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Economy & Business

Fuel prices are displayed at a petrol station in Rabat

Explainer

Russian diesel heads to Morocco as supply crunch grips global markets

Gulf countries and Russia together accounted for almost 45% of global seaborne diesel and gasoil trade before the Iran war.

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.

Latest News

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

Abdulrahman Alfozan in an undated photo

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

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

Conservative and reformist newspapers in Tehran on Sept. 18, 2021.

Iranian trade with China on the rise

China is focused on improving its economic ties with Iran as opposed to security cooperation.

An Egyptian farmer holds harvested wheat in Qursaya island on May 16, 2022, in Cairo, Egypt.

Egypt diversifies wheat suppliers as large international purchases resume

Cairo halted tenders after the steep rise in prices that followed the outbreak of war in Europe, but since June it has locked in new large quantities that also show which countries are filling the gap left by Ukraine.

Tel Aviv bakery

Israeli government retreats on bread-price controls

The global rise in prices of flour and other products havs affected the cost of bread in Israel, some of which has long been regulated.

Salman Mitsotakis

Saudi Arabia signs energy agreement with Greece

Another purpose of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit is to seek greater economic and technological cooperation with Greece.

A picture taken on March 17, 2022, shows a view of the skyline of the Bahraini capital city of Manama.

Bahrain joins UAE’s industrial partnership

Jordan and Egypt are already part of the group, which aims to establish joint industrial projects.

Demonstrators hold up posters in front of Jordanian policemen during a protest near the prime minister's office in Amman, Jordan, on June 6, 2018.

Inflation up more than 3% in Jordan during first half of 2022

The inflation rates in Turkey, Egypt and other countries in the region are considerably higher.

Visitors stand in front of works by Bybit on display during the 15th edition of Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on March 10, 2022. - Art Dubai, the Middle East's largest annual contemporary art fair, featured for the first time digital works, as the wealthy Gulf emirate seeks to position itself as a crypto-assets hub. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP)

UAE's crypto push seeks to draw in high-net-worth individuals

Sebastian Castelier

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

OLEKSANDR GIMANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Russia reassures Egypt on wheat exports after Odessa attack

The Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s port of Odessa came just a day after Turkey brokered a deal on safe passage of wheat exports from the war-torn country.

Obsolete Turkish lira banknotes.

How realistic are Ankara’s hopes of trading in Turkish liras?

While the Turkish lira continues to tumble, Turkey’s currency swaps with China and other countries have failed to live up to their stated objective of boosting trade in local currencies, official data show.

Ras al-Khaimah

UAE doubles tax inspections in first half of 2022

The Gulf state is seeking to increase its financial transparency and boost tax revenue.

STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

Oil falls below $100 to lowest price in two weeks

US President Joe Biden failed to convince Saudi Arabia to significantly increase oil production during his recent trip to the region but the boosts endorsed by the OPEC+ alliance came into effect this month.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Libya oil

Libyan oil production to return to normal following resolution of dispute

Tribes loyal to former rebel Khalifa Hifter shut down oil fields and ports in eastern Libya recently over a dispute with the transitional government.