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Economy & Business

a large billboard featuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

What Netanyahu win or loss could mean for Israel’s economy

Economic concerns have taken a back seat to security as voters weigh Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s future — but rising deficits, cost of living and politically charged issues will be a challenge for whoever eventually prevails.

Qatar's Energy Minister and CEO of QatarEnergy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi speaks during a press conference in Doha, on June 22, 2026.

Qatar locks in US LNG through 2054 as it looks beyond Hormuz

The Gulf state agreed to buy up to 4 million tons of US liquefied natural gas annually through 2054.

Saudi Arabia football supporters wave flags

China-Saudi consortium wins $306M World Cup stadium deal: What to know

The project is a vote of confidence to Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy away from oil, despite an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the kingdom in recent weeks.

Latest News

Gulf oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks

The Chinese-flagged container shipping vessel Hui Fa transits the Gulf of Oman off the coast of Khor Fakkan in the emirate of Sharjah east of the UAE, on Oct. 13, 2026.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

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

Benoit Tessier / AFP via Getty Images

Explainer

Indonesia first foreign country to own property in Saudi Arabia's Mecca

Vehicles move along a main street in Saudi Arabia's holy city of Mecca on Sept. 16, 2026.

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

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

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

Harry McGuire Man Utd

Qatar pulls out of Manchester United acquisition race

The Qatari royal and banker had bid 5 billion pounds ($6 billion) for the British soccer club but further talks last week have broken down, the BBC reported Sunday.

A jewelry shop employee displays 24-carat gold bars in Ahmedabad, August 20, 2011.

Oil, gold climb amid Israeli-Hamas war, tighter Russian sanctions

One analyst predicts gold could reach $4,000 per ounce by year-end amid uncertainty caused by the Middle East conflict.

Ben Gurion Airport

Full list of airlines that have suspended Israel flights after Hamas attacks

Israel’s main international airport has remained open despite the conflict, and most Israeli airlines are still operating.

Gaza Strip

EU's backpedaling on Palestinian aid exposes fissures on foreign policy

An EU Commission spokesperson said at a Brussels briefing on Tuesday that earlier comments by a senior EU official were not endorsed by the top leadership of the 27-state bloc.

first tests of Alstom's Coradia iLint Hydrogen train between Reignac-sur-Indre and Loches, central France.

Saudi Arabia set to begin Middle East’s first hydrogen train trials

Saudi Arabian Railways, in partnership with French manufacturer Alstom, will begin to operate the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger train in Riyadh later this month.

Gaza

Israel-Gaza war: Oil prices spike, Israel begins sell-off to support shekel

Israel's currency tumbled to its lowest level against the dollar since 2016 and the central bank is selling foreign reserves to prop up its value.

KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Can UAE's currency swap offer Egypt's spiraling economy some respite?

The arrangement is expected to relieve some pressure on Cairo’s foreign currency reserves, secure FX liquidity and bring stability to the exchange rate with Abu Dhabi.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

alfalfa

Explainer: What is behind the Arizona-Saudi groundwater controversy?

The US state canceled the lease for one of Saudi dairy giant Almarai’s subsidiaries, saying it has been improperly pumping groundwater out of the desert.

A vendor selling watermelons steers his horse-drawn cart along a street in Cairo on October 2, 2023. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt’s economy teeters following Moody's downgrade

Egypt is suffering from high inflation, foreign currency shortages and an IMF-supported currency devaluation as President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeks reelection.

A bird flies past a boat sailing along Dubai creek in the Gulf emirate on May 2, 2021 while the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is seen in the background. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

20% rise in Middle East late-stage venture capital funding despite global decline

Startups in the Middle East and North Africa have so far in 2023 reported a 20% year-on-year growth, new data shows, while global funding activity of this type has seen a 49% decline from 2022.

Sustainable fuel

UAE’s Masdar signs sustainable aviation fuel deal with Boeing

Several Gulf entities are investing in the bio-based alternative jet fuel, though its development faces several challenges and is not ready for mass use.

The Pioneering Spirit vessel, which will carry out construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline, passes the Yavuz Sultan Selim Brigde on the Bosporus, Istanbul, Turkey, May 31, 2017.

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ in talks with Turkey to build railway for trade corridor

Amid increasing cooperation between the two countries, an alternative trade corridor is planned linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia.