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. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
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.
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. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
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.
Venture funding in Maghreb region gets facelift As the number of startups in the Maghreb region increases and venture funding experiences a meteoric rise, the region is gradually taking a visible spot in the MENA startup ecosystem. North Africa
Kuwait benefits from oil price boom but long-term economic challenges loom Key reforms and a lack of a diversified economy remain only two of Kuwait's major challenges. Legacy: Gulf
Binance CEO takes heat at Abu Dhabi event after FTX fall Changpeng Zhao maintained that crypto is the future, despite cryptocurrency exchange FTX filing for bankruptcy last week. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt’s Banque Misr receives loan from African Development Bank, China The loan could help Egyptian startups and comes amid Egypt’s ongoing economic crisis. Egypt
‘Stars aligned’ for Palestinian startups, Gulf investors say Entrepreneurs from the West Bank and Gaza recently visited Dubai to attend a conference on funding for new businesses. Palestine
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. Israel
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." Legacy: Gulf
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. Israel
Israeli autonomous driving firm goes public Mobileye’s stock rose on its first day trading on Nasdaq. Israel
Dubai-based crypto firm to offer payment card The partnership between BitOasis and Mastercard could make cryptocurrencies more usable for daily purchases. Legacy: Gulf
Egyptian Central Bank plans to establish new index of gold, foreign currencies The Egyptian pound is performing poorly against the US dollar but faring better compared to other currencies. Egypt
Saudi Arabia opens up to new fintech players While Saudi Arabia’s fintech sector presents opportunities for entrepreneurs, VC investors and consumers, there are specific, long-standing challenges hindering the market’s full potential. Legacy: Gulf
