Egypt’s Sisi, Putin meet as Russia steps up Africa push: What to know Wednesday’s meeting comes on the sidelines of the third Russia-Africa Summit, a two-day gathering in Moscow bringing together African leaders and officials. Egypt
Canada, UAE sign trade pact as Ottawa seeks to diversify beyond US The agreement is set to broadly lift tariffs on key products as Canadian officials hope to boost bilateral trade to $7 billion within a decade. United Arab Emirates
Macron secures Gulf diesel supplies as France grapples with fuel costs, unrest France now has commitments for 295,000 metric tons of diesel per month from the Gulf, accounting for just over 10% of the European country’s consumption. Bahrain
Saudi Arabia postpones 'Davos in the Desert' until 2027 amid Houthi attacks The Future Investment Initiative, which typically attracts the CEOs of some of the biggest companies in business, finance, and technology to Riyadh, will now be held next year. Saudi Arabia
Analysis How Hormuz crisis is reshaping economic ties between Iraq and Syria By Shelly Kittleson In Baghdad, reporting on Iraqi politics
Egyptian MPs visit Ireland to boost economic ties An Egyptian delegation visited Ireland to boost economic relations between the two countries, while focusing on the exchange of expertise in the field of livestock. Egypt
Turkey steps up ties with Palestinian Authority Turkey and the Palestinian Authority have signed new agreements, indicating Ankara intends to broaden official dealings with the PA, but limit its financial assistance to the Gaza Strip to relief agencies. Palestine
Iranians mob money changers to sell dollars as rial jumps Iranians rushed to money changers in several cities to sell their "home-kept" dollars as their national currency started to regain value. Iran
How the Rouhani administration can contain excess liquidity In the absence of genuine reforms that will allow the adoption of more prudent fiscal, monetary and foreign currency policies, the Iranian economy will remain structurally crisis-ridden. Iran
Egypt’s stock market faces fluctuations over manipulation case A move to charge prominent investors, including sons of former President Hosni Mubarak, with stock market violations, has rattled the Egyptian Exchange, which was already on edge due to US trade policies and rising interest rates. Egypt
Palestinian Authority, Jordan work to boost economic ties Palestinian and Jordanian ministers plan to hold intensive meetings in the next few months to tackle several issues related to joint trade cooperation between the two countries. Palestine
Why Turkey’s new economic program failed to impress The Turkish government’s hallmark rejection of self-criticism affects consistency and realism in its diagnoses of economic woes and the remedies it plans. Turkey
Is Jordan ready to normalize ties with Syria? Syrian and Jordanian officials are in technical talks about reopening their border for trade purposes, but analysts have noted Amman's wariness about normalizing relations for fear of its possible effect on relations with its Arab and Gulf allies. Jordan
Can Tunisia handle public sector strike? While the Central Bank of Tunisia recommends taking exceptional measures to deal with the alarming economic situation by imposing new rules on banks to measure the ability to meet their engagements, there is fear the country could go bankrupt especially as labor unions are threatening to go on strike. Tunisia
Palestine stock exchange defies all odds The Palestine Securities Exchange (PEX) announced profits of around $167 million in the first half of 2018; however, the general economic situation in Palestine is going downhill. Palestine
Will Egypt get handle on its public debt? Parliamentary committees are making noise about plans to address Egypt's public debt, in part by establishing mechanisms to optimize the use of loans and grants. Egypt
What rial devaluation means for Iranian government While the devaluation of the rial has had a negative impact on Iranian society, it has the potential to help key economic players — including the government and the Central Bank — to gain a new and sustainable balance in their finances. Iran
