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
Turkey closes door to bitcoin Against the backdrop of a global bitcoin frenzy, the Turkish government has taken a stance against cryptocurrencies. Turkey
Pharmaceutical giant's layoffs generate rage in Israel Instead of making populistic statements and pretending to save Teva workers from layoff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu must focus on major changes that help the workers who are about to lose their jobs. Israel
Congress acts to jump-start Jordan’s private sector A key House panel voted this week to establish an enterprise fund that Amman had previously resisted. Jordan
Turkey's tomato exports to Russia come at a price for Turks Turkish exporters resumed tomato sales to Russia in November after a two-year embargo, but only a month later, Turkish consumers discovered there is little to celebrate. Turkey
Turkey's 'shadowy' gold trade raises questions about Iran's involvement Unexplained rises in Turkey’s gold exports and imports have led experts to wonder whether Iran has reintroduced its trade mechanisms to circumvent international sanctions. United Arab Emirates
How Mideast turmoil boosts Turkey’s housing market Turkey enjoys a significant increase in real estate purchases by foreigners, but other foreign direct investments are on the decline. Turkey
Why is Iranian rial suddenly weakening? Inflation and other factors have caused the Iranian rial to weaken to the point where it now takes more than 40,000 rials to buy a dollar on the free market in Iran. United States
US sanctions-busting trial fails to shock Turkish markets Turkey’s financial markets remained relatively calm in the face of bribery confessions and other allegations targeting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey
How Egyptian public workers will stay warm this winter An initiative to allow Egyptian public sector employees to buy winter clothes and pay in installments amid soaring prices could revive the stagnating garment sector. Egypt
Israeli tech puts Iranian ride-hailing startups in bind Drivers for Iranian ride-hailing companies have been using an Israeli navigation app, causing conflict between the relatively new businesses and judicial authorities. Israel
Two years after jet crisis, do Russians really trust Turkey? Russians appear to have forgiven Turkey for its jaw-dropping decision two years ago to shoot down a Russian jet, but forgetting is another matter. Turkey
Designers bring local talent back to Beirut’s souks Development company Solidere has invited Lebanese artisans to take over empty spaces in Beirut's Gold Souk, which now hosts a fashion school, workspaces and boutiques selling local handmade products. Lebanon
