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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.

Latest News

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

Zero One

Israel’s first digital bank opens for business

Newly authorized by the Bank of Israel, the country’s new digital bank One Zero is taking on several hundred customers each week and 75,000 more people interested in the new platform.

Oman investment

Oman to allow foreign ownership for companies on Muscat stock exchange

The move will help Oman diversify its economy away from dependency on oil. The country has recently sought investment from its neighbors in the Gulf.

A Syrian beekeeper prepares medicine to inject into hives at a bee farm in the rebel-controlled town of Hamouria, in the eastern Ghouta region on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, Oct. 2, 2016. Honey is used as a homoeopathic treatment for burns and wounds.

Syrians resort to herbal medicine amid drug crisis

The deteriorating living conditions in northwestern Syria and the expensive medical consultations and medicines have prompted Syrian patients to resort to herbal medicine to treat their diseases.

Iraq oil

Russian invasion of Ukraine has sharp impact on Iraq's economy

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has caused shortages of food in Iraq and forced the government to pay more in gasoline subsidies, but the high price of crude oil plus sanctions on Russia has opened new opportunities for Iraq.

Guests attend the opening ceremony of the annual Future Investment Initiative conference.

Saudi Arabia announces $600 million in new investment from startups, venture capitalist

Foreign direct investment in Saudi Arabia slowed later in 2021 after a promising start, and some entities are reluctant to invest there due to the human rights situation.

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

OPEC remains committed to oil production agreement with Russia

The Biden administration has been unable to get Gulf states to increase oil production to bring down prices and some European states are seeking alternatives to Russian natural gas.

MOHAMMED MAHJOUB/AFP via Getty Images

Oman's fiscal outlook improves as oil prices surge

Efforts to put public finances on a healthy footing and tackle chronic budget deficits have started to pay off, facilitated by a sharp increase in oil prices, Oman’s main export.

Ayadi Tayyiba

First women-run dairy factory opens in Gaza's Rafah

Women who are the sole breadwinners of their families are working in the newly-opened women-only dairy factory in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.

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

War in Ukraine pushes Egypt to ramp up wheat production

The Egyptian government is working to increase local wheat production to reach self-sufficiency, after the Russian war on Ukraine added many challenges to secure the country's needs for food security.

MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images

Bank of Israel may raise interest rates soon

Media reports indicate that Israel’s central bank will soon raise rates to counter rising inflation.

A Saudi Arabian airlines Saudia plane is pictured on the tarmac of the Ataturk Airport on April 4, 2019, in Istanbul.

Saudi Arabia resumes visa on arrival for US, EU visa holders

The kingdom greatly relaxed its visa rules before the pandemic in an effort to boost tourism.

Saudi economy

Saudi Arabian export stats show mixed results in non-oil commerce

Saudi Arabia is working to diversify its economy, but figures from January show it remains dependent on foreign oil sales.