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Economy & Business

UAE Foreign Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi (L) and Lebanese Economy Minister Amr al-Bisat after signing a memorandum of understanding, Beirut, Aug. 27, 2026.

Lebanon, UAE ink deals, deepen economic ties on Emirati Beirut visit

An Emirati business delegation signed the agreements in Beirut and met with President Joseph Aoun, indicating the UAE's interest in deepening economic ties with Lebanon.

cards

Sharaa taps Visa as Syria reconnects to global finance: What to know

Visa and Mastercard announced Wednesday that their networks can now be used to make international card payments in Syria.

gas station in Cairo, Egypt

Eni presses ahead with Egypt gas projects as war raises investment risks

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi on Tuesday, with the Italian energy giant revealing it could make a crucial investment decision in coming months.

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Syrian Airlines expands Europe comeback with Vienna, Copenhagen flights

A Syrian Air passenger jet lands at Aleppo airport on March 18, 2025, the first aircraft to land after it was shut during the offensive that toppled former President Bashar al-Assad.

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

BAY ISMOYO / AFP via Getty Images

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

Lebanese Presidency

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

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

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

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt welcomes return of Qatari investments

As Qatari money flows back into Egypt, the question now is how these potentially game-changing foreign investments will be directed.

A customer leaves a currency exchange agency near Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, on Dec. 2, 2021.

Inflation storm worsens Turkey’s income distribution gap

Banks and big companies have benefited from Ankara’s controversial policy to keep interest rates low, while soaring inflation eats into the real income of the wage-earning masses.

A man watches stock movements on a display at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in the Gulf emirate on April 12, 2022.

UAE reports slight growth of non-oil GDP

The United Arab Emirates is undergoing economic changes as it aims to reduce its dependency on oil.

United Arab Emirates

OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images

Turkish stock market hits record high

Turkey is experiencing major economic problems, but the Istanbul stock exchange continues to rise.

FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images

Tunisian grocers offer chance to mitigate economic crisis

Small grocery shops are a lifeline for Tunisian communities and families and one entrepreneur sees them as agents of change to a cash-free economy.

UAE finance

UAE tax authority announces whistleblower program

A major financial center in Dubai also recently launched a whistleblower mechanism as the Emirates seeks to improve financial transparency.

United Arab Emirates

Egypt finance

Abu Dhabi bank withdraws offer to buy Egypt's EFG Hermes

The Russian invastion of Ukraine has promted a shift away from emerging markets worldwide.

Egypt wheat

Egypt bans export of key staples to cushion blow of Ukraine war

To contain the repercussions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Egypt banned for three months the export of wheat, flour, rice, pasta, oils and beans.

Egyptian farmers harvest wheat in Saqiyat al-Manqadi village in the northern Nile Delta province of Menoufia, Egypt, May 1, 2019.

Russia, Ukraine trade barbs over obstruction of wheat shipments to Egypt

As Egypt’s strategic wheat reserves continue to decline, Russia and Ukraine exchanged accusations over obstructing the movement of a ship loaded with wheat and bound for Egyptian ports.

A picture taken on Sept. 29, 2021, shows Russian tourists in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

Egypt hopes Israeli tourists will make up losses from Ukraine war

At a time when Egypt’s tourism sector has suffered a setback due to the war in Ukraine, the first direct flight from Israel is set to land in Sharm el-Sheikh this month, which may boost the number of Israeli tourists in the Egyptian coastal resorts in the Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptians smile for a photo as they buy fruits from a street vendor at a market in the Menufiya province north of Cairo on Feb. 22, 2018.

Gulf states give Egypt $22 billion to mitigate fallout from Ukraine war

Cairo has secured $22 billion from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to cover Egypt's current account deficit.

AHMAD HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images

Kuwait, Egypt explore railway to Sudan

The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has also started projects in Iraq and Yemen.