Economy and trade

Saudi Air Force advanced F-15SA fighter jets perform during a ceremony in Riyadh on Jan. 25, 2017.

Analysis

2025: Why Gulf defense megadeals finally met reality

From fighter jet debates to drones and megadeals, Gulf defense planners are shifting from political signaling to tangible results.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

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

View of Damietta Segas LNG Terminal, in Damietta, Egypt, which is an export terminal belong to Spanish Egyptian Gas Company.

Analysis

Egypt’s $35B Israel gas deal buys time, tests fragile energy partnership

The agreement is a critical stopgap as Cairo grapples with domestic power demands, but the last two years have tested Egypt-Israel energy cooperation in unprecedented ways.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and 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

Latest News

Yemeni ministries declare support for STC campaign as Gulf tensions flare

Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Gulf finance hubs race to expand as hedge funds flock to Dubai, Abu Dhabi

Traffic moves on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on March 24, 2025.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Maersk resumes Red Sea passage after two-year halt amid easing Houthi threat

A ship sails along Egypt's Suez Canal near Ismailia, April 16, 2025.

Analysis

How Netanyahu ceded to Trump, agreed to Egypt's $35B gas deal

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, EGYPT - OCTOBER 13: U.S. President Donald Trump and President of Egypt Abdel Fattah El-Sisi clasp hands as they speak to the press before their meeting on October 13, 2025 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. President Trump is in Egypt to meet with European and Middle Eastern leaders in what’s being billed as an international peace summit, following the start of a US-brokered ceasefire deal to end the war in the Gaza Strip. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif steps down from his plane on his arrival in Noor Khan airbase in Rawalpindi on August 30, 2018. - Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in Islamabad for a two-day visit. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo credit should read -/AFP/Getty Images)

Zarif: Even America’s allies not immune to US sanctions

During an unannounced trip to Turkey, Iran’s foreign minister warned America’s allies that they are not immune to US pressure.

Iranian president under fire in heated parliament session

Iranian lawmakers said they were not convinced by President Hassan Rouhani's responses to questions that centered mainly on economic grievances.

People walk past by a kiosk in central Istanbul, Turkey November 2, 2015. A jubilant President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday cast the return of Turkey's Islamist-rooted AK Party to single-party rule as a vote for stability that the world must respect, but opponents fear it heralds growing authoritarianism and deeper polarisation. The newspaper headline on top reads: "AK Party on its own" REUTERS/Murad Sezer - GF20000042993

How crisis with US dealt fresh blow to Turkish press

The depreciation of the Turkish lira, fueled by the crisis between Ankara and Washington, has raised the cost of imported paper enormously, pushing already-struggling publications to the brink of collapse.

Masoud Karbasian (bottom), Iran's Economy Minister, speaks in parliament in the capital Tehran on August 26, 2018 before a vote by lawmakers which saw him impeached. - Karbasian is the second minister in President Hassan Rouhani's cabinet to be impeached this month, following the removal of Labour Minister Ali Rabiei on August 8. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Rouhani’s economy minister impeached

Just one year into his second term, Hassan Rouhani’s economic team has come under fire with two ministers impeached in one month.

Iran turns to economic zones to encourage balanced growth

Iranian lawmakers have approved a bill to establish a series of new special economic zones to counter the country's uneven development.

Tourists are seen at a water park in the Red Sea resort of Hurghada, Egypt, August 16, 2016. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich - D1BETYUPRQAA

Will Egypt's public sector get longer weekend?

The Egyptian government is considering adding Thursdays to the weekend for public sector employees.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu attend a news conference in Ankara, Turkey, August 14, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC14B67E5FF0

Russia, Turkey seek greater engagement amid US sanctions

Russia plans to lift visa requirements for some Turks and to begin delivery of the S-400 missile-defense system to Turkey next year in an attempt to further sway Ankara away from the United States.

New group forming to alleviate poverty in Palestinian territories

As part of the Palestinian Authority's efforts to end poverty, the Islamic Development Bank has set up an investment fund allowing the new Palestinian People’s Economic Empowerment Institution to have its own budget.

EDITORS' NOTE: Reuters and other foreign media are subject to Iranian restrictions on leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.
A man looks at newspapers at a news stand in Tehran March 4, 2012. Hardliners allied with Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei maintained their lead in the country's parliamentary vote, with partial results on Sunday showing supporters of the president trailing behind. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - GM1E8341DST01

Sanctions, profiteering put Iranian newspapers in a bind

A paper crisis exacerbated by US sanctions is weighing down Iranian daily newspapers, which are resorting to everything from closures to online paywalls.

US sanctions put nearly half a million jobs at risk in Iran’s auto parts industry

Auto parts suppliers in Iran warn that US sanctions coupled with domestic mismanagement are bringing their industry to its knees.

A money changer counts Turkish lira banknotes at a currency exchange office in Istanbul, Turkey August 13, 2018. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RC139D2160B0

Who is at the sharp end of Turkey’s currency crisis?

After years of bold borrowing from abroad, Turkish conglomerates, including government cronies, are sitting on a powder keg as the country’s currency turmoil keeps augmenting their debt repayment woes.

A man displays Libyan Dinar banknotes in a jewellery store in the old city of Tripoli, Libya October 26, 2017. Picture taken October 26, 2017. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny - RC15E19B5990

Is there hope for reforming Libya’s shattered economy?

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Libyan Economy and Industry Minister Nasser al-Dersi talks about the Government of National Accord’s new economic reform program and the challenges it faces.