Economy and trade

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands

France, Saudi Arabia announce more than $10B in deals on MBS visit

Among the deals included a 6 billion euro ($7 billion) pledge from the Public Investment Fund in three manga-themed amusement parks on the outskirts of Paris.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian holds a press conference on Aug. 19, 2026.

China slams Trump over economic war on Iran: What to know

China’s once significant oil imports from Iran have been impacted by the war in the region and increasing US sanctions.

King Abdullah II arrives in Beijing, Aug. 20, 2026. Photo from Xinhua/Chen Yehua.

Explainer

King Abdullah visits China as region hedges against US unpredictability

With no end in sight to the war in Iran and an unchecked Israeli policy across the region, the kingdom is hedging against future uncertainty and a less predictable US policy.

Iranians drive past an anti-US billboard at Enghelab Square in central Tehran, Aug. 3, 2026.

Trump’s Iran ‘economic D-Day’ threat sends oil prices above $94

In a Truth Social post, the president threatened that any country that provides a financial lifeline to Iran will face "tremendous economic consequences."

Latest News

Jordan's King Abdullah heads to China in first visit since 2015: What to know

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with King of Jordan Abdullah II during a signing ceremony at The Great Hall Of The People on Sept. 9, 2015, in Beijing, China.

Kuwait's LNG imports climb to highest level since start of Iran war

The Al-Riqqa oil tanker (L) and Al-Yarmouk oil tankers sail in the Arabian Gulf waters, off the coast of Kuwait City on June 27, 2026.

Explainer

UAE-Egypt ties keep growing as Cairo navigates shifting Gulf landscape

Building construction at the Red Sea in Egypt.

Analysis

Jordan shores up US lifelines as Iran targets Amman’s reliance on Washington

US President Donald Trump (R) meets with Jordanian King Abdullah II in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, Feb. 11, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A man walks past the World Bank building in Washington on April 21, 2022.

World Bank says debt increasing in Middle East countries

Egypt, Iran and Turkey’s debt rose significantly last year.

Two firms from the United Arab Emirates have signed a $6 billion deal with Sudan to construct a new port on the Red Sea coast.

UAE's Ports Group expands footprint in Sudan

The agreement allows the Abu Dhabi-based logistics giant to operate ports in Sudan and will contribute to the UAE’s growing influence on the African continent.

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry speaks during a press conference with his Sudanese and Ethiopian counterparts, on the sidelines of meetings to announce they had reached an agreement on the sharing of Nile waters and Ethiopia's dam project, Khartoum, Sudan, March 6, 2015.

Egypt’s trade with Nile Basin countries jumps amid Ethiopia dam crisis

Cairo’s exports and imports with the region increased substantially in 2021, but they still represent a small portion of the total and growth remains uneven.

US President Joe Biden (L) shakes hands with African Union President of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi as French President Emmanuel Macron (2nd R) and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen look on at the start of the G-20 Summit, Rome, Italy, Oct. 30, 2021.

Biden rebooting relations with Africa at summit, ahead of 2023 visit

Countries in the region have received little attention from US officials in the run-up to the meeting, as Washington neglected the continent and is lagging in its influence compared to Russia and China.

A nurse shows a vial of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against the coronavirus at a hospital at the start of a vaccination program, Tunis, Tunisia, March 13, 2021.

Drug shortage adds to Tunisia’s woes

In light of the successive crises facing Tunisians, pharmacies across the country are suffering drug shortages, which the authorities are unable to resolve.

US President Joe Biden (L) speaks with DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi at the start of the G20 Summit at the convention center "La Nuvola" in the EUR district of Rome on October 30, 2021. (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Africa seeks GCC-like economic trust at US summit

Since the United States' last summit of its kind in 2014, US foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa dropped from $69 billion to $44.81 billion in 2021.

By Salim A. Essaid

A picture shows a view of the SEAEAGLE, a vessel which reportedly left Ukraine with a cargo of wheat, anchored in Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, on September 9, 2022. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE-Ukraine trade deal would shore up Middle East food security

The goal is to ultimately secure "all aspects of the international food production supply chain."

A Lebanese national flag flies at half-mast in tribute to victims of a massive explosion in Beirut at the Lebanese embassy in Moscow, Russia, Aug. 5, 2020.

Lebanese expatriates face high passport fees

Many Lebanese expatriates abroad complain about the high fees of renewing passports.

Egyptians watch the 2010 World Cup qualifying play-off soccer match between Egypt and Algeria, at a cafe in Cairo, Egypt, Nov. 18, 2009.

Culture

Egyptian cafes see higher revenues during World Cup

The World Cup in Qatar has boosted revenues of Egyptian cafes, as many supporters flock there to watch the games, due to the increasing subscription of beIN Sports channel.

A trailer truck filled with sand waits near a dock at the construction site of new residential towers on the Nile island of Warraq in Giza province, opposite the northern shore of Cairo, the slums of which are planned for development by the Egyptian government, Egypt, Aug. 31, 2022.

Egypt embarks on new plans to develop river transport on Nile River

Cairo has recently passed legal reforms to reorganize the river sector, which still remains marginal, in hopes this will catalyze much-needed private investments

Stock market brokers work at the Egyptian Exchange, Cairo, Egypt, Jan. 6, 2013.

Some Egyptian companies still dealing with Russia's alternative financial system

Some Egyptian companies are secretly dealing with a Russian alternative financial system, in anticipation of international sanctions by the United States.

A fisherman tries to catch a freshly caught tilapia fish in a boat on the Nile River in the village of Gabal al-Tayr, north of the southern city of Minya, Egypt, Nov. 13, 2019.

Egypt to increase fish production at Lake Bardawil

Egypt is to develop one of the most important lakes in the north to ramp up its fish production and improve the economy in the northern Sinai Peninsula.