Economy and trade

A child crouches over cracked earth at al-Massira dam in Ouled Essi Masseoud village, some 140 kilometres (85 miles) south from Morocco's economic capital Casablanca, on Aug. 8, 2022 amidst the country's worst drought in at least four decades.

Morocco’s agricultural, fishing sectors plunge in 2024 amid drought, climate strain

Agriculture is a pillar of the Moroccan economy, and in 2023, it amounted to more than 11% of the country’s gross domestic product.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meet in Abu Dhabi on Jan. 17, 2025.

Egypt's Sisi in UAE to talk Gaza, regional security: What to know

Egypt and the UAE are close allies, coordinating in various regional issues while maintaining close economic relations.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a press conference in Jerusalem, May 21, 2025.

Analysis

As Israel faces 'avalanche' of global criticism, Netanyahu fixated on Trump

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seems to be oblivious to the growing diplomatic isolation Israel is facing and possible repercussions on the country’s economy.

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

JAM STA ROSA/AFP via Getty Images

China expands visa-free policy to Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait

During a landmark summit in Malaysia, China announced an exemption for nationals from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain and Kuwait from the need for entry visas.

Latest News

Gulf states court China, ASEAN at landmark Malaysia summit: What to know

Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (L) greets Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud as he arrives for the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit after the 46th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 27, 2025.

Exclusive

EU could partially suspend Israel's association agreement within weeks: Sources

MARTIN BERTRAND/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

US backs more energy investment in Kurdistan region: Energy secretary

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks with Al-Monitor president Andrew Parasiliti at an Al-Monitor Global Institute event in Washington, DC, May 22, 2025.

Analysis

Trump’s Gulf trip lifts embattled Boeing with Qatar, UAE deals

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (R) sits next to US President Donald Trump as he speaks to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg (L).

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

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

Traffic flows on a main road past electricity transmission towers in Tehran, on Dec. 16, 2024.

Iran's energy crisis shuts 80 power plants as rial plummets: What to know

Amid freezing temperatures and increased demand for heat, Iran is facing an acute energy crisis that has all but shut down the country.

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, Russia's President Vladimir Putin meets with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of an international forum "Interrelation of times and civilizations - basis of peace and development" dedicated to the 300th anniversary of poet Magtymguly Fragi's birthday in Ashgabat on October 11, 2024. (Photo by Alexander SHCHERBAK / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ALEXANDER SHCHERBAK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

India-Europe corridor, trade top Russian delegation talks in Iran: What we know

The visit occurs at a pivotal moment for the evolving partnership and the challenges it faces under international sanctions and scrutiny, coupled with regional dynamics that have seen both sides in graver need of one another.

FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images

UAE Middle East's most economically competitive country in 2024: IMD

In the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, the UAE climbed three places to seventh in the world, out of 67 countries. Saudi Arabia ranked at 16th, Bahrain at 21st, Kuwait at 37th, Jordan at 48th and Turkey at 53rd.

United Arab Emirates

A US Navy Martin UAV drone flies over the Gulf waters as Royal Bahrain Naval Force (RBNF) Abdulrahman Al Fadhel takes part in joint naval exercise between US 5th Fleet Command and Bahraini forces, on October 26, 2021. - The US and Bahrain navies conducted a joint exercise at sea, launching a series of drills integrating unmanned systems into regional maritime operations. (Photo by Mazen Mahdi / AFP) (Photo by MAZEN MAHDI/AFP via Getty Images)

Bahrain announces UK inclusion in key security pact with US

Bahrain signed the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement with the Biden administration in September 2023; Manama plans to turn it into a multilateral agreement with more members amid regional threats.