Economy & Business - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Business and Economy Cover Image

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

OPEC Fund Director General - Abdulhamid Alkhalifa

OPEC Fund raises $1 billion via sustainability bond

Gulf states in the organization are showing increasing interest in funding projects related to the environment, renewable energy and green technology.

A tourist swims in a swimming pool at a hotel in Tunisia's resort town of Hammamet, about 66 kilometres south of the capital Tunis, on October 7, 2021. - The October sun warms the sands of Hammamet beach on the Tunisian coast, but the coronavirus pandemic still casts a shadow, and visitors are few on the ground. After two ruined seasons in a row, operators in Tunisia are licking their wounds and hoping the lifting of travel restrictions will spell better days. (Photo by ANIS MILI / AFP) (Photo by ANIS MILI/

North African tourism hinges on stability in Europe and at home in 2023

PRO: Will tourism revenues make a comeback in North Africa in 2023? Here's what we're expecting. (access with one-week free trial)

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

Lebanese pound exchange

Lebanon's currency hits an all-time low as gridlock continues

Lebanon's currency has set a new record low as the parliament failed yet again to elect a president.

ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images

Why Tunisian InstaDeep’s $682m exit may not mark Maghreb's turning point

While mega exits have historically upturned ecosystems across the world, Tunisia and the Maghreb region contain hurdles that make such shifts less likely.

An Egyptian vendor carries a rack of Egyptian traditional 'Baladi' bread in Al Fustat neighborhood on May 2, 2022 in Cairo, Egypt. Egypt imports 80% of its wheat supply from Russia and Ukraine, whose production and export have been disrupted by the invasion. (Photo by Roger Anis/Getty Images)

Al-Monitor/Premise poll: Majority in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia on edge over food access

In an exclusive poll in five countries across the Middle East and North Africa, 68% majority of the population worried about their ability to access food.

AL-MONITOR Staff

By AL-MONITOR Staff

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi participates in the Leaders Session – Partnering on Agenda 2063 at the US-Africa Leaders Summit, Washington, Dec. 15, 2022.

Egypt green-lights sweeping privatization strategy following IMF agreement

The plan defines the contours of the state’s future participation in the economy, including those activities it plans to exit, to increase the contribution of the private sector.

THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images

Israel approves $33 million for quantum computing consortium

Building on its technological knowhow and entrepreneurship, Israel hopes to become a major player in quantum computing.

Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) and Formula One Group CEO Stefano Domenicali (R).

Saudi Arabia launches investment fund for sports, entertainment events

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s aggressive modernization plans have been criticized for being overly ambitious.

Representatives of OPEC member countries attend a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting in Vienna, Austria, on October 5, 2022. - The OPEC+ oil cartel meets for the first time face-to-face since Covid curbs were introduced in 2020. (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK / AFP) (Photo by VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP via Getty Images)

Is OPEC+ losing influence over production and prices?

PRO: The next 5 years promise higher revenues for OPEC+ members, but the risks are extraordinary. (access with free trial)

Gerald Kepes

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy trends

Saudi Minister of Finance Mohammed Al-Jadaan arrives to attends the Euromoney conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh on May 2, 2018 . - The two-day conference will focus on Saudi Arabia's finance and investments.(Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

Davos 2023: Saudi Arabia 'open' to discuss trading in non-dollar currencies

Qatar also voiced support for Elon Musk’s leadership of Twitter at the annual forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Yoon Suk-yeol

South Korea-UAE visit showcases alignment on arms, energy deals

A $30 billion pledge from the UAE to invest in South Korean industries was one outcome of the four-day visit

By Salim A. Essaid

Cairo mosque

In Egypt, massive funding for new mosques questioned amid economic crisis

The Egyptian Ministry of Endowments has built thousands of new mosques in President Sisi's time in office, despite pressing needs for education, health care, and other services.