Memos

Expert insights to understand regional trends.

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Saudi Arabia promises 'game changing' Africa investments, with mining projects set to grow rapidly

Afshin Molavi

A Saudi mine worker pours a stream of molten gold from the furnace into moulds to produce gold ingots during a press tour at the Al-Amar Gold Mine, 195kms southwest of the Saudi capital Riyadh, on May 28, 2008. Al-Amar is an underground mine which is designed to process ore at a rate of 200ktpa to produce gold which is then sold to third parties for toll smelting. Construction was completed during the half year period ended 30 June 2007 and the facility is currently undergoing commissioning and production b

TOPSHOT - A picture taken on October 23, 2018 shows (L to R) Lubna Olayan, CEO and Deputy Chairperson Olayan Financing, Yasir al-Rumayyan, Saudi managing director of Public investment Fund, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of Rusian Direct Investment Fund and Khaldoon Khalifa al-Mubarak, managing director and CEO of Mubadala Development Company, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Future Investment Initiative FII conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh. - Saudi Arabia is hosting a key investment summit overshadowed

Gaza war can’t blunt Gulf dealmaking, but complicates foreign investment drive

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - NOVEMBER 29: A banner hangs in a venue at the UNFCCC COP28 Climate Conference the day before its official opening on November 29, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The COP28 is bringing together stakeholders, including international heads of state and other leaders, scientists, environmentalists, indigenous peoples representatives, activists and others to discuss and agree on the implementation of global measures towards mitigating the effects of climate change. (Photo by Se

Why COP28 will likely end in compromise on phasing down some fossil fuels

Karim Elgendy

In Woking, reporting on regional politics

In this picture taken on April 2, 2023, a vendor arranges dates at his shop in Rabat, during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (Photo by FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

Unemployment will be true test of Morocco's government policies

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - NOVEMBER 25: Fans of Al Ahli support they team during the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Ahli SFC and Al-Shabab at Prince Abduallh Al Faisal stadium on November 25, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Israel-Hamas war looms over Saudi Arabia’s big bets on sports, entertainment and tourism

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Forces loyal to Yemen's Huthi rebels hold up Palestinian flags as they march in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians on October 15, 2023, in Sanaa. (Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Will Yemen's Houthis move on Marib oil fields as Gaza war diverts world's attention?

Kate Dourian

In Dubai, reporting on energy

IDF reservists rest on a military vehicle while at a rest stop where food is prepared by volunteers on November 13, 2023 in Southern Israel.

Gaza war takes manpower toll on Israeli tech sector

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

Cargo ships unload imported goods in the Tunisian port city of Rades on November 12, 2014. The World Bank said in a report published last September that Tunisia's economic model of manufacturing for exports and protecting the domestic market was valid in the 1970s but since then had hindered progress. AFP PHOTO / FETHI BELAID (Photo credit should read FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

Tunisia-EU economic links to prevail over political tensions

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

An employee walks on the Expedient regasification ship, anchored off the coast of Israel in the Mediterranean Sea on February 26, 2015, as natural gas began flowing from the vessel, hired by the Israel Electric Corporation, to its power stations. The ship, anchored about ten kilometres from the Hadera coast, was connected the previous week to the marine buoy and as of February 25, natural gas has begun flowing from the LNG (liquid natural gas) ship through an underwater pipeline directly to the company's po

Can the East Med gas hub remain with Israel at its center?

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Iranians shop for fruits at a market in Tehran on November 21, 2019. (Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/afp/AFP via Getty Images)

Can food security help forge Iran-GCC ties?

Shifting attitudes to food security have the potential to turn the agricultural and food sectors into the main platform for greater trade and investment between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iran.

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

Smoke rises in northern Gaza during Israeli shelling

Israel-Hamas war pivotal moment for Abraham Accords 

Although there are some who believe the Accords could be a casualty of the war, unwinding them isn’t so simple.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

An elderly woman stands with an Israeli flag next to another holding a sign showing the faces of young Israeli hostages held by Palestinian militants since the October 7 attack near Azrieli Mall in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images)

Israel's economic rebound hinges on a limited conflict

A long war with Hamas followed by a re-occupation of Gaza would send Israel into recession and have long-term effects on foreign investment, the government’s fiscal position, and consumer and business confidence.

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of the UAE's Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and president of this year's COP28 climate, talks during the "UAE Climate Tech" conference in Abu Dhabi Energy centre on May 10, 2023. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Achieving consensus at COP28 will be test of UAE’s diplomatic skills

The violence between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas could complicate the effort to achieve a consensus agreement on tackling the climate emergency at the forthcoming climate summit in the United Arab Emirates.

Kate Dourian

In Dubai, reporting on energy