Maersk resumes Red Sea passage after two-year halt amid easing Houthi threat A ceasefire reached between Israel and Hamas in October has prompted some shipping companies to consider resuming services, but security concerns persist. Yemen
Analysis How Netanyahu ceded to Trump, agreed to Egypt's $35B gas deal The Israeli prime minister's frustration with Trump administration strong-arming continues, with pressure to sign Egypt gas deal and now a reported push for Sisi meeting. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Israel's Netanyahu approves $35B natural gas megadeal with Egypt Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel will sell Egypt natural gas worth $35 billion, in the biggest-ever deal of its kind for the country. Israel
Analysis Iran’s FM Araghchi in Moscow as biting sanctions drive closer Russia ties The economic agenda of the meetings in Moscow and Tehran reflected a deliberate effort by both governments to signal momentum in a partnership increasingly shaped by isolation from the West. By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Exclusive Inside Netanyahu’s pressure campaign to block Turkey, Saudi Arabia from acquiring F-35s By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Top Iran official meets UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed after Saudi thaw On his trip to Abu Dhabi, Iran's Ali Shamkhani spoke of "constructive" engagement as Tehran is exhausting all channels to push back on its growing isolation. Iran
UAE’s G42 buys $100 million share in China's ByteDance, parent of TikTok ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has seen its value fluctuate, predominantly due to investor uncertainty caused by a possible ban on TikTok in the United States. Legacy: Gulf
Biden administration budget would slash Tunisia’s economic aid The State Department’s latest budget calls for steep cuts to US economic aid to several countries in the Middle East while largely sustaining military aid. Tunisia
Saudi Arabia to buy 121 Boeing-787s in ‘historic’ $37 billion deal The agreements make up the fifth-largest commercial order by value in Boeing’s history and is valued at nearly $37 billion. Legacy: Gulf
Egypt’s exports to China up more than 20% in 2022 China is making inroads in the Middle East, including by strengthening economic ties to Egypt. Egypt
Saudi’s new Riyadh Air set to compete with Emirates, Qatar Airways The airline is expected to better connect travelers to Saudi Arabia’s cultural and natural attractions, create more than 200,000 jobs and add $20 billion to non-oil gross domestic product. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Arabia’s 2022 GDP breaks record, exceeds $1 trillion Saudi Arabia’s government report states that it achieved its highest gross domestic product growth rate in over a decade in 2022 at 8.7% and broke its total amount record of more than $1 trillion last year. Legacy: Gulf
UK Islamic bank: Soccer boosting Gulf property investments Andrew Ball, the CEO of the Bank of London and The Middle East (BLME), spoke to Al-Monitor about how soccer is fueling a rise in Gulf investment in northern England. Legacy: Gulf
Moody’s issues warning about Israel’s judicial reform The credit agency is one of several institutions to warn the controversial reform could hurt the Israeli economy. Israel
Iran says it signed 'aviation cooperation' memo with UAE The UAE and Iran have cordial economic and political relations, despite being on opposite sides of some regional rivalries. Iran
Saudi Arabia mulls tax relief for global companies relocating regional HQs On the sidelines of the International Conference on Justice that began on Sunday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia granted three foreign law firms licenses to practice in the country. Legacy: Gulf
Russia to add Gulf countries to visa-free travel list Russia stated that it was preparing visa-free travel agreements with a total of 17 countries, which include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Syria. Legacy: Gulf
