for their skins that are smuggled illegally abroad. Egypt
Egyptians hoard gold jewelry The price of gold in Egypt has declined, amid growing demand for jewelry. Egypt
Archaeologists surprised by discovery of 6th century Christian town in Egypt Polish researchers have found a well-planned Christian town dating to the sixth century in northern Egypt. Egypt
Militant clashes kill nine Egyptian soldiers in Sinai Egypt's military said nine soldiers were killed in counterterror operations. Egypt
'Rainbow' mosque in new banknotes riles Egyptians The Central Bank of Egypt shared its initial designs for the new Egyptian banknotes, but was heavily criticized when many Egyptians took the reflective watermark for an LGBT pride flag. Egypt
Egypt enrolls Russian imams in 'fatwa training program' to combat Brotherhood Egypt is helping Russia confront extremism, namely Muslim Brotherhood ideology, by training Russian imams in the Dar al-Ifta — including a 'fatwa training program.' Egypt
The Takeaway: Egypt weighs options on Nile dam as Ethiopia escalates war in Tigray Also, new Israeli envoy is "frighteningly serious"; Turkey’s wildfires; Nile crocodiles in Sudan; Sisi increases price of bread; and more … in about 1,500 words! Egypt
Is Ethiopia to blame for Nile crocodiles appearing in Khartoum? Officials in Sudan are advising citizens to avoid the Nile River because of crocodiles — which some are blaming on Ethiopia’s second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Egypt