If Riyadh and other OPEC countries want higher prices, they must negotiate with China. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman investigates. What was clear before the June 4 OPEC+ meeting is that OPEC is in trouble – whether it cuts production significantly or it does not cut it. That is why there were expectations that OPEC + would not change anything or would make on...

Egypt consumes 100 billion loaves of bread annually. This, along with  the conflict in Sudan, results in many challenges for the country , writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. Egypt's wheat import bill is significant as it is the largest importer of wheat in the world. Consequently, the country has become increasingly vulnerable to global price fluctuat...

On the official visit to Tehran on May 28, by the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq,   Ahmad Abdul - Rah man writes about the Omani approach to regional and international policies .    The visit, as mentioned in the news published on the Oman News Agency (ONA), aimed at continuing consultation and coordination between the two countri...

The most prominent feature in the Middle East is the competition for influence, power and resources, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. In his opening speech during the Arab League summit, which was held in the Saudi city of Jeddah on May 19, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, welcomed the Arab leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Bin S...

Egypt's economic growth is forecast to fall, according to the EBRD, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has lowered its forecast for the growth of the Egyptian economy for the fiscal year 2022/2023. It expects the economy to grow by 4.0 per cent in 2022/2023, down 0.7 percentage points from its las...

Cars passing through Tohid Tunnel in Tehran with Milad Tower and Alborz Mountains in background. (Photo by Shutterstock) An opinion poll revealed that Iran is not popular by most countries over which it exercises hegemony  and is not accepted, writes Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. Gallup poll published the results of a poll it conducted in 13 Muslim...

The World Bank expects economic growth in the GCC to slow to 2.5 per cent in 2023, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. The World Bank (WB) lowered its forecast for the growth of the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to about 2.5 per cent in 2023, down from 3.2 per cent of its forecast last April. However, the WB  raised its fore...

Savvy , a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) in Saudi Arabia, is pumping billions into leading and emerging companies special i sing in developing and publishing games . Ahmad Abdul - Rahman explains . Saudi Arabia plans to invest 142 billion riyals (USD38 billion) to become a centre for electronic sports by 2030. This is part of the pl...

Standard and Poor's warned of the possibility of Egypt defaulting on its debt . Ahmed Abdul-Rahman writes about the main issues confronting the country. Amidst the violent foreign exchange crisis facing the Egyptian government since the first quarter of last year,  Standard & Poor's (S&P) announced that it had lowered its outlook for f...

The Iraq war has become a source of intense criticism due to the human, economic and political toll it took on the country and the entire Middle East . Ahmed Abdul-Rahman reports. The US invasion of Iraq began on March 20, 2003, so March 20, 2023, marked 20 years since the invasion. Its goal seemed to have been the overthrow of the Iraqi regime whi...

Debts fell to USD155 billion, and US dollar futures jumped, explains Ahmad Abdul-Rahman. Despite the continued decline in Egyptian debts, the confidence of Egyptian bond investors has declined. This is only two months after the conclusion of a financing agreement worth USD3 billion with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to Bloomberg,...

Can the International Monetary Fund (IMF) force Egypt to reduce the role of the army in many economic secto rs? Ahmad Abdel-Rahman reports. The new USD 3 billion-loan agreement signed between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Egypt, which was announced on January 10, seems at first glance to be broad and ambitious. In addition to measures t...

The political crisis in Sudan is getting worse .  Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explores the political machinations in this vast country . Most Sudanese are waiting for the signing of the final political agreement, which was postponed for an indefinite period, from its date of April 6. This delay was due to differences between the army and the Rapid Supp...

Egypt is facing several economic challenges in the coming months. Abdel Ahmad-Rahman explains what these are. Egypt, like other countries, is facing many economic challenges that have increased in severity after the Russian invasion of Ukraine last February. As a consequence there is a shortage of supply of many of the basic necessities, such as oi...

The challenges around food security in MENA are not dissipating. Ahmad Abdel-Rahman explains what is happening in the region. Food insecurity in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) has been an increasing challenge. Some 55 million people suffer from undernourishment out of a population of 456.7 million, in addition to protracted conflict...

The leadership role of the US in the Middle East faces profound challenges says Ahmad Abdel-Rahman. China's success in achieving rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and the escalating Israeli-Palestinian violence, poses a challenge to US diplomacy in the Middle East. Until recently, the US has been long considered a mediator and a major pl...

Can the International Monetary Fund (IMF) force Egypt to reduce the role of the army in many economic secto rs? Ahmad Abdel-Rahman reports. The new USD 3 billion-loan agreement signed between the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Egypt, which was announced on January 10, seems at first glance to be broad and ambitious. In addition to measures t...

One of the most prominent decisions of the former US president was the decision to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018, writes Ahmad Abdul-Rahman . One of the most prominent decisions related to the Middle East taken by the administration of former US President Donald Trump was to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement in 2018,...

Students are demonstrating  against the doubling of tuition fees after the Egyptian pound's decline. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman explains. The rapid collapse of the value of the pound has led to unrest in international and private universities, whose fees are paid in dollars. The crisis of private university students has reached the Egyptian parliament...

It is expected that the Middle East will witness instability between Iran  and Israel as well as seeing cyber warfare. Ahmad Abdul-Rahman reports. The level of tension between Iran and Israel is escalating after the attack on a missile production and development factory in the city of Isfahan in Iran on February 20. This attack was followed by...