Economy and trade

A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Syria's President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives ahead of a meeting with Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street in central London on March 31, 2026.

Syria’s Sharaa makes fourth visit to Saudi Arabia, first since Iran war: What to know

The visit comes in light of the deepening economic relations between Syria and Saudi Arabia post-Assad.

A fuel truck CarbOil services an Easyjet aircraft at Milan's Malpensa Airport on April 13, 2026.

Eurozone's inflation jumps 2.6%, jet fuel shortages loom amid Iran war

Inflation has been soaring globally amid an energy supply crunch caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Getty Images

As US blockades Hormuz, China urges restraint, rejects call to ditch Iran oil

Beijing and Ankara called for calm as the US began its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as regional diplomacy over the fragile ceasefire intensifies.

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Analysis

Ceasefire without relief: How Iranians are grappling with post-war repression

People gather under a large portrait of Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, during a memorial to mark the 40th day since his father, Ali Ayatollah Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli joint strikes, on April 9, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iran war deepens Gaza crisis as prices soar, aid falters

Children and families gather to receive free meals shortly before Iftar during the holy month of Ramadan at a displacement camp in central Gaza City, on Feb. 27, 2026.

Daoud Kuttab

By Daoud Kuttab

In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics

Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Saudi Arabia launches new Bahrain maritime link as Hormuz routes strain

YASSER AL-ZAYYAT / AFP via Getty Images

This picture taken on July 10, 2022, shows a view of the thermal natural gas and fuel oil power plant serving Syria's northern city of Aleppo.

Syria advances Qatar-backed $7B power project amid soaring electricity prices

According to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency, the plants will use a combination of natural gas and solar energy.

A man stands atop the kasbah of Ait-Ben-Haddou.

Culture

From Hollywood set to heritage hub: Morocco’s $75M bet on Ouarzazate

Once the Hollywood of the Sahara, Morocco’s desert city is betting on sustainable tourism to reclaim its place on the map.

UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves, right, and Qatari Finance Minister Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari arrive at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Analysis

UK chases elusive GCC trade deal that could boost exports, economic links

A new charm offensive at Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference has fueled optimism that a UK-GCC trade pact, under negotiation since 2022, could soon be completed.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A train moves during the inauguration of a 140-kilometres line running from eastern Iran into western Afghanistan, at a railroad station in Khaf, on Dec. 10, 2020.

Analysis

Iran revives cross-border rail projects in bid to anchor Eurasian trade routes

Iran aims to turn its rail network into a strategic lever across Eurasia, despite risks from sanctions and regional instability.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks during an event with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House on Oct. 6, 2025 in Washington, DC.

US energy secretary scraps visit after Israel puts $35B Egypt gas deal on hold

Despite US pressure, Energy Minister Eli Cohen refuses to approve a $35 billion gas deal with Egypt until "a fair price for the Israeli market" is secured.

An employee wearing a face mask against the coronavirus, is pictured at the port of Jebel Ali, operated by the Dubai-based giant ports operator DP World, in the southern outskirts of the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on June 18, 2020.

UAE’s DP World to invest $5B in India's infrastructure: What to know

The Dubai-headquartered logistics firm has already invested $3 billion into the South Asian nation over three decades.

United Arab Emirates

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Billion-dollar AI, clean energy deals headline Saudi 'Davos in the Desert'

Humain, an AI firm backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, the PIF, signed a $3 billion deal with AirTrunk, a company backed by US asset manager Blackstone, to build a data center campus in the kingdom.

Shark Tank Lebanon

Culture

'Shark Tank Lebanon' debuts, offering entrepreneurs hope amid economic turmoil

A Lebanese version of the popular US reality TV show "Shark Tank" hit the airwaves in Lebanon, where unemployment rates have reached record highs in the past years due to a protracted economic and financial crisis and the Israel-Hezbollah war.

AAMIR QURESHI/AFP via Getty Images

Iran to host Pakistani interior minister as border security, trade talks advance

Iran is finessing its relations with Pakistan, seeking to bolster border security and increase trade in response to sanctions.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pose for pictures before the signature of joint statements and agreements during the EU-Egypt summit in Brussels, on Oct. 22, 2025.

Analysis

EU-Egypt summit unlocks over $4B for Cairo as investments beckon

The landmark summit came 19 months after the EU and Egypt signed a 7.4 billion euro ($8.6 billion) strategic and comprehensive partnership aimed at stabilizing the North African nation’s economy and curbing irregular migration to Europe.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Picture of ore as mineral cassiterite (SnO2).

US, UAE strike $1.8B critical mineral venture amid China tensions and Gulf rivalry

United Arab Emirates

Iran's Deputy Defense Minister Majid Ebnoreza (L) sits next to Andrei Matsiyevich.

Grappling with Western sanctions, Iran, Belarus strengthen military ties

Defense-related cooperation between Iran and Belarus has accelerated considerably in recent years, particularly after Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s trip to Tehran in 2023.