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.
Iran desperate to maintain Iraqi financial lifeline Iran seeks to maintain the flow of hard currency from Iraq to help it overcome the US sanctions. Iraq
Egyptians turn to Bitcoin amid coronavirus crisis Soaring prices of cryptocurrencies, most notably Bitcoin, are tempting many unemployed Egyptians seeking to achieve quick gains, amid fears of Bitcoin being exploited to finance terrorism or illegal trade. Egypt
Tehran Stock Exchange: The end of an illusion Many Iranian investors have recently seen the value of their portfolios drop significantly due to governmental overregulation in times of market growth. Iran
Lebanon-IMF talks make little progress despite bank collapse The Lebanese ruling elite is still bargaining over the economic reforms required by the International Monetary Fund, while the country’s economic situation continues to go downhill. Lebanon
Lebanon's central bank to take over banks that cannot boost capital The central bank is giving Lebanese banks until February to increase their capital by 20% or give their shares to the government amid fears that people's deposits are at risk. Lebanon
IMF calls for Lebanon reforms, explores ways to assist Beirut The International Monetary Fund, which began talks with Lebanon in May, called for critical economic reforms in the aftermath of the Beirut blast. Lebanon
Turkey’s ‘peg-legged’ foreign currency reserves Turkey’s central bank appears increasingly fragile, with more than 60% of its reserves secured through swap deals. Turkey
Lebanese banks raise exchange rate to dollars as crisis worsens A member of the government's IMF negotiations team also resigned in opposition to the government's handling of the worst financial crisis in decades. Lebanon
Oman weighs costs of bailout from Gulf neighbors Gulf countries might step up to keep Oman’s public finances afloat, but experts warn strings may be attached. Saudi Arabia
Lebanon protests rage as currency plunges Protesters set fire to tires and waste containers to cut major roads throughout Lebanon. Lebanon
Is Turkey’s wealth fund becoming a crisis shelter? More company rescues could be imminent in Turkey after the sovereign wealth fund acquired the control of a leading mobile phone operator at the expense of further borrowing. Turkey
Lebanon’s central bank to inject dollars as currency crashes The Lebanese pound trades at roughly 6,000 to the US dollar on the black market; Lebanese officials take action to try to get the parallel market under 4,000 to the dollar. Lebanon
