Iran war deepens Gaza crisis as prices soar, aid falters Gazans fear that Israel could exploit the wider regional war to reenter Gaza, especially as buffer zones along the border continue to expand and civilians are targeted to keep them away. By Daoud Kuttab In Amman, reporting on Palestinian politics
Israel energy minister says gas flowing to Egypt, Jordan despite shutdown reports Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen told Al-Monitor that despite security concerns and partial shut down of marine gas platforms, Israel continues to supply gas to Egypt, Jordan and Israeli consumers. Israel
Saudi Arabia launches new Bahrain maritime link as Hormuz routes strain The service connects King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam with Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port. Saudi Arabia
How Egypt is navigating limited options in Iran war to stay neutral Egypt, so far spared from Iranian retaliatory attacks, is pushing for a diplomatic solution as the war with the US and Israel threatens its already fragile economy. Egypt
Analysis How Iran's strike on Qatar gas field could impact LNG market for years By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis How long can markets hold their bet on Gulf resilience as war drags on? By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Global stocks tank over fears of Middle East war, US recession On Wall Street, the S&P 500 lost 3.1% while the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index lost 3.7% of its value after markets opened in New York Monday morning. Israel
Analysis How Morocco-UAE economic agreement could usher in new era of bilateral trade With its CEPA program, Abu Dhabi is not only expanding its network of trade and investment partners; it is getting closer to achieving its strategic goal of increasing its non-oil foreign trade. By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
IMF greenlights release of $820M to Egypt, cites economic improvement The Washington-based fund said in a statement that the decision was a result of the third review of Egypt’s 46-month Extended Fund Facility arrangement that was approved on Dec. 16, 2022. Egypt
UK’s new government reboots trade talks with Gulf, Israel, Turkey New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made economic growth a priority of his Labour government and has pledged to make the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G20. Saudi Arabia
Analysis What's behind China carmakers' foray into Turkey following BYD deal? As a growing number of Chinese carmakers have shown interest in investing in Turkey, Turkish companies in the sector are positioning themselves amid the Chinese foray. By Mustafa Sonmez In Istanbul, reporting on economics
Turkey returns $5B deposit to Saudi Arabia amid economic recovery The Saudi Fund for Development decided to hold the funds in the Turkish Central Bank in March 2023 after ministerial meetings the previous year — the deposit helped Turkey firm up its weakened currency, the lira. Turkey
Turkey sees 157% wealth growth despite economic malaise Bloated asset prices due to sky-high inflation put Ankara at the top of the survey, despite many Turks struggling to get by in real cash terms. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
After 20 years, is Iraq making progress in bid to join WTO? Iraq first applied to join the WTO in 2004, but it made no considerable progress in the accession until its recent efforts to unify tariff and customs regulations between the federal and Kurdistan Region governments. Iraq
Turkey has lost export competitiveness, won't meet annual goal: Official Turkish Exporters Assembly Chairman Mustafa Gultepe said that Turkish exports would likely be between $264-267 billion for 2024. Turkey
China's BYD, world's biggest EV maker, invests $1B in Turkish plant In a post on the social media platform X on Monday, Turkey’s Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz confirmed that BYD is expected to begin production of vehicles in the new factory at the end of 2026 and that the facility will provide around 5,000 direct jobs. Turkey
Middle East startups see funding fall by 34% in first half of 2024 Although startup funding levels have plateaued globally, MENA reported an increase in early-stage rounds and investor participation. United Arab Emirates
Egypt’s remittances reach $2.7 billion in boost to foreign reserves Egypt’s liquidity crisis has been alleviated by recent investment from the United Arab Emirates and help from the International Monetary Fund, though inflation and debt remain issues. Egypt
