Oil falls below $71 as US-Iran talks continue, Gulf exports rebound Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in an X post on Wednesday that Iran and the United States had made "positive progress." Iran
Newsletter: Business & Tech The race to restore Hormuz US and Iranian negotiators are seeking a lasting agreement on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran pushes for long-term control over the strategic waterway. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Trump earns $810M from UAE-backed crypto firm: What to know According to the disclosure, Trump earned $810 million from crypto token sales and sales of interests in UAE-backed World Liberty Financial. United Arab Emirates
Kuwait's Zain eyes $1.5B mobile network in postwar Syria: What to know The Kuwaiti company is planning to invest more than $1.5 billion in Syria after securing a license to operate there, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Syria
Interview Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO Olivier Badard CEO of Armada Holding
Analysis Why the Hormuz oil shock never became an energy catastrophe By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Egypt institutes price controls for bread Bread prices in Egypt have increased considerably since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Egypt receives the majority of its wheat from the two Eastern European countries. Egypt
Lebanese turn to cryptocurrency as economy tanks Lebanon is bursting with crypto mining shops, traders and online mentors to fulfill the surging demand from people desperately looking to gain financial freedom and much-needed US dollars. Lebanon
Turkish tourism sector scrambles to minimize fallout of Ukraine war Bracing for a big loss of Russian and Ukrainian holidaymakers this summer, Turkey’s tourism industry is looking for replacements in Europe and the Middle East. But few are hopeful that the gap can be closed. Turkey
Egypt raises interest rates for first time since 2017 Inflation and bread prices have risen significantly in Egypt recently, and Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also raised their rates. Egypt
Analysis 'Hot money' singes Egypt’s economy Although capital outflows are no surprise, devaluation looks imminent to mitigate pressure on the pound. By Ahmed Elleithy
UAE continues to grow influence in Africa with Zimbabwe trade The Emirates has expanded its presence on the African continent in recent years via infrastructure investments, military bases and more. United Arab Emirates
Turkish minister’s pledge to foreign investors causes uproar at home As foreign investments decline, Nureddin Nebati's promise to "take the bureaucracy down" raises concerns at home and abroad about evading the rule of law. Turkey
Fitch downgrades Tunisia’s debt rating The assessment from the leading credit agency is based on the Tunisian government’s high deficit and the political instability brought on by the president power grab last year, among other things. Tunisia
Jihadi group raises prices in Syria’s Idlib as war rages in Ukraine While some believe the Russian war on Ukraine has upped prices in northwest Syria, others accuse Hayat Tahrir al-Sham of exploiting the crisis to make gains. Syria
UK loans $2.3 billion to Turkey for high-speed rail line Turkey and the United Kingdom have gotten closer economically recently, which is in part related to tensions with the European Union. By AL-MONITOR Staff
Egypt seeks to boost gas exports to Europe as Russia-Ukraine war drags on Egypt hopes to boost its natural gas exports at a time when European countries are gradually giving up reliance on Russian hydrocarbons, including gas, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Egypt
Saudi Arabia, Qatar raise repo rates while Turkey stays put Central Banks in the Middle East are responding to the US Federal Reserve raising interest rates due to rising inflation. Saudi Arabia