Banking and Finance

Dr. Stephen Miran, nominee for Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, Jeffrey Kessler, nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security, William Pulte, nominee for Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, and Jonathan McKernan, nominee for Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection testify at a hearing of the Senate Banking Committee on Feb. 27, 2025, at the Dirksen Senate Building in Washington.

Who is Bill Pulte, Trump loyalist tapped as intelligence director?

The US president announced he had picked the fed housing chair to lead the nation’s intelligence agencies, at least temporarily, after the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard.

Jared Szuba

In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military

The symbols of bitcoin and the stablecoin Tether (USDT) are displayed at a cryptocurrency store in Hong Kong on July 29, 2025.

Interview

Saudi Arabia eyes state-backed stablecoin amid digital finance push

Tokenization in Saudi Arabia has rapidly evolved from concept to early-stage execution since the early 2020s.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa arrives to attend the second day of the first Syrian-Emirati (United Arab Emirates) Investment Forum, at the People's Palace in Damascus on May 12, 2026. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

Ports and infrastructure: UAE embraces new economic order in Syria

UAE-Syrian ties have moved faster than expected, with Abu Dhabi embracing President Ahmad al-Sharaa and relations shifting from normalization to investment opportunities.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A Syrian citizen exchanges old banknotes for new notes released and distributed by the central bank, at a bank in the capital, Damascus, on Jan. 3, 2026.

Interview

UK fintech brings foreign currency accounts to Syrians at home

The launch comes as Syria’s new government attempts to stabilize the country’s shattered economy following the January 2025 rise to power of President Ahmed al-Sharaa after the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad.

Latest News

Egypt ramps up energy investments amid war-driven price pressures

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly speaks in Beirut on Dec. 19, 2025.

Iranian rial hits new record low as blockade, war take toll: What to know

An Iraqi money dealer counts Iranian rial banknotes bearing a portrait of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at an exchange office in Baghdad on Feb. 3, 2012.

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

Haruna Furuhashi /Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Why are Wall Street banks posting record profits amid Iran war?

ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images

Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman looks on during a meeting with US President Donald Trump (not pictured) in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on November 18, 2025. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived at the White House to fanfare and a jet flyover Tuesday, in his first visit to the United States since the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Ima

Saudi Arabia names new investment minister as Vision 2030 funding lags

The leadership change comes as slowing megaprojects and weak foreign inflows expose gaps in the kingdom’s ambitious economic overhaul.

This picture shows a view of the Abu Dhabi skyline on May 14, 2025. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Abu Dhabi merges ADQ into new wealth fund L'IMAD: What to know

Under the new structure, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, will oversee a broader swath of the emirate’s investment holdings.

United Arab Emirates

Art of digital currency.

UAE Central Bank approves first US dollar-backed stablecoin: What to know

The approval marks a milestone in the UAE’s development of digital currency infrastructure and positions USDU as the Gulf country’s first USD-denominated currency for digital assets.

United Arab Emirates

Men use their mobile phones while sitting at a coffee shop in Tehran, on Jan. 7, 2026.

Iran internet blackout estimated to cost $37M+ daily, crippling businesses and society

The ongoing digital disconnection is severely stalling commerce, draining millions of dollars daily and pushing many businesses toward collapse.

Security forces are seen during a pro-government rally on January 12, 2026, in Tehran, Iran.

Can Iran’s promised economic reforms quell unrest?

The Iranian government has made several economic pledges to protesters, though some carry risk of increasing inflation further.

The skyline of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 31, 2023.

MidEast VC funding hits record $3.8B in 2025, driven by strong Gulf showing

Many emerging venture markets contracted in 2025, but the Middle East and North Africa bucked the trend.

The close-up of a phone tapping a POS at the coffee shop highlights the ease of contactless transactions.

Saudi Arabia, UAE accelerate cashless payment push in 2026: What to know

Dubai is targeting 90% cashless transactions by the end of 2026, while Saudi Arabia is now set to enforce an e-payments rule for domestic workers.

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Arabia to open stock markets to all foreign investors in February: What to know

The Saudi Capital Market Authority announced that it would remove restrictions that have historically limited foreign investors' access to the country’s Tadawul stock exchange.

Railroad tracks by a quarry at the Jubail Industrial City, north of Dammam, in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province, overlooking the Gulf, Dec. 11, 2019.

Saudi Arabia awards record number of mining licenses in Vision 2030 push

Riyadh estimates the country’s mineral resources to be worth $2.51 trillion.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, head of the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's influential sovereign wealth fund, addresses the opening ceremony of the Future Investment Initiative, in Riyadh, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Gulf accounted for 43% of global sovereign wealth fund investment in 2025

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund was the world's highest spending sovereign wealth fund in 2025, investing some $36.2 billion.

A picture taken from a station of Dubai's Palm Monorail shows traffic on a road in Palm Jumeirah on Aug. 28, 2025.

Feature

Cheap oil, tighter finances, wars constrained Mid East economies in 2025

Low oil prices, tighter financial conditions and elevated geopolitical risk hampered growth across much of the Middle East and North Africa this year.

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

Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran Iranian 100 rial banknotes.

Analysis

Iran currency plunges to historic low amid factional blame game

As Iran's judiciary publicly rebukes the central bank over the rial's collapse, the currency crisis is no longer economic and is fast becoming a test of political accountability and regime stability.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics