Middle East

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

Sheikh Meshaal Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, director general of the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority, speaks with Global Finance about the emirate’s post-pandemic development plans.

A robust financial sector is helping Kuwait weather the Covid storm. But the emirate’s economic future will depend on some difficult reforms.

Sulaiman Al-Marzouq, deputy CEO for Kuwait at National Bank of Kuwait, speaks with Global Finance about the pandemic’s impact and how the bank plans to navigate the recovery.

Abdulwahab Al-Roshood, acting group CEO of Kuwait Finance House, speaks to Global Finance about Covid-19 and the importance of SMEs.

The normalization of relations between the UAE and Israel paved the way for billions of dollars of bilateral business opportunities.

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

Despite a year of increasing pressure and concerns, the Saudi financial sector remains resilient.

With Moscow playing an increasingly important role in Middle Eastern affairs, the Russian state-owned bank hopes to boost business and trade relations. 

Qatar is facing strong headwinds, but the tiny emirate can rely on gas reserves to cushion the shock.

Abdulla bin Saoud Al-Thani, governor of Qatar Central Bank, looks back at the past year—and ahead to the next—with Global Finance.

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

While the global economy slows, Egyptian banks aim to expand their foothold in Africa and boost intraregional trade.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has postponed a spate of deals, regional institutions want a piece of the Egyptian banking sector.

The governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait speaks to Global Finance. 

The governor of the Central Bank of Jordan talks with Global Finance.

Imran Khan, head of Global Digital Experience at TD and president and CEO of UGO Mobile Solutions, reveals how to make life easier for consumers.

Khaled Abbas, wholesale banking head at Gulf International Bank (GIB), shares his thoughts on how the pandemic is pushing banks to find agile methods to meet corporate needs.

Emerging and developing economies will likely be hardest hit by Covid-19. Rebuilding will require addressing preexisting conditions as well as the new ones.

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.