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Economy & Business

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Syria announces direct flights to Amsterdam as Europe links expand

The head of Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport announced that after years of suspension, Syrian Airlines would restart direct services between Damascus and Amsterdam.

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

Explainer

Qatar blast underscores challenges in race to restart Gulf energy flows

The deadly explosion marks an early test of Gulf efforts to revive oil and gas production following a historic energy supply shock caused by the US-Israel-Iran war.

A worker counts banknotes after filling up the tank of a vehicle at a petrol station in Giza on March 10, 2026.

Interview

US-Egypt fund makes case for economic statecraft in hard power era

As Washington focuses on war and deterrence, the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund argues private-sector investment can advance US strategic interests.

Cornelius Queen

Cornelius Queen

Senior Vice President of the Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund

MUSCAT, OMAN - JUNE 21: Oil tankers and cargo vessels remain anchored off Port Sultan Qaboos around Qaboos Port on June 21, 2026 in Muscat, Oman. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route for the region's oil and gas, was effectively blockaded since the outbreak of war between the United States and Iran in late February. This week's provisional peace deal between the countries was meant to reopen the waterway to shipping traffic, but the pace of that reopening is unclear amid continued fighting in Lebano

Oil falls more than 3% after Iran, US signal progress in talks

International benchmark Brent crude fell to $78.68 as of 7:06 a.m. EDT.

Latest News

Analysis

US-Iran deal delivers $300 billion controversy, reconstruction questions

A woman walks past a billboard displaying Iran's national flag at Enghelab Square in Tehran on June 14, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Interview

Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says

French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

Axel Baroux

France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East

Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB

A picture taken on June 5, 2017, shows a man walking past the Qatar National Bank branch in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Saudi Aramco's VC arm sees boom in emerging technologies, retail

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

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

The sun sets behind overhead power lines as the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity requested citizens to ration their electricity usage at peak times due to outages caused by the increased pressure on power stations amid soaring temperatures and heightened energy demand, Kuwait City, Kuwait, June 19, 2024.

Kuwait seeks renewable energy boost as 14 GW power expansion plan takes shape

Kuwait, historically lagging in the Gulf’s energy transition, is moving ahead with plans to expand renewable energy amid efforts to banish power crunches.

wind farm

Analysis

Egypt’s renewable power jumps 34% as country tackles energy crunch

After slow growth scaling up clean energy, Egypt’s renewables push may be gaining traction in 2025 as new projects come online in a welcome development for a country that has grappled with a power crunch since 2023.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

PayPal, UAE's DP World sign MoU to speed digital payments

Under the agreement, international transactions are expected to be executed in minutes rather than take up to a week.

United Arab Emirates

UAE wealth fund ADIA scoops into $18B Haagen-Dazs owner Froneri

The UAE sovereign wealth fund has become a co-investor in Froneri in a deal valuing the global ice cream firm at about $18 billion.

United Arab Emirates

aluminium-dutton

Saudi, Chinese companies to develop giant aluminum industrial hub in Riyadh

The new industrial base is set to cover 1.5 million square meters and will be developed in two phases, with the first expected to be completed in 30 months and create more than 1,800 jobs.

Australian Prime Ministry

UAE deepens Asia ties as Malaysia, Australia trade deals kick in

Asia accounts for around 60% of the world’s gross domestic product and pursuing trade deals there helps the UAE hedge against dependence on both the US and China.

United Arab Emirates

A Riyadh Metro train makes its way along a track in the middle of a road in Riyadh on December 3, 2024.

What’s next for Saudi Arabia’s budget balancing act as deficit doubles?

The Gulf state now expects a deficit of $65.3 billion in 2025 — more than double the initial forecast — as the kingdom continues heavy spending amid weak oil prices.

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 aircraft lands at Barcelona's 'El Prat' airport on September 28, 2018

Ryanair scraps Tel Aviv return amid airport dispute, regional instability

The Irish low-cost carrier said Tuesday it would not restart winter flights to Israel, scrapping some 22 routes to and from Tel Aviv and around 1 million seats.

The Saudi delegation meets with Vietnamese officials in Hanoi, Sept. 29, 2025.

After China, Saudi industry minister visits Vietnam in eastward economic push

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with a number of Vietnamese officials on Monday as the oil-rich Gulf kingdom looks east to diversify its economic alliances.

Iranians drive next to a billboard displaying pictures of nuclear scientists, centrifuges and a sentence reading in Farsi, "Science is the power," at the Enqelab Square in Tehran, on Aug. 29, 2025.

Iran rial hits record low 1.13M to dollar as UN snapback sanctions resume: What to know

The sanctions, which were trigged by the three European signatories to the nuclear deal, will not hinder Iranian oil exports to China, an official said.

EA office building in Austin, Texas, USA.

Gaming giant Electronic Arts taken private in $55B Saudi-backed buyout

The transaction represents a significant deal involving entities close to the Saudi Arabian and US governments.

Eric Trump, executive vice president of the Trump Organization and the US president's son, looks over the proposed plan ahead of the signing ceremony with Qatar's Diar and Dar Global, Doha, Qatar, April 30, 2025.

Trump family further expands Gulf business with $1B Jeddah plaza project

It will be the second Trump-branded development in the kingdom after the launch of Trump Tower Jeddah last December.