Major trade agreements link Egypt to the African continent

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains how Egypt's link to the African continent will benefit Egypt and the African continent. Egypt is always trying to create more cooperation and trade interdependence with the countries of the African continent. To achieve this goal, it has signed a number of economic and trade agreements, such as COMESA (Common Market for ...
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Lebanon's woes keep getting worse

While I was reading about Middle East air travel- which is down 67 per cent on pre-Covid levels- I was prompted to read about Lebanon. On top of its many disasters- a continuously falling Lebanese pound, a recession, an only recently formed government, and on-going corruption across the country, the Covid-19 pandemic, now it has a spat with Saudi A...
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Lebanese newspaper The Daily Star closes

Lebanon is in dire straits economically and politically and has been for the last 12 months at least. The media is suffering as a consequence of the recession. Staff have been laid off and numerous media outlets have closed or are closing. Another media outlet is closing as this article outlines. November 3, 20211:08 AM NZDT Last Updated 20 hours a...
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Elections in Iraq: why they matter?

The success of the legislative elections are crucial for the future of Iraq. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. Iraq's legislative elections were held on 10 October, in which 3,243 candidates, including 951 female candidates, competed in 83 electoral districts, for 329 seats. Women had a 25% representation and minorities had nine seats. The Iraqi co...
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The problems facing the Middle East highlighted

The most important challenges facing the Middle East are highlighted in a survey by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Our regular writer, Ahmad Abdul-Rahman, explains the results. The challenges facing the Middle East - terrorism, extremism, civil war, foreign intervention, sectarianism, corruption, and authoritarianism - are both hor...
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Will Israel see an increase in trade with India and Japan?

The "normalization" of relations between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Israel, as a consequence of the Abraham Accords signed on August 13, 2020, could lead to increased trade between Israel and Japan and Israel and India. Even perhaps with Saudi Arabia. All countries have good relations with the UAE and have a significant presence there. Econ...
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Conflicts and geopolitical tensions shape the Middle East

Intractable conflicts and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are changing the balance of regional and international power, according to a book on the region. Ahmed Abdul-Rahman delves into the arguments. When will peace come to conflict areas in the Middle East? This is a simple question but is problematic and complex to answer. The question ...
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Egypt continues to show high growth rates

How has Egypt become the third largest Arab economy in 2021? Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains.  Egypt is ranked third by gross domestic product (GDP) in the Arab world, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to Forbes Middle East magazine. Egypt GDP is expected to reach US 394.3 billion, compared to USD 361.8 billion in 2020. Egypt ranks 9th in ...
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Morocco's role in the Magreb

The Moroccan elections represent a geopolitical reshaping of North Africa. Ahmed- Abdul Rahman explains why. The Moroccan general elections on September 8 were considered particularly important because of the power shift between Morocco and Algeria. Holding the Moroccan elections on time despite the coronavirus pandemic, as well as forming a broad ...
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Can the new US administration regain the reins of leadership in the Middle East ?

The Middle East is on the Biden administration's list of interests. But the region needs, and deserves, more than that. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains why. President Joe Biden did not bother to explain his Middle East policy during the presidential election campaign. Although there is an important foreign policy section in Biden's electoral manifesto,...
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The risks of investing in cryptocurrencies

The risks associated with crypto currencies are often immense.  Barrister, Gary Hughes, outlines what some of the problems could be in Australia and New Zealand. By Gary Hughes for Thomson Reuters. Inquiries in Trans-Tasman Region Gary Hughes | September 23, 2021 Crypto-enthusiasts and FinTech businesses across the Oceania region would have be...
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WESTERN UNION- DO NOT USE

It seems that many companies around the world, particularly American ones, have become so paranoid that you can easily be dubbed  a "terrorist"  or at least a financier of one. We are living in a police world. If you simply want to make small transactions to countries like Egypt and India you must be financing terrorism, or be a terrorist...
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The factors that affected the Egyptian economy in 2020

Ahmed Abdul-Rahman explains the four factors that affected the Egyptian economy in 2020. There are four factors that affected the Egyptian economy during in the year 2020. These included the volatility of cash flows into Treasury Bills and instruments, the volatility of the US dollar; the volatility of the oil price and the limited growth in invest...
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Why relations between the Arab Gulf countries and Russia are getting closer

In this article Ahmad Abdul-Rahman discusses the future for the Arab Gulf and the future geopolitical changes that are likely. The Middle East is witnessing rapid and violent changes that affect international stability and peace. For the Arab Gulf in particular this is a challenge, politically, economically and socially as well as on the security a...
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The US military relationship with Saudi Arabia

The relationship between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the US has often caused angst for those who are opposed to this alliance. Much of the concern is because of military arms. This article explains recent developments in the Saudi- US relationship. By Al Monitor Staff US military sale to Saudi Arabia moves ahead The US government approved a new possi...
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How will Iran deal with Afghanistan?

In this article Ahmad  Abdul - Rahman talks about how Iran will deal with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban. Afghanistan has fallen into the hands of the Taliban. The announcement by the US of the complete withdrawal from Afghanistan at the end of August precipitated this. The repercussions will be felt in the Midd...
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Turkey's foreign policy changes tack towards the Middle East

Turkey has reached a new turning point  regarding its foreign policy towards the Middle East. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. Turkey's foreign policy towards the Middle East has undergone a number of political changes in recent years. It now has a greater inclination  to use military force, which showed when it intervened militarily in Syria...
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What does Taliban rule mean for other parts of the world?

Afghanistan has scarcely been out of the news recently. What will happen with Taliban rule and how long will it last? Although some groups in some countries welcome Taliban rule- the Salafi groups in Turkey are perhaps some and Pakistan is said to be more pro-Taliban- others are concerned as to what Taliban rule might mean for them – the Uighurs wh...
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Will the Gulf States change their attitude towards Afghanistan?

Will the Gulf States change their stance on the Taliban after it took control of Afghanistan? Ahmad Abdel -Rahman explains. Bahrain, in its capacity as the current chair of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), announced that it would start consultations with other Gulf States on the situation in Afghanistan. The Council of Ministers assigned the Min...
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Will Egyptian gas reach Lebanon?

Ahmad Abdul-Rahman talks about about the transportation of Egyptian gas to Lebanon and what it means for the region. Lebanon is preparing to implement its agreement with Iraq to obtain fuel oil to secure electricity generation and save the Lebanese from the problem of power outage that they suffer daily. Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Int...
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