Saudi Arabia lifts 5-year ban on Lebanon imports: What to know Saudi Arabia had been a main donor for Lebanon before ties strained during Hezbollah’s rising influence in the country. Lebanon
Suez Canal traffic soars as Hormuz disruptions reroute energy trade The canal generated $419 million in revenue in April, up 27% year over year. Egypt
Syria says Iraqi oil shipments surge as Damascus courts foreign energy investment Speaking at the Atlantic Council Global Energy Forum in Washington on Tuesday, Syrian Petroleum Company CEO Yousef Qiblawy said Iraq's overland oil exports through Syria have expanded rapidly in recent months. Syria
Explainer Saudi Arabia, Turkey advance plans to revive historic Hejaz Railway Turkish and Saudi officials signed agreements as part of a Turkish push to revive the Hejaz Railway linking Turkey to the Gulf through Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Turkey
Analysis Turkey pushes Iraq, Syria trade routes as Hormuz crisis disrupts Gulf shipping By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
Investors, economists see Egypt’s new mining law as promising Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi approved a new law on mining that would help promote the mineral sector by attracting foreign investors and regularizing the industry. Egypt
Is Belarus scheming against Russia's reconstruction policies in Syria? Belarus is tacitly promoting its own businesses in Syria, but not all of them are necessarily to the detriment of the Russians. Syria
How much are Israel's elections costing it? With only about 70% of Israelis bothering to vote, maybe it's time to reconsider election day being a national holiday and therefore a paid vacation day for workers. Israel
Intel: Why Russia boosts Iran even as Tehran pares nuclear deal commitments Despite their differences on Syria, Russia needs a stronger Iran as its partner. Russia
What did Sisi discuss in Kuwait? Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi met with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah during a visit to Kuwait, to discuss economic and security cooperation as well as regional developments. Kuwait
The interplay between exchange rates and inflation in Iran While the Iranian rial has strengthened against the dollar, inflation remains high, and the budget deficit is not helping the matter. Iran
Crisis-hit Turkey suffers erosion in investments Turkey’s economic downturn has been marked by a dramatic decline in investments, both private and public, bearing heavily on joblessness. Turkey
Video game exec encourages independent developers in Mideast Hussam Al-Natour, founder of Rababa Gaming, describes the challenges and potential of the Mideast’s video game industry. Jordan
Egypt’s rate cut to boost property, gold and stock markets Egypt’s central bank recently slashed key interest rates by 1.5%, triggering public concerns about a possible depreciation of the local currency. Egypt
Will rancor or realism prevail in Turkish-Israeli ties? While there continues to be a large political gap between Turkey and Israel, economic ties continue to be strong despite the lack of a gas pipeline deal. Israel
How Jordan handled fuming crisis over cigarettes Residents of the border city of Ramtha in the north of Jordan have protested recently against new government measures to curb smuggling, which would further add to their economic burdens. Jordan
Palestinian, Israeli economies intertwined A tour of the West Bank city of Bethlehem makes it clear that the Palestinian and Israeli economies are intertwined. Palestine
