Middle Orient

Two decades on from the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, efforts to improve the country’s electricity infrastructure have lagged. Despite massive hydrocarbon reserves, including the world’s fifth-largest proved crude oil and 12th-largest proved natural gas reserves, Iraq struggles with chronic electricity shortages. Citizens do not have access to reliable electricity …

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 18, 2023, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said, “We need to find a way to get the Yemen truce reinstated but then we need to work to transition it to a permanent ceasefire,” referring to the U.N.-sponsored truce …

The flurry of announced plans to increase Western military aid to Ukraine continues. The United States and some North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies have now pledged to deliver advanced infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks, and they are apparently considering advanced fighter jets, as well. If the West …

Amid international efforts to resurrect the fragile peace in Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi militia is imposing stringent conditions for their return to the negotiating table. The group is demanding the payment of civil servant salaries and a portion of oil revenues as prerequisites for peace, but with a catch: Paying …

The UAE provided a unique model in combating terrorism with legal penalties and rehabilitation centers for extremistsAl-Jaber’s selection to take charge of COP28 came to his environmental career and his vision to develop ADNOC in accordance with environmental standards.The Abrahamic Family House is a bridge of communication and cooperation between …

Recently launched government plans to restore stability to the troubled foreign exchange market proved no remedy, as ordinary Iranians continue to see their pockets shrink. At the closure of Iran’s foreign exchange market on Thursday, the country’s national currency, the rial, nosedived to a new record low. A US dollar …

Some countries in the region are increasingly looking away from the dollar. The Iraqi Central Bank said on Wednesday that it will conduct trade with China in its currency, the yuan. “Financing of foreign trade with China will be organized directly using the Chinese yuan,” the bank said in a …

The Russian invasion of Ukraine hurt the region economically, as supply chain disruptions and food shortages topped respondents concerns in Turkey, Egypt, Yemen and Iraq WASHINGTON — One year after its invasion of Ukraine, Russia’s image has taken a hit in Turkey, Yemen and Iraq, according to the latest Al-Monitor …

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) administration has set up a consortium of companies, including some in Russia, Iran and Pakistan, to create an investment plan focusing on power, mining and infrastructure, the commerce minister said on Wednesday. The consortium included 14 Afghan businessmen and foreign companies who would send …

What none of the news reports, editorials, public letters by prominent figures or statements by officials have revealed is that the Biden administration is funding the group behind the protests. “No one is asking the organizers who finances their activities. Someone is paying tens of millions of shekels to rent …