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
Iran sends delegation to Afghanistan as Taliban-Tehran ties see boost Iran’s relations with the Taliban are seeing a thaw after a period of tension over deportation of Afghans from the Islamic Republic last year. Iran
Turkey, UK to begin trade deal talks in June The official talks, set to begin on June 10, were announced following a Thursday meeting between the countries’ trade ministers in London. Turkey
Hungary signs $5.5B deal with UAE firm to develop Budapest neighborhood The new project around the Rakosrendezo freight train station is expected to bring the futuristic, high-rise style of Dubai and other Emirates to the Hungarian capital. United Arab Emirates
Israeli cryptocurrency exchange to launch shekel-backed stablecoin Stablecoins, which are digital currencies that are pegged to stable assets such as fiat currencies, have a degree of appeal in the Middle East. Israel
Will UAE's $35B investment help Egypt recover from financial crisis? The Gulf state has stepped in with a major deal that could throw an economic lifeline to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government. Egypt
AI and cloud investments dominate Saudi Arabia's LEAP tech summit Amazon Web Services and DataVolt were among the companies that made significant cloud investments in the kingdom, which is looking to become a global technology hub. Saudi Arabia
UAE-India ties grow as DP World secures $422M for Gujarat container terminal Intiatives like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor have seen business deals flourishing between India and the United Arab Emirates. United Arab Emirates
Egypt’s pound falls 60% amid currency float, $5B IMF deal Egypt announced that it had expanded a previously $3 billion loan program with the International Monetary Fund after the decision to float the currency was made public. Egypt
Analysis As Mali’s junta pokes at Algeria, what’s at stake for North Africa and Sahel? Three years after severing its ties with Morocco, Algeria faces challenges in its relations with Mali and other Sahel countries. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
New Egyptian company to raise expat funds gets $100m seed investment The project is designed to bring in much-needed foreign currency into the North African country, which is going through its worst economic crisis in more than half a century. Egypt
What’s behind flurry of Saudi helicopter deals with Airbus, Leonardo? The Saudi sovereign fund’s helicopter firm inked several agreements during a helicopter expo in this week, choosing to partner with Airbus amid concerns about Boeing. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Can France restore Morocco ties without shifting on Western Sahara? On a visit to Rabat, French Foreign minister Stephane Sejourne acknowledged for the first time the importance of the Western Sahara issue for Moroccan diplomacy, but did not commit to any movement by Paris on the issue. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
