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Economy & Business

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.

Khor Fakkan Container Terminal

Analysis

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

The Gulf state suspended trade with Iran after new attacks in August. Experts point to risks for both sides as the Trump administration seeks to squeeze Tehran economically.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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.

Latest News

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.

Explainer

Iraq seeks special Hormuz access from Iran in scramble to keep oil flowing

AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images

Turkey looks to expand Syria energy footprint into oil, gas

President Ahmad al-Sharaa meets Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar at the People’s Palace in Damascus, Syria, on Aug. 19, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

Iranians ride their motorbike past a huge banner of former Iran Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani ahead of the sixth anniversary of his assassination, in Tehran, Dec. 31, 2025.

Analysis

Why IRGC’s shadow empire is set to endure even as Iran’s economy spirals

With the ability to operate clandestinely, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps wields significant power across Iran's most important sectors — insulating the organization from current economic turmoil, according to experts.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

This picture shows a Syrian Arab Airlines Airbus A320-200 aircraft and the control tower at Damascus international airport as the new Syrian authorities prepare to reopen it, on December 16, 2024. Damascus's airspace reopened on December 12, the airport director told AFP, after a closure since December 8, when president Bashar al-Assad's government fell. Syrian Airlines aircraft maintenance director said takeoffs and landing would be decided by the transport ministry, adding that the carrier hoped to "expan

Analysis

Saudi-backed airline to test Syria’s aviation recovery

The new airline is already set to face leasing, financing and market obstacles.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Merz

Merz courts Gulf as Germany seeks energy alternatives to US, China

Berlin is seeking to capitalize on ties with Gulf energy giants as relations with the United States have cooled amid strains over transatlantic defense commitments, Washington’s pursuit of Greenland and tariffs.

Platform Edith, the largest of Chevron's USA's offshore production platforms, is seen off the southern California coast, on Oct. 6, 2021.

Syria to develop first offshore oil, gas field with US’s Chevron, Qatar’s UCC

In 2013, Russian firm Soyuzneftegaz signed a deal to explore for oil and gas in Syrian waters, but the project was dropped two years later due to the civil war.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Iran warning near Hormuz collides with Red Sea shipping comeback

Armed boats attempted to intercept a vessel near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the same day that major container lines also announced the resumption of limited transits through the Suez Canal.

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP via Getty Images

Kuwait to open offshore oil, gas fields to foreign firms: What to know

The Gulf country and OPEC member has made significant oil and gas discoveries since 2023.

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a joint press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Feb. 13, 2025.

How US-India trade deal could impact Mideast energy, trade routes

The United States and India struck a trade agreement on Monday that eases months of tension between the two countries and could influence Gulf oil flows and economic integration.

A woman checks a window shop at a jewelry store in Dubai, on March 10, 2025.

Gulf markets recover after gold rout, buoyed by Iran de-escalation hopes

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index, TASI, rose 1.4%, a day after falling the most in nearly 10 months amid a broad sell-off in the commodities market.

United Arab Emirates

A general view of Saudi Aramco's Abqaiq oil processing plant on Sept. 20, 2019.

US-Iran tensions fan oil disruption fears as Gulf states confront retaliation risks

From blocking the Strait of Hormuz and seizing commercial shipping to striking energy infrastructure, Tehran’s retaliation playbook could rattle the region as Gulf states fear red lines have been crossed.

This picture shows a view of the Abu Dhabi skyline on May 14, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Abu Dhabi merges ADQ into new wealth fund L'IMAD: What to know

Under the new structure, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, will oversee a broader swath of the emirate’s investment holdings.

United Arab Emirates

Art of digital currency.

UAE Central Bank approves first US dollar-backed stablecoin: What to know

The approval marks a milestone in the UAE’s development of digital currency infrastructure and positions USDU as the Gulf country’s first USD-denominated currency for digital assets.

United Arab Emirates