Egypt ramps up energy investments amid war-driven price pressures Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said Wednesday that Egypt has secured commitments exceeding $19 billion from international oil companies over the next three years. Egypt
Analysis MENA wheat importers face food security risks as Hormuz crisis festers Home to many of the world's largest wheat importers, the Middle East and North Africa face acute food security risks as the US-Israel-Iran war disrupts global fertilizer flows and pushes up prices. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers. Iran
Analysis Egypt eyes energy breakthroughs as Iran war deepens gas crunch By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Facebook campaigns denounce Egyptian films that degrade women Several Egyptian groups have emerged to denounce locally made films they believe are degrading to women and to demand legislation to protect women. Egypt
Playing Umm Kulthoum for Israelis Sami Khsheibun, creator of the “Queen of the Nile” — a tribute concert to Egyptian singer Umm Kulthoum — is building musical bridges between the worlds of oriental classical music and Western classical. Palestine
Three reasons for the Egypt-Russia rapprochement The warming in Egypt-Russia ties is linked to the ups and downs in the US-Egypt relationship. Egypt
Egypt Sets New Limits On Mosque Activities Setting stringent, if hard to enforce, rules on activities that take place in mosques, Egypt’s new government has incensed Islamists of various political persuasions. Egypt
Egypt’s real challenge: reviving the economy Even after a revolution that called for social justice, Egyptians must balance between legitimate demands to rectify the accumulated effect of years of social injustice, and the treasury’s ability to honor these demands. Legacy: Gulf
EU Official Says Iran 'Undoubtedly' Has New Approach to Nuclear Talks In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Pierre Vimont, deputy to High Representative Catherine Ashton, says it's “still rather difficult to conclude that they have presented a new policy.” Egypt
Rift Between Cairo, Washington Deepens The US decision to curtail Egypt's military aid, while unlikely to influence Cairo's growing divergence from US policy, could give Washington a chance to reset what the goals should be. Egypt
Egypt-Qatar Relations Sour Over World Cup Broadcast Rights Qatar’s ties with Egypt have been further strained by a dispute over broadcast rights for soccer matches. Qatar
Solidarity Visits to Gaza Dwindle International solidarity delegations to Gaza have struggled to enter the territory since Egypt's tightening of its blockade, cutting off a vital source of essential medical assistance. Palestine
Turkey on Defensive Over Hamas Claims that Turkey is obstructing Palestinian reconciliation are fueling the AKP's belief in an international campaign to isolate Ankara politically at an already low point in its foreign relations. Palestine
Egypt’s New Protest Law Sparks Controversy The law is worse than anticipated and probably unconstitutional. Egypt
Saudi Decision on Security Council Is About Syria Saudi Arabia’s decision to decline a Security Council seat expresses anger in some Sunni Muslim quarters about the Syria war. Saudi Arabia