Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard, Qatar National Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, said that the Gulf countries will need to rebuild their logistics capabilities after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar
Saudi Aramco's VC arm sees boom in emerging technologies, retail Anas Alqahtani, CEO of Wa'ed Ventures, expects strong growth in Saudi Arabia’s emerging technology and retail sectors over the coming years. Saudi Arabia
Analysis As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties The move eases a key source of friction with Turkey ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Bessent says Iran's frozen assets will pay for Gulf damage, Hormuz tolls US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage Iran inflicts on Gulf allies will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts. Iran
Who is Bill Pulte, Trump loyalist tapped as intelligence director? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis Ports and infrastructure: UAE embraces new economic order in Syria By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Lebanon implements ration card program as economic crisis worsens The Lebanese parliament approved a law to fund ration cards for the most vulnerable families, while ending subsidies. Lebanon
Egypt looks to Islamic bond market for foreign investment boost Egypt’s sovereign bonds bill paves the way for Egypt to join the Islamic finance market, allowing foreign investment in national projects such as the Suez Canal and Aswan Dam, which affects Egyptian national security. Egypt
US weighs options as Lebanon’s allies move to assist military The Pentagon and State Department are exploring "creative ways" to help the Lebanese armed forces offset their costs amid financial crisis. Lebanon
Israel raids exchange companies for allegedly transferring funds to Hamas Israel continues to pursue exchange companies operating in the Palestinian territories under the rationale that they have been transferring funds to Hamas. Palestine
Iran's presidential hopefuls promise big on economy, but can they deliver? While candidates for the election this Friday have a long list of promises to fix the economy, inefficiencies in Iran's political structure limit the president's ability to make lasting change. Iran
Turkish lira remains volatile after surprise dip in inflation data Turkey’s annual inflation unexpectedly dropped to 16.59% in May, according to data published Thursday. The news did not steady the nation’s currency, which slid on market concerns over an early interest rate cut. Turkey
Turkey’s lira hits record low again The currency’s drop followed comments made by President Erdogan about lowering interest rates. News Brief
Israel could get own digital coin Joining the global race, the Bank of Israel presented last week the model it recommends for the digital shekel coin. Israel
Rifts plague Libya’s central bank Although a new unity government was formed in Libya, ending years of division in state institutions, conflicts still plague some financial institutions that control the country's economy, namely the central bank. Egypt
Turkey bans cryptocurrency payments The Turkish Central Bank said cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are too risky and forbade their use in the country. News Brief
Israel’s first digital bank now rolling Israel’s first digital bank wants to create a revolution in the banking sectors, much like Spotify revolutionized the music industry and Tesla the vehicle market. Israel
