Economy and trade

Jakarta

GCC-Indonesia economic ties deepen with Saudi MoUs, joint Qatar fund

Trade between Indonesia and the Gulf is rising and negotiations are underway for a GCC-Indonesia free trade agreement.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was hosted in Paris by President Emmanuel Macron, where the sides signed a groundbreaking cooperation agreement in AI, on Feb. 6, 2025.

Analysis

UAE hedges against global economic volatility with EU trade agreement

The UAE is doubling down on bilateral free trade agreements as it hedges against economic headwinds fueled by the United States' universal tariff policy.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrives in Doha on Sunday for an official visit and is welcomed by Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani upon his arrival.

Egypt's Sisi visits Qatar, nabs $7.5B in investments: What to know

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s trip to Doha comes amid Egypt’s moves to improve ties with Turkey and tensions with the UAE over the Gaza war.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: People walk by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) New York headquarters after the company announced a major restructuring on September 12, 2024 in New York City. PwC LLP will let go of up to 1,800 US employees next month as the accounting firm shifts to in-house technology developers and streamlines its advisory practice. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Analysis

Saudi Arabia-PwC split signals shift to local consultancies: What to know

The Saudization of the consultancy sector is not a compliance exercise but instead amounts to a strategic realignment that challenges the long-standing, but outdated, assumption that foreign expertise is inherently superior.

Amal Altwaijri

By Amal Altwaijri

In Washington, DC, reporting on Saudi Arabia

Latest News

Analysis

France recalibrates Turkey ties as east Med dynamics shift: What to know

TOPSHOT - France's President Emmanuel Macron (R) shares a laugh with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (L) ahead of a round table as part of the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, on November 7, 2024. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

By Jonathan Fenton-Harvey

In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics

China courts Gulf, BRICS allies as trade war with US escalates

GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images

Netanyahu set to meet Trump amid differences over Iran, tariffs and Turkey: What to know

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 28: U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a joint statement in the East Room of the White House on January 28, 2020 in Washington, DC. The news conference was held to announce the Trump administration's plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

OPEC+ members boost output as Trump tariffs bring down oil prices

Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni together in Saudi Arabia on Jan. 26, 2025.

Saudi Arabia, Italy sign $10B in deals during Meloni visit: What we know

Italy is a strong trading partner of Saudi Arabia's, and the two countries are eying cooperation on renewable energy.

INTERNATIONAL WATERS RED SEA, YEMEN - NOVEMBER 20: This handout screen grab captured from a video shows Yemen's Houthi fighters' takeover of the Galaxy Leader Cargo in the Red Sea coast off Hudaydah, on November 20, 2023 in the Red Sea, Yemen. On Monday, the Houthi movement in Yemen released footage and photos of the Houthi-run coastguard taking over the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader Vessel in the Red Sea, which had 52 people onboard. Galaxy Leader is owned by Galaxy Maritime Ltd in the Isle of Man and is li

Analysis

How will Trump's terrorist designation of Houthis impact Red Sea attacks?

Oil trade via the Houthi-controlled Bab el-Mandeb strait decreased by 50% after the Yemeni rebels launched maritime attacks, according to the US Energy Information Administration.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani looks on during a session as part of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, on Jan. 23, 2025.

WEF: Arab businesses ‘very keen’ to invest in Syria after Assad’s ouster

Syria's new foreign minister, Asaad al-Shibani, attended the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this week, along with over 50 heads of state and hundreds of business moguls.

US President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington, DC, March 20, 2018.

In first Trump call, Saudi crown prince says trade with US could hit $600B

US President Donald Trump spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in his first phone call to a foreign leader after his inauguration on Jan. 20.

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

Exclusive

UAE Foreign Trade Minister Zeyoudi expects 14% trade increase in 2024: Interview

This rise has been propelled by the country's growing non-oil trade and trade deals, the UAE minister told Al-Monitor.

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Saudi's Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud attends the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Kuwait City, Kuwait, Dec. 26, 2024.

Saudi FM set to travel to Lebanon, will press Beirut for 'real reform'

Prince Faisal said he would meet Lebanon's new leadership to gauge potential for Saudi investment and noted that Trump's reelection lessened the prospect of war in the region

Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi visited Abu Dhabi and met with Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed on Jan 8.

Analysis

By hosting Taliban FM, UAE seeks to expand influence in Afghanistan

Abu Dhabi plans to invest up to $400 million in Afghanistan and upgrade the Central Asian country's consulate in Dubai.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani (R) and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran on Jan. 8, 2024.

Khamenei pushes for US withdrawal from Iraq in meeting with Sudani

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s trip to Tehran is his first since the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and comes ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

A military corvette in the port of Malaga, Spain, March 4, 2020.

Analysis

With Saudi and UAE deals, Spain's defense industry seizes Gulf expansion

This partnership reflects a broader trend of strategic alignment between Gulf states’ economic and security objectives and Spain’s technological expertise especially in the naval sector.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

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

Hadath

Syrian delegation visits Saudi Arabia in first post-Assad trip: What we know

Syrian Foreign Minister Al-Shaibani is on his first foreign visit to Riyadh less than a month since Bashar al-Assad's fall, received by senior Saudi officials including the foreign and defense ministers.

A man watches stock movements on a display at the Dubai Financial Market stock exchange in the Gulf emirate on April 12, 2022.

Analysis

Middle East IPOs shine in 2024 but face new challenges

Middle East IPOs hauled in over $13 billion in 2024, and the region also produced three of the year’s 10 largest listings worldwide.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

OMAR HAJ KADOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

From BRICS to dwindling oil revenues, 2024 was mixed year for Gulf

The ongoing conflict in Gaza, big international investment deals, low oil revenue and increased curtailing of democratic rights dominated Gulf politics and economy in 2024

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics