Middle East

Nations compete for foreign direct investment.

Diversification is the biggest challenge ahead but Kuwait can count on a strong financial sector, according to participants in a recent Global Finance roundtable in Kuwait City.

Saudi Arabia has had mixed results in attracting foreign capital.

Will a boost in oil production help Saudi Arabia stick to its plans for economic diversification and fiscal reform?

Investors made 2018 a record year for startups in the MENA region, highlighting its rapid embrace of fintech. But regulation and infrastructure still have to catch up.

Saudi Arabia is determined to replace foreign workers with natives.

Fintech meets Islamic finance.

Blockchain is making headway in the world of Islamic finance.

OPEC is trying to bolster oil prices but Gulf economies will take a hit from a production cut.

The world’s biggest LNG producer is finding ways to bypass a Saudi-led blockade—and even to turn the economic challenge in its favor.

How far will MENA banks go in embracing digital innovation? Global Finance’s Dubai conference explored various approaches to rapid change in the banking sector.

Kashoggi scandal threatens Kingdom's vital FDI inflows.

Falling oil prices are squeezing GCC economies.

In the aftermath of revolution and civil war, the storied trading region seeks to convince investors it’s time to come back.

Capital markets step in to fill the funding void as government support for corporate players wanes.

Islamic finance is seen as an increasingly legitimate alternative to traditional, interest-based finance.

Adopting a new tax system, Saudi Arabia and the UAE deliver a shock to companies and consumers—and reassurance to foreign investors.

GCC countries face a number of challenges as they move towards the post-oil era.

Oman qualifies as the least known and understood of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, but its importance goes beyond its size.

Enticing foreign investors is urgent for the suddenly reformist Saudi government. But will it push economic reform far enough, fast enough?