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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

Picture taken on Feb. 6, 2018, shows a person holding a visual representation of the digital crypto-currency Bitcoin,

Israeli cryptocurrency market attempts to catch up with global pace

An Israeli crypto firm becomes the first in the country to get a capital markets license.

Panelists including Jordan’s Finance Minister, Emirates NBD’s Chief Economist, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia Department Director, discuss the IMF’s newly released Middle East and North Africa outlook report on October 31, 2022.

Middle East countries must do more to recover, say IMF event panelists

While oil producing countries are projected to benefit from a windfall due to high energy prices, for others the coming years "will be more challenging than ever."

(From L to R) Moderator Joha Simpson, BBC world affairs editor broadcaster, author and columnist, UAE Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei, Omani Oil and Gas Minister Mohamed Al Rumhi and Bahrain's Oil and Gas Affairs Minister Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa sit on a panel during the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference), Abu Dhabi, Emirates, Nov. 7, 2016.

UAE warns against underinvestment in oil, gas at Abu Dhabi conference

The Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference also features more focus on decarbonization and hydrogen.

Vinifest returns to Lebanon with its first physical event since 2019, gathering dozens of wineries at the Beirut Hippodrome, October 2022.

Lebanon’s Vinifest returns as local wineries face uncertain future

The Middle East’s biggest wine industry showcase returns for its 13th edition with its first full physical event in three years, amid Lebanon's harsh economic conditions.

Tunisia economy

IMF loan unlikely to save Tunisia's economy

Funds from the global lender of last resort may be too little, too late.

Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud (L) and UAE's Minister of State and special envoy for climate change Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber.

Saudi Arabia to hold green forums in conjunction with COP27

Saudi Arabia will hold in November the second editions of the Middle East Green Initiative and Saudi Green Initiative summits in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the sidelines of the COP27, in what reflects the growing interest of regional countries to address the effects of climate change.

Twitter

Saudi prince to retain stake in Twitter after Musk takeover

Prince Alwaleed previously criticized Elon Musk’s plan to buy the social media giant, but later changed his tune.

Iranian men monitor the stock market at Tehran Stock Exchange on July 1, 2019. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)

Tehran's stock exchange set to decline further amid ongoing unrest 

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

Israeli new shekels.

Israel to work with France against money laundering, terror financing

The memorandum of understanding signed last week between Israel and France is just part of the very extensive battle championed by Israel’s Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority against criminal money laundering and financing of terror activities.

Cancer drugs are seen at a pharmacy, Beirut, Lebanon, Oct. 7, 2022.

Lebanon’s worsening health sector leaves patients suffering

Lebanon's health-care sector is fighting for survival amid an economic collapse, with the lives of patients at risk as critical care facilities have been falling apart and for the majority of the population affording essential medicine has become a luxury.

The Egyptian pound, British pound sterling and US dollar banknotes are seen in this photo, Aug. 25, 2022.

Egyptian pound plummets after interest rate hike, exchange rate change

Egypt is contending with high inflation as the central bank continues to look for a way out of the current crisis.

Mobileye Global, Inc. founder and CEO Amnon Shashua and Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger clap.

Israeli autonomous driving firm goes public

Mobileye’s stock rose on its first day trading on Nasdaq.