Kuwait's Zain eyes $1.5B mobile network in postwar Syria: What to know The Kuwaiti company is planning to invest more than $1.5 billion in Syria after securing a license to operate there, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Syria
Oman's sultan meets Macron in first France visit since 1989: What to know French President Emmanuel Macron has been pushing against any form of toll for the Strait of Hormuz. Iran
Traffic plummets through Strait of Hormuz after Iran, US trade fire Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz had recovered somewhat before renewed fighting between Iran and the United States saw traffic drop sharply over the weekend. Iran
Interview Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades. Olivier Badard CEO of Armada Holding
Analysis Why the Hormuz oil shock never became an energy catastrophe By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
French FM says some Lebanese politicians banned from France over failure to form government Lebanon has been without a Cabinet since last year, and France does not want to provide the country much-needed aid until economic reforms are implemented. News Brief
Egypt seeks foothold in Libya’s reconstruction Egypt and Libya agreed to have Egyptian workers return to the Libyan labor market at a time when Cairo seeks to contribute to the reconstruction of war-torn Libya. Egypt
Egypt, Sudan seek greater cooperation in agriculture, food industries Egypt and Sudan agreed to establish an Egyptian-Sudanese joint stock company on agricultural and animal production and food industries, as they face a threat of shortage of Nile water amid the faltering negotiations on Ethiopia’s controversial Nile dam. Egypt
Iraqi, Syrian oil ministers discuss gas imports The Iraqi and Syrian oil ministers talked about the possibility of transporting Egyptian gas to Iraq through Syria during a meeting in Baghdad. News Brief
As Iran looks to boost production, major political barriers remain Iran’s leaders have put a renewed focus on increasing domestic production, yet to achieve this goal there must be political stability and sincere efforts to push back on corruption. Iran
Egypt promotes economic ties with Sudan Egypt is increasingly seeking to support the Sudanese economy through infrastructure development and the implementation of many industrial and commercial projects. Egypt
Saudi Arabia bans Lebanese produce over drug smuggling concerns The Lebanese Foreign Ministry called on authorities to do more to stop smuggling in response. News Brief
Is opening of Jordanian-Syrian crossing politically motivated? Jordan reopened the Naseeb-Jaber crossing with Syria to restore trade movement, although some do not see any economic benefits for the Syrian government. Syria
JP Morgan listing boosts Egypt’s access to debt markets JP Morgan placed Egypt on its Index Watch Positive on April 9, meaning the North African country should be relisted on JP Morgan’s Government Bond Index Emerging Markets within six months. Egypt
Russia, Iran again promote alternative to Suez Canal Russia and Iran are back to promoting the International North-South Transport Corridor as an alternative future option to the Suez Canal after a giant container ship went aground in the canal last month, disrupting global trade traffic for a week. Egypt
Syria gets new central bank head The last central bank governor was fired as the Syrian pound remains at historic low points against the US dollar. News Brief
Suez Canal receives giant dredger in planned upgrade The Suez Canal Authority is talking about plans to widen the southern section of the canal, only days after the giant Panama-flagged container vessel, Ever Given, went aground and became wedged across the international maritime passageway, causing a weeklong blockage. Egypt
