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
Israeli elections: Where is the economy? Contrary to previous election campaigns, which focused on the dire economic situation, the main themes of the current campaign are the scandals surrounding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and questions about Blue and White head Benny Gantz’s personality. Israel
5 obstacles to Khamenei’s call for ‘boost in domestic production’ While the Iranian supreme leader’s emphasis on domestic production in the face of external sanctions makes a certain amount of sense, the question is how such a strategy should be implemented — and in which sectors of the economy. Iran
Iraq inches closer to Egyptian, Jordanian axis Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Jordanian King Abdullah II and Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi met in Cairo to discuss ways to enhance economic and strategic relations, as well as a unified Arab position toward the regional developments, including the US recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights. Egypt
Iran continues to struggle to keep workers content The Iranian government, members of parliament, employers and labor activists have finally agreed on wage increases to alleviate the burden on workers. But much more remains to be done to shield Iranian workers from rising prices. Iran
New crossing aims to restore Aleppo’s economic status Civilians and traders in northern Syria hope commercial activities will resume there now that the Abu al-Zandeen crossing is open, linking regime-controlled territory to Turkish-backed opposition areas for the first time. Syria
Putin, Aoun discuss Syrian refugee crisis, regional issues President Putin and President Aoun hold wide-ranging talks, including about the return of refugees to Syria, and Lebanon indicates that despite its issues with Washington, strong US-Lebanese government ties are going to continue. Lebanon
Russian businesses wary of Syria reconstruction investments Russia faces many barriers in its bid to invest in Syria's reconstruction, including excessive Syrian bureaucracy. Syria
IRGC commanders begin to reprimand Iranians for electing Rouhani Ultraconservative commanders in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are now openly criticizing voters for electing Hassan Rouhani, whose performance they view as the root cause of the country's economic woes. Iran
New pact will open flow of Egyptian workers to Libya Egypt and Libya recently signed an agreement to cooperate on screening Egyptian laborers so more of them can enter Libya as the security situation is gradually improving. Egypt
Will Iraq lose its benefits from Shatt al-Arab River to Iran? The recent renewal of an Iraqi-Iranian agreement on the Shatt al-Arab River stirred controversy among Iraqis, as many are concerned Iran will take over the border river. Iraq
Will Mankai Textile Industrial Park be a blessing for Egypt's textile sector? The construction of the largest Chinese textile city in Egypt is raising the concerns of local manufacturers and state-owned textile factories, which are already suffering huge losses. Egypt
Egypt seeks capital market boost with new futures exchange Economists say the futures contracts exchange that was recently approved in Egypt will enhance the competitiveness of the Egyptian market in general, paving the way for launching a number of futures contracts and commodity exchanges. Egypt
