Economy and trade

French President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik pose during a meeting with business leaders in Paris on June 29, 2026.

Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know

French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing against any form of toll for the Strait of Hormuz.

AFP via Getty Images

Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had recovered somewhat before renewed fighting between Iran and the United States saw traffic drop sharply over the weekend.

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

A tourist boat passes near crude oil tankers, bulk carriers, and other vessels anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos in Muscat, Oman, June 19, 2026.

Analysis

Why the Hormuz oil shock never became an energy catastrophe

The US-Israel-Iran war produced a historic oil supply shock but not a severe global economic crisis, due to ample prewar supplies, China's energy pivot and strategic reserve releases.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Oil falls below $74 as Hormuz traffic recovers after Iran war

Elke Scholiers/Getty Images

Explainer

Lebanon advances controversial $500K golden visa law: What to know

A picture shows the four seasons hotel in Beirut with the snow covered mountain of Sannine in the background on March 8, 2019.

Explainer

Qatar blast underscores challenges in race to restart Gulf energy flows

Qatar's Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi speaks during a press conference in Doha on June 22, 2026.

Interview

US-Egypt fund makes case for economic statecraft in hard power era

A worker counts banknotes after filling up the tank of a vehicle at a petrol station in Giza on March 10, 2026.

Cornelius Queen

Cornelius Queen

Senior Vice President of the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund

Egypt focuses on developing Africa

With the goal of promoting investment opportunities in Africa and Egypt and signing development and investment agreements, Egypt organized the Africa 2019: Investment for Africa Forum, as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi holds the presidency of the African Union.

Turkey’s economic crisis takes toll on wealth holders

Hit by the Turkish lira’s slump against the dollar, economic contraction and decline in real estate prices, Turkey’s richest have watched their wealth erode.

Israel: plenty of bread but no butter

Since the price of butter is controlled by the government, Israeli dairies prefer using the butterfat for other dairy products.

How Suez Canal will continue to change Mediterranean Sea

The Suez Canal has changed the Mediterranean Sea from environmental and economic perspectives since its opening 150 years ago, and these changes are only expected to worsen in light of the expansion of the canal.

Reduction in Iran's gasoline subsidy sparks anti-government protests

President Hassan Rouhani’s announcement of a large reduction in the gasoline subsidy sparked protests across a number of cities, with deaths having been reported.

Visitors walk next to an Airbus A380, showing a picture of United Arab Emirates's Former President Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahayan during the Dubai Airshow in Dubai, United Arab Emirates November 13, 2017. REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC131063B650

Dubai's aviation boom in question as airshow kicks off

The profitability of UAE airlines is on the decline as Dubai Airshow 2019 kicks off.

United Arab Emirates

Egypt conducts joint drills with Greece, Cyprus amid Turkey tensions

The naval forces of Egypt, Greece and Cyprus conducted joint military exercises in the Mediterranean amid tensions with Turkey over its drilling activities in the area.

A general view of Abadan oil refinery in southwest Iran, is pictured from Iraqi side of Shatt al-Arab in Al-Faw south of Basra, Iraq September 21, 2019. REUTERS/Essam Al-Sudani - RC171C70A610

Iran plans to wean budget off oil income by next year

Iranian officials say the country will kick its dependence on oil revenues by next year, using them only for development projects and to acquire capital assets.

Egypt's powerful military companies to go public

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called for listing companies affiliated with Egypt's armed forces on the stock exchange, allowing citizens to buy the shares in an effort to increase transparency.

Million-dollar lobbying campaign against Kuwait suffers major setback

A Kuwaiti court has sentenced a Russian businesswoman to 15 years of hard labor despite pressure from former US officials. Here's who's behind the campaign to release Marsha Lazareva.

United Arab Emirates

Fourth Cabinet reshuffle raises questions about economic reforms in Jordan

Jordan’s prime minister conducted a Cabinet reshuffle for the fourth time since ascending to power to advance economic reforms required by a loan deal with the International Monetary Fund.

Egypt eyes new IMF deal

Egypt has entered into talks with the International Monetary Fund to discuss a new financing package for the country, whose current economic reform program expires this month.