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Economy & Business

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

China warns US not to interfere with Iran trade: What to know

China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing was firmly opposed to what it called “illegal unilateral sanctions” and would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its rights.

Lebanese Presidency

Large UAE delegation set to arrive in Lebanon in major investment push

A large Emirati delegation of around 70 business leaders and government officials is heading to Beirut, in the latest sign of thaw between the United Arab Emirates and Lebanon.

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.

Leon Neal/Getty Images

Oil falls 1.8% as traders await 'toughest' sanctions on Iran

Traders are awaiting details about new US measures sure to further disrupt Iranian oil flows.

Latest News

Analysis

UAE-Iran trade relationship becomes key test of Trump’s wartime strategy

Khor Fakkan Container Terminal

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

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

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

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

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

La Mer North marina is seen with the Burj Khalifa and the Dubai skyline seen in the background, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 1, 2020.

UAE revenue jumps 31.8% in 2022

The UAE Ministry of Finance reported a 6.1% increase in expenditure last year compared to 2021, which amounted to around $116.3 billion.

United Arab Emirates

Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Turkey’s central bank mulls giant interest rate hike up to 10% to fight inflation

Alarmed by resurging price increases, central bank officials reportedly believe that a rate hike of up to 10 percentage points is an inevitable part of monetary tightening to tackle inflation.

A man browses a phone while sitting next to a motorcycle along a street in Tehran on September 10, 2023. Iranian authorities have blocked popular social media networks, including Instagram and WhatsApp since mass protests erupted following the September 2022 death in police custody of 22-year-old Iranian Kurd Mahsa Amini. The restrictions come as millions of Iranians struggle to make ends meet, grappling with in an economic crisis marked by crippling Western sanctions, a galloping inflation, and sharp decli

Iran's economic woes persist a year on Mahsa Amini protests

Inflation and unemployment rates remain high, which could contribute to a renewed burst of demonstrations.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) inspect Chinese honour guards during a welcome ceremony outside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on July 2, 2019. (Photo by WANG ZHAO / AFP) (Photo by WANG ZHAO/AFP via Getty Images)

Turkey, China near agreement on nuclear power plant

If built, the facility will likely be Turkey's third nuclear plant, with Russia currently constructing its first.

This image shows high-rise buildings in Dubai, on Feb. 18, 2023.

Dubai ranks first in luxury home sales in second quarter: report

Dubai was one of only four markets to see growth in its overall sales volume of luxury homes between Q2 2022 and Q2 2023 at 79%, along with Sydney (46%), Paris (17%) and Geneva (7%).

United Arab Emirates

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and First Lady Elke Buedenbender Chat with refugees attending the training program for mechanics while visiting the Gallinchen job training and technology center on June 23, 2017 in Cottbus, Germany

The EU’s migration roadmap: harnessing North African talent to bridge the labor gap

For years, European nations have been courting talent from the Maghreb region, offering youth opportunities in key domains with domestic shortages such as IT, science, engineering, healthcare and agriculture.

Francois Nel/Getty Images

Dubai apartment prices soar, spooking expats

The cost of the average apartment in Dubai rose 20% in one year through August.

United Arab Emirates

Interview

Fintech, digital sukuk could spur Islamic finance growth in Middle East

The Gulf has seen a boom in funding for fintech startups, more than quadrupling from $200 million in 2020 to $885 million last year.

Mohamed Damak

Mohamed Damak

Global Head of Islamic Finance at S&P

Saudi solar

Saudi Arabia in race against time to achieve 2030 green electricity goal

Although the kingdom has pledged to shift away from burning oil for electricity, the carbon intensity of its gross domestic product has moved in the opposite direction from the rest of the world.

Nvidia’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California

Middle East’s AI ambitions caught between US-China chip war

The Middle East is becoming a key theater of operations in the US-China tech war — with semiconductor chips squarely in the crosshairs.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hand with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi on September 9, 2023. (Photo by Evan Vucci / POOL / AFP) (Photo by EVAN VUCCI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

MBS and Modi discuss expanding trade goals as Saudi-India ties grow

The two leaders attended the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council where they convened on various fields of cooperation and reviewed regional and international topics of mutual interest.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (L), India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) and US President Joe Biden attend a session as part of the G20 Leaders' Summit at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Sept. 9, 2023.

Analysis

India's economic corridor to Europe via Saudi, UAE: a win for US, West Asia

In reflection of the emerging multipolar world, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi aim to transform their bilateral relations with Washington, Brussels, and Delhi into multidimensional partnerships by joining the IMEC, with energy serving as a core pillar but not the sole one.

Mohammed Soliman

By Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics