Economy and trade

Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly (L) welcomes China's Premier Li Qiang upon his arrival at Cairo International Airport in Egypt's capital, on July 9, 2025.

China’s premier makes first visit to Egypt as ties grow: What we know

Egypt and China have significantly deepened their ties in recent years across various sectors such as trade, defense, technology and the economy.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto pose for a family photo.

Egypt urges BRICS to deepen financial ties after Trump threatens tariffs

Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly said that due to the global decline in multilateralism and crises engulfing the world, members of the bloc of developing nations should bolster their financial and economic ties.

Hisham Ezz Al Arab CIB CEO

Interview

How Red Sea attacks prepared Egypt’s economy for future shocks

The CEO of Egypt's third-largest bank tells Al-Monitor why he is hopeful about the country's economic recovery.

General view of the opening session of the 11th BRICS Parliamentary Forum at the Federal Senate in Brazil, taken on June 4, 2025.

Analysis

At Brazil summit, BRICS welcomes new Middle East members as divisions continue

A year after formally joining at the Kazan summit, Iran, Egypt and the UAE attend their first BRICS summit hosted outside Russia — as Saudi Arabia continues to weigh whether to join.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Latest News

Analysis

Gulf bets on LNG boom power ahead amid regional energy shifts, war risks

This photo shows Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital, Doha, Qatar, Feb. 6, 2017.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Iran’s rial falls by 3% as Tehran grapples with war aftermath

Iranian rial banknotes bearing a portrait of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, sit on the stand of an Iraqi money dealer on June 19, 2014, in Arbil, Iraq.

Saudi PIF reports 60% profit drop as inflation, low oil prices bite

CORRECTION / A picture taken in Riyadh shows the sign in Arabic of an Aramco gas station on the outskirts of the Saudi capital Riyadh on November 5, 2024. Energy giant Saudi Aramco reported a 15 percent year-on-year drop in third quarter profit on November 5, 2024, citing low oil prices. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) / "The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by Fayez Nureldine has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: changing the second phrase to refer to Saudi

Analysis

Kuwait's heatwaves, high demand strain fragile power grid: What to know

The sun sets behind overhead power lines in Kuwait City as the Kuwaiti Ministry of Electricity requested that citizens ration their electricity usage at peak times due to outages, on June 19, 2024.

Sebastian Castelier

By Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's oil cuts weigh heavy on economy, GDP tanks by 4.5%

The kingdom's economy shrunk by the most since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 due to energy measures.

Ben Gurion Airport

Full list of airlines that have suspended Israel flights after Hamas attacks

Israel’s main international airport has remained open despite the conflict, and most Israeli airlines are still operating.

A bird flies past a boat sailing along Dubai creek in the Gulf emirate on May 2, 2021 while the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is seen in the background. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

20% rise in Middle East late-stage venture capital funding despite global decline

Startups in the Middle East and North Africa have so far in 2023 reported a 20% year-on-year growth, new data shows, while global funding activity of this type has seen a 49% decline from 2022.

The Pioneering Spirit vessel, which will carry out construction of the offshore section of the Turkish Stream natural gas pipeline, passes the Yavuz Sultan Selim Brigde on the Bosporus, Istanbul, Turkey, May 31, 2017.

Abu Dhabi’s ADQ in talks with Turkey to build railway for trade corridor

Amid increasing cooperation between the two countries, an alternative trade corridor is planned linking Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Dubai marina

Middle East economic growth to fall sharply in 2023, World Bank says

The Middle East and North Africa’s gross domestic product is expected to plummet to 1.9% in 2023 from 6% in 2022.

GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images

Israeli shekel falls to 7-year low of 3.87 against the dollar

The shekel’s fall is the latest sign of economic uncertainty amid Israel’s political turmoil.

A school boy walks near an election campaign bus for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi adorned with his image, his slogan "long live Egypt", and C-shaped balloons, as Sisi's supporters prepare for a rally in Giza, the twin-city of the Egyptian capital, on October 2, 2023. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt's economy hit with downgrades as Sisi seeks third term

Egypt continues to reel from high inflation, a weak exchange rate and more. Rare protests occurred in the country following President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s reelection bid announcement.

Turkish train

UK, Turkey in talks about third railway project

The project follows the UK government underwriting financing in July to support the construction of a 286-kilometer high-speed electric railway in southern Turkey.

Visitors and Aramco staff climb a dune at Shaybah, the base for Saudi Aramco's Natural Gas Liquids plant and oil production in the surrounding Shaybah field in Saudi Arabia's remote Empty quarter desert close to the United Arab Emirates, on May 10, 2016. Despite collapsed global oil prices, production is expanding at Shaybah, as it is in other units of the company at the centre of the kingdom's Vision 2030 drive for diversification away from oil. The Saudi government plans to sell less than five percent of

Saudi Arabia projects $21 billion deficit as economy diversifies from oil

The kingdom was among the world’s fastest-growing economies last year with almost 9% GDP growth after a petrodollar boom amid a global rise in energy prices due to inflation and the Ukraine war.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman (L).

Impact of India-Mideast-Europe corridor extends far beyond countering China

Nagorno Karabakh

After Nagorno-Karabakh offensive, can Turkey play nice with Armenia?

Following Azerbaijani victory in Nagorno-Karabakh, Turkey is now laying the foundations for a rapprochement with Yerevan.

Muslim devotees take part in a rally to celebrate Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi, which marks the birth anniversary of the Prophet Mohammad, in Karachi on September 29, 2023. (Photo by Asif HASSAN / AFP) (Photo by ASIF HASSAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Pakistan, Gulf Cooperation Council sign 'preliminary' free trade agreement

When the final trade deal comes into effect, it will likely be the GCC's first since 2009.