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Economy & Business

An attendee walks past signage displayed inside the venue for the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok on October 14, 2026. (Photo by ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP via Getty Images)

Syria to rejoin Arab group at IMF, leaving Russian-led constituency

Syria will rejoin the Arab constituency at the International Monetary Fund beginning Nov. 1 and has applied for membership in the EBRD.

Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova returns the ball to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina during their WTA Finals tennis tournament in Riyadh on November 5, 2025. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

From Six Kings Slam to FIFAe finals, Saudi Arabia's events derailed by war

Some of Saudi Arabia’s flagship events — across sectors including culture, entertainment and sports — have been canceled or postponed following deadly Houthi attacks over the weekend.

Flames burn at a facility belonging to Saudi oil giant Aramco south of Riyadh

Explainer

Aramco HQ attack exposes Saudi defense gaps, infrastructure vulnerabilities

The Iran-linked Yemeni militants struck at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry this week amid an expanding campaign against key infrastructure.

Abdulrahman Alfozan in an undated photo

Who is Abdulrahman Alfozan, Saudi national charged in bugging OpenAI meetings?

The Saudi national who was arrested for allegedly planting a covert listening device at OpenAI’s offices has extensive experience working at leading technology companies in the US and serves as a venture partner at a Saudi venture capital firm.

Latest News

Explainer

IMF projects Gulf rebound in 2027. Can energy production keep pace?

TOPSHOT - Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf's petroleum facilities hours after the US struck Iran's Kharg Island. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images) /

Jeddah airport flights disrupted as Houthis escalate threats

Men walk at a terminal at Saudi Arabia's King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah on December 12, 2019. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

How Manchester City fallout tests Gulf’s global investment model

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Manchester City's Emirati owner and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Explainer

What Houthi airport attacks mean for Saudi Arabia’s aviation ambitions

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air is pictured on the tarmac at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 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

People walk past a fruit seller's stall in the Azhar district of Cairo

In Egypt, economic heat of Russia's war in Ukraine is only getting worse

Average Egyptians told Al-Monitor that everything from the price of tomatoes to bread is taking a toll on daily life and household decisions as country's economy reels under the heavy toll of the war in Ukraine.

Riyadh, SAUDI ARABIA: A Saudi banker displays the new one hundred riyal banknote bearing the portrait of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al-Saud at a bank in Riyadh, 05 June 2007. The banknotes featuring the king are the fifth issue released by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA). AFP PHOTO/HASSAN AMMAR (Photo credit should read HASSAN AMMAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Gulf governments enjoy fiscal flexibility; must spend wisely over coming years

Pro: With lower energy prices forecasted in the short-term, GCC governments will have to spend smartly to ensure momentum continues for their economic diversification efforts.

Robert Mogielnicki

Robert Mogielnicki

SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt's Sisi meets Modi, inks 'strategic partnership' on landmark India visit

The trip could lead to greater cooperation between India and Egypt on trade, the Suez Canal, green hydrogen and more.

The Ritz hotel is pictured in central London on May 18, 2020.

Saudi Arabia leads Middle East's luxury property buyers in London

The Middle East made up some of the top buyers of London luxury real estate in late 2022, only falling behind European and UK buyers.

By Salim A. Essaid

Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar, departs after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the Chancellery on May 20, 2022 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Qatar's energy giant joins Lebanon gas exploration group

France’s TotalEnergies, which is also part of the consortium, said they hope to start drilling in Lebanese waters for oil and gas in 2023.

A Tunisian farmer harvests wheat on June 26, 2008 in the Mateur area near the northern Tunisian city of Bizerte. A two-day conference organized by the African Development Bank (BAD) opened on June 25, 2008 in Tunis to boost agriculture in light of the food crisis hitting Africa. Experts are to evaluate and analyze difficulties affecting the African agricultural sector in order to be more reactive to needs. AFP PHOTO FETHI BELAID (Photo credit should read FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

Tunisia’s food crisis will worsen without an IMF deal

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Baghdad dinar protest

Protests in Iraq amid local currency devaluation, Central Bank changes

Restrictions from the US Federal Reserve, corruption, and Iraq’s lack of an electronic banking system have all led to the dinar’s recent fall in value against the dollar.

South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin (R) shakes hands with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (L)

South Korea’s Samsung to help Saudi Public Investment Fund with construction projects

Saudi Aramco has also strengthened its ties to South Korean companies recently.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Cruise ship terminal opens in Jordan’s port of Aqaba

The agreement with Abu Dhabi’s AD Ports Group could help bolster Jordan’s tourism sector.

An oil tanker unloads imported crude oil at Qingdao port in China's eastern Shandong province on May 9, 2022. (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

Iran bolsters ties with China and Venezuela despite US sanctions

Iranian oil exports to China are on the rise, and the Islamic Republic’s relations with Venezuela are moving beyond energy matters, as the South American country recently received 1,000 vehicles from the Iranian automobile firm Saipa.

Algeria's Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab

Algeria-Italy energy ties strengthen with emission reduction deal

Italy’s Eni and Algeria’s Sonatrach pledged to work together on carbon capture, green hydrogen and more during Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s official visit to Algeria. The North African country is exporting more gas to Europe in response to the Ukraine war.

Oman's Minister of Oil and Gas Mohammed bin Hamad al-Rumhy.

Oman continues economic reforms by listing drilling company on stock exchange

Oman’s fiscal performance has improved in the last year, and the country wants to produce more alternative forms of energy, such as hydrogen.