Economy and trade

LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images

Syria, Jordan focus on economic ties amid fallout from October attacks

Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on Monday as the two countries revealed 11 cooperation pacts spanning trade, investment and infrastructure.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Suez Canal revenue jumps 94% despite Houthi Red Sea threats

The Suez Canal Authority's chairman said that the waterway was witnessing “a remarkable improvement despite the geopolitical challenges in the region.”

Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images

Gulf markets gain, oil falls as Democrats win Congress

Oil prices fell after Democrats won control of the House and Senate amid hopes that a Democratic-led Congress could lead to more US restraint in Iran.

FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images

UAE taps French firm for first-ever natural hydrogen exploration: What to know

Under the UAE National Hydrogen Strategy 2050, the Gulf country aims to establish itself as a global producer and supplier of low-emission hydrogen by 2031 while supporting its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

United Arab Emirates

Latest News

UAE’s Al Habtoor Group to sell all assets in Lebanon: What to know

JOSEPH EID/AFP via Getty Images

Egypt’s Sisi, Putin meet as Russia steps up Africa push: What to know

Russian President Vladimir Putin greets Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi during a welcoming ceremony for participants of the Russia-Africa summit at the Grand Kremlin Palace in central Moscow, on Oct. 28, 2026.

Canada, UAE sign trade pact as Ottawa seeks to diversify beyond US

Dock workers load and unload shipping containers in the Port of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

United Arab Emirates

Macron secures Gulf diesel supplies as France grapples with fuel costs, unrest

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' until 2027 amid Houthi attacks

The Future Investment Initiative, which typically attracts the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in business, finance, and technology to Riyadh, will now be held next year.

Trucks loaded with goods wait to cross over to Syria

Analysis

How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria

Iraq and Syria are expanding trade and energy cooperation, but security risks, economic challenges and longstanding mistrust raise questions about whether their growing partnership can endure.

Shelly Kittleson

By Shelly Kittleson

In Middle East, reporting on regional politics

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.

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) /

Explainer

IMF projects Gulf rebound in 2027. Can energy production keep pace?

Restoring shipping access in the Strait of Hormuz is only part of the recovery, as Gulf producers also need to repair damaged infrastructure to avoid further disruption to production and exports.

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)

Jeddah airport flights disrupted as Houthis escalate threats

Saudi Arabia’s busiest airport, Jeddah King Abdulaziz International Airport, saw widespread flight cancellations and delays on Tuesday.

Guests attend the 25th WPC Energy Congress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 12, 2026.

Saudi Arabia outlines oil export plans amid escalating Houthi attacks

Saudi authorities said on Monday they were extending the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport after deadly attacks over the weekend by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

A man walks past a closed foreign exchange office in Baghdad on October 7, 2026. Iraq's central bank devalued the dinar currency against the dollar on October 7, with the country facing a deepening crisis brought on by the Middle East war. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Iraq devalues dinar 13% as Hormuz disruption hits oil revenue

The central bank said in a statement that it had revised the official exchange rate to 1,520 Iraqi dinars per dollar from around 1,320.

Turkey's Family Minister Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya speaks to media after arriving at the Ataturk International airport on March 12, 2017, in Istanbul.

Erdogan aide named suspect in Turkey financial scandal

Former AKP deputy chairwoman Fatma Betul Sayan Kaya is facing allegations of being linked to a market manipulation scandal.

A view of a traffic roundabout in central Latakia, Syria on June 12, 2025. The city's road network converges near the coast, forming one of the busiest urban intersections in the province. (Photo by Omar Albaw / Middle East Images via AFP) (Photo by OMAR ALBAW/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE-Syria move ahead on $20 billion real estate mega-developments

Major housing and tourism projects in Damascus and Latakia are set to advance following a new agreement with UAE real estate tycoon Mohamed Alabbar.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad looks on during the 27th Gas Exporting Countries Forum ministerial meeting, Doha, Qatar, Oct. 23, 2025.

Iran’s economy deteriorates, oil minister resigns, workers protest: What to know

Iran’s oil minister has resigned amid mounting economic pressure from US sanctions and restrictions on the country’s exports.