Mark Townsend

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has come under fire for his handling of the crisis.

Europe’s collective action could stoke investment in gas capacity in Algeria, Egypt, Oman and Qatar.

Jordan reboots its economy, and foreign investors take note.

The Central Bank of Kuwait has led calls for economic reform as political deadlock threatens a liquidity crunch. 

Private companies take a growing role, as innovations and data needs expand the sector.

Rising oil prices and falling wheat supplies play key roles in shaping the region’s strategic response.

Foreign companies will soon be able to own 100% of companies in most economic sectors.

The latest developments come as the UAE moves to tighten regulations following criticism that it is a hub for illicit financial activity. 

Citi is selling its consumer businesses in Asia and EMEA to local and regional competitors.

The resignations have highlighted the strong inclination of some US officials to trade in stocks based on privileged information.

Green bonds are so common it’s time for some quality control.

Blockchain-based technology disrupts the $6.6 trillion daily global FX market.

Miami has gotten exchanges including blockchain.com and eToro to relocate to the city as part of Suarez’s drive to create a crypto ecosystem and establish the city as a mining hub. 

Iran is experimenting with cryptocurrencies as a means of circumventing U.S. sanctions.

Analysts say the cryptocurrency’s spike in price has more to do with inflation fears than pent-up demand for nascent ETFs. 

Oil-rich nations continue to diversify their income streams away from fossil fuel-based enterprises.

The Taliban's return to power may usher in both an economic and a humanitarian crisis.

Samsung is teaming up with South Korea's central bank to get a digital currency transaction infrastructure up and running.

Will Covid-19 derail Dubai's long-awaited Expo 2020?

Can Ether overtake Bitcoin as the world's top cryptocurrency?

The ranks of the wealthy continue to grow in the GCC, and with their wealth growing in complexity, too, they are demanding ever more from their wealth managers.

China's banking sector is already vulnerable to high levels of corporate debt and cutting reserve requirements means greater systemic risk.

Sovereign wealth funds are being tested over investment priorities.

Abu Dhabi's IPO market is heating up.

The UAE, led by Dubai, earlier created a number of offshore business parks dubbed “free zones,” which permit 100% foreign ownership.

Reshuffling at the top of Vietnam's leadership structure unlikely to lead to policy change.

Even as the pandemic fades, the GCC states will be challenged to revive their economies and again pursue regional integration.  

Already pressed fiscally, Oman’s new leader will need to walk a fine line to restore growth and avoid domestic unrest. 

The central banks will deploy distributed ledger technology to develop a proof-of-concept prototype with the aim of making regulation-heavy foreign exchange payments cheaper and more efficient.

Mohamed Aoun takes the helm at the new oil and gas ministry as pressure builds to increase output to bolster much-needed revenues to the state.

The country is home to major blockchain companies including the Ethereum Foundation, Polkadot, Cardano and Libra.

The Trump administration worked to persuade the kingdom to end the standoff, leading to an agreement mediated by Kuwait. 

News of the action pummeled the price of the XRP token at a time of surging demand for cryptocurrencies by institutional investors. 

The country joins a growing list of Arab states that recognize the Jewish state.

Once shunned by Wall Street, Bitcoin is going mainstream.

Although Vietnam suffers from weak healthcare infrastructure, the government’s rapid response to the outbreak minimized damage to the economy.

Investors remain unclear as to the precise role of CCB in the blockchain bond.

For now, Australia’s most vital exports, which include liquid natural gas, iron ore and copper, have not been affected by rising tensions with China.

Arabtec may struggle to meet the end of November deadline set by shareholders to formally submit liquidation plans to a court. 

The once-mighty cartel is struggling in the face of weak demand, a concerted push toward renewable energy and the market-pummeling impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Israel’s Economy Ministry calculates that the normalization of ties could increase exports to the UAE to US$300 million to $500 million annually while according to Moody’s Investors Services, UAE investments in Israel could reach US$350 million a year.

Outdated lending practices and a structural focus on government-related enterprises are keeping banks from backing the region’s beleaguered smaller companies.

Akulaku's ambitions are not limited to the Indonesian market it dominates.

German fintech Wirecard collapses amid fraud allegations.

Economic reforms are hampered by worries they might undo the tacit cradle-to-grave social compact between the monarchy and Saudi citizens that provides a safety net in return for political stability. 

The new prime minister’s resolve to tackle runaway government salaries faces an early test.

In an announcement on April 13, SoftBank cited a “deteriorating market environment” as the explanation for the abysmal results at its $100 billion Vision Fund. 

The postponing of major global events such as Dubai’s Expo 2020 and this year’s Tokyo Olympic Games will hit host economies hard.

A new IMF funding package and anticipated economic reforms offer a ray of hope for the kingdom’s battered economy.