Decentralised platforms (DeFi) are becoming increasingly popular across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), with the UAE positioning itself as a major crypto hub. Lucia Dore explains. People in Saudi Arabia and the UAE are showing considerable interest in decentralised platforms (DEXs). These platforms don't use an intermediary bank and u...
New Zealand PM bows out
Here's an article from The Economist which, while talking about John Key's resignation, states that NZ is "one of the most successful countries in the world. While this is debatable, there is no doubt that Key has had successes- namely international recognition- along with failures, housing, immigration and the environment. We have yet to see whether the new Prime Minister, John English, will have the same success.
Will Turkey succeed in stopping Israeli airstrikes in Syria? Turkey does not want to be drawn into a war, but what is the way forward? Ahmad Abdel Rahman reports Renewed controversy has arisen over Israeli airstrikes on military sites and airports inside Syria, targeting areas in Hama and Homs. Neither Turkey nor Israel want further confrontation, ...
On April 2, 2025, US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping 10 percent tariff on all Egyptian exports. This move is aimed at boosting American manufacturing and cutting the trade deficit. The policy hits Egypt's key export sectors—especially garments, iron, and steel—threatening a significant blow to its USD1.95 billion export market to the US...
Gulf financial markets witnessed sharp declines at the start of trading recently, affected by a global downturn resulting from the escalating tariff crisis led by the US. This sharp decline occurred amid growing uncertainty about the future of the global economy . Ahmad Abdel Rahman writes. The economies of the Gulf states continued to deteriorate,...
The IMF Executive Board completed the fourth review of Egypt's Extended Fund Arrangement, allowing the authorities access to approximately USD1.3 billion, or the equivalent of Standard Drawing Rights (SDR)1 billion. According to an IMF statement, the Egyptian authorities have maintained macroeconomic stability amid a challenging regional environmen...
Analyses of the Trump administration's plans for Iran in Washington have concluded that the new US president, Donald Trump, has only two options: either he signs a new nuclear agreement in which Tehran makes new concessions, or the US launches attacks, permanently ending the regime . Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains. Significant developments have occurr...
The symbol bears the name of the national currency, " Riyal," with a design inspired by Arabic calligraphy. Ahmad Abdul Rahman writes that this will enhance its representation locally, regionally, and internationally, making it suitable for referencing the local currency in all financial and commercial transactions . In a historic step aimed at enh...
Libya has enormous economic potential, abundant natural resources, and a great location, which means it's a promising Arab economy. However, Ahmad Abdel-Rahman writes that there are challenges . Libya possesses enormous natural resources, such as oil, gas, and minerals. It is well-located geographically due to its proximity to Europe and its locati...
Ahmad Abdel-Rahman writes that Saudi Arabia has built interests with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, transforming itself into a major player not only in the Middle East but also in the world . Saudi Arabia has repositioned itself strategically from a leader of the Arab coalition collaborating with Washington to a regional pow...
While Iran excels in threatening statements, it is moving in parallel with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries on its diplomatic efforts with the US. The recent visit of the Emir of Qatar to Tehran, Iran's capital, may be Iran's attempt to improve relations with the Gulf States so it can mediate with the Trump administration, writes Abdel ...
Anger has grown inside Iran because signals from Iranian officials affiliated with the reformist movement and advocates of openness to the West have only led to the US President Donald Trump issuing a memorandum containing new sanctions to "exert maximum pressure" on the Iranian economy. This is a continuation of the policy that Trump started in hi...
Ahmad Abdel Rahman writes about how the Turkish economy will have the greatest impact on the Syrian economy, while Iraq is the largest importer of Syrian goods from neighbouring countries. The Syrian economy is expected to have the greatest impact on Lebanon. The Syrian borders with Israel and Palestine are completely closed . Syria is emerging exh...
After more than a year of instability in the Red Sea region, Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Egyptian Suez Canal Authority, said that the situation in the Red Sea region is now witnessing many positive indicators, writes our correspondent in Egypt, Ahmad Abdel Rahman. The situation in the Red Sea is now more stable and hence revenues in Egypt's Suez C...
With the continued pressures resulting from the large increases in the US dollar exchange rate against the Egyptian pound, recent official data revealed that the value of the trade balance deficit stabilised at USD 3.71 billion in November 2024, compared to USD 3.69 billion for the same month of the previous year, with a slight increase of about 0....
This question worries those both inside and outside Syria. On the one hand, there are the Syrian Armed Forces that support the government, and on the other hand, there are foreign elements that obey Turkey's decision to support the new regime. Ahmad Abdel Rahman writes that if Russia and Iran leave a vacuum, Turkey might fill it . Questions about S...
It is unlikely that Trump's idea that Egypt and Jordan accept refugees will be abandoned simply because Egypt and Jordan do not welcome it. Displacement is a fundamental step in reducing what it perceives as the greatest threat to Israel, writes Ahmad Abdel Rahman. A few days ago, US President Donald Trump called on Jordan and Egypt to accept more ...
Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains that the non-oil sector in Saudi Arabia remained near a 17-month high in December, and business expectations improved to a nine-month high as companies were optimistic about continued growth in 2025. Data from the General Authority for Statistics (GAS) showed on January 5 that strong demand drove growth in Saudi Arabia...
What has been happening in the Middle East in recent days is like "testing the waters." It is akin to football, where, in the initial stages of a match, one team examines the other before deciding how to proceed . Ahmad Abdel-Rahman writes about this. Testing the waters has come from almost every possible direction. From Syria and Lebanon to Israel...
Anyone who thinks that the war in Gaza is over is living in dreamland as the agreement that was concluded could be thwarted at any time , writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman from Egypt. Division, debate, and threats of withdrawal from the fragile agreement between Israel and Hamas and calls demanding the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza characterise Is...
Both current President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden raced to announce they had reached a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which included exchanging Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners . Each of them claimed that the credit goes to his efforts in concluding the agreement, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. But who should get the credit? Th...