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
Surging imports wipe out Iran’s trade surplus Rapidly increasing imports wipe out the Rouhani administration’s positive trade balance, shining a light on the need to further promote exports. Iran
Erdogan forges ahead with his 'dream' to build a canal to rival Suez The government wants to dig an artificial waterway between Istanbul’s two seas to spur economic growth, but conservationists and economists say the Istanbul Canal will prove costly for the city. Turkey
Russia's balancing act in North Africa Despite Russia's very different relations with Algeria and Morocco, Moscow takes pains to treat them the same. Algeria
Egypt hopes for economic boost from Palestinian reconciliation Economic opportunities in the Gaza Strip following the Fatah-Hamas deal could prove beneficial to Cairo, yet the fragile security situation poses potential obstacles. Palestine
Deal with Iran boosts Turkey’s hopes of trading in national currency Turkey has long sought to increase the use of its national currency in trade with Russia, China and Iran, but due to significant trade imbalances with the others, only Iran appears to offer a viable prospect. Turkey
Egyptian government making headway in fight against Cairo's 'black cloud' While finding solutions for clearing the black cloud of smog produced from burning rice straw in Cairo, the Egyptian government is hoping to simultaneously create a boon for Egypt’s economy. Egypt
Amid reconciliation efforts, Palestine sets its eyes on Gaza gas field The Palestinian Authority is deploying continuous efforts to begin excavation works in the Gaza Marine gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip. Palestine
With imports and deficit down, are things looking up for Egypt? Some in Egypt see a decline in imports and decreased trade deficit as temporary phenomena, while others believe it to be an opportunity to develop the country's industrial base. Egypt
Turkish telecom giant may end up in government hands again The 2005 privatization of Turkish telecommunication company Turk Telekom, the largest in Turkey’s history, may go to waste as the majority stakeholders are struggling to repay loans. Saudi Arabia
International boycott hits labor meeting in Istanbul Protesting Ankara’s crackdown on dissent, two of the largest international labor organizations and dozens of national trade unions have boycotted a major multilateral meeting in Istanbul. Turkey
Tax increase puts spotlight on Lebanon's miserable finances As Lebanon approves a tax hike to fund employee raises, experts warn the government to implement financial reforms or face default. Lebanon
Jordan pressures Syrian rebels to reopen Nasib crossing Syrian opposition groups have been refusing to cave in to Jordanian pressure to hand over the Nasib border crossing to the Syrian government, while Jordan, which hopes to revive this trade route and encourage Syrian refugees to return home, has plenty of leverage over the rebels. Jordan
