Middle East

A close-up look at how Lebanon and its banks reached the edge of the cliff—and the tough choices they need to make to step back from the brink.

Ahli United Bank’s CEO and managing director, Adel El-Labban, talks with Global Finance about operating in high-risk environments and his bank’s pending merger with Kuwait Finance House.

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

Oil prices, travel and tourism are vulnerable to the effects of the coronavirus.  

A sluggish economy, high debt burden and tensions among its neighbors challenge the new leader’s ambitious development plans.  

The last of the big three public cloud-service providers has reached Qatar, bringing coverage to the entire Middle East region.  

MENA startups are now a magnet for new funding. 

In a region bedeviled by war, corruption, money laundering and terrorism, banks are finally investing in financial-crime compliance.  

Egypt’s expanding economy and population are bolstering an ambitious drive to create a more aggressive, investor-friendly economy.

Under dramatic new conditions, business is rapidly adapting, with unpredictable long-term effects.

Regional powerhouse Arab Bank reaches its 90-year milestone this year. Nemeh Sabbagh, CEO, talks to Global Finance about current challenges and opportunities. 

UAE may become an even bigger player in the gas markets in the near future.

Lebanon's political turmoil makes solving its deep-seated economic problems even more difficult.

Lebanon seems likely to default on its bond obligations next week.

What started as a reaction to falling oil prices has spread from energy to banking and other sectors of the regional economy.

A small step forward for women's rights.

Abdulaziz B. Al Loughani is co-founder and managing partner of Faith Capital, a Kuwait-based regional VC fund; and CEO of Floward, an online flower and gift retailer. He was previously vice chairman of Kuwait’s National Fund for SME Development and a co-founder of Talabat, the Middle East’s largest online food-ordering platform. He talks about opportunities and the growth of entrepreneurship in the region.

Kuwait’s startup scene has largely developed under the world’s radar, yet the tiny ecosystem has produced some of the Middle East’s biggest exits to date.

Kuwait is keen to diversify its energy-centered economy. Foreign investment and market liberalization are definitely part of the formula.

Aramco's long-anticipated IPO succeeds at last.