Memos

Expert insights to understand regional trends.

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Netflix in crosshairs as Middle East streaming competition mounts

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Co-founder and Ceo of Starz Play Maaz Sheikh poses in his office in Dubai on April 23, 2019. Streaming services in the Middle East are competing for Arab audiences with US giant Netflix set to release its first Arabic production in June, chasing a slice of a potentially lucrative market. (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

TEHRAN, IRAN - JULY 6: Newly-elected Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks during a visit to the shrine of the Islamic Republic's founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini on July 6, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Masoud Pezeshkian, considered the reformist candidate among the six approved contenders for the country's presidency, won office on Friday after a runoff election. (Photo by Majid Saeedi/Getty Images)

How will Iran's new government impact its foreign and energy policy?

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan delivers a speech during a national event at the Turkish Pavilion of Expo 2020, in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on February 15, 2022. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Growing Gulf-Turkey investment ties evolving unevenly following Erdogan’s $50B breakthrough

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Media film and photograph the Abdulhamid Han drill ship, the fourth built by Turkey, in Mersin on August 9, 2022 before it leaves for gas exploration to an undisputed area in the Mediterranean Sea, in south of the city of Gazipasa. - Turkey on August 9, 2022 sent its newest drill ship on the first eastern Mediterranean energy exploration mission in nearly two years. The search for natural gas in energy-rich waters around the divided island of Cyprus has turned into an irritant in Turkey's ties with the Euro

Turkey’s natural gas hub: the end of a dream?

Gerald Kepes

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy trends

In this picture taken on May 10, 2023, people attend the UAE Climate Tech Forum in Abu Dhabi. Faced with mounting pressure over planet-heating pollution, the Arab Gulf's energy giants are turning to humble tech start-ups as they search for ways to remove emissions while keeping oil flowing. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Tech investment slump reaching critical stage for cash strapped Middle East startups

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Women queue to fill containers with water from a private irrigation well provided by a farmer in Sbikha town, which has been having drinking water problems for years, near Tunisia's central city of Kairouan on June 25, 2024. Like its neighbour Algeria and large areas of the Mediterranean region, Tunisia suffers from "alert drought conditions", according to the European Drought Observatory. (Photo by FETHI BELAID / AFP) (Photo by FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images)

Algeria’s desalination ambitions to come with heavy financial burden

Francisco Serrano

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

This picture taken December 12, 2019 shows a man monitoring the board at the Stock Exchange Market (Tadawul) bourse in Riyadh. - Energy giant Saudi Aramco's market value soared above $2 trillion as its share price surged again on its second day of trading. The valuation milestone was sought by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman when he first floated the idea of selling up to five percent of Aramco, the world's largest oil firm, about four years ago. Aramco shares jumped another 9.7 percent to 38.60 riya

Is Saudi Arabia’s $100B foreign investment drive starting to yield results?

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Ground crews prepare an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, powering one of its engines with a hundred per cent Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), for a demonstration flight at the Dubai International Airport in Dubai, on January 30, 2023. - Emirates said it successfully flew a Boeing 777 powered by sustainable aviation fuel today, as the Middle East's largest airline aims to halve its jet fuel consumption. The Dubai-based carrier has used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) since 2017, but said its test flight w

Are GCC states prepared for net zero in aviation?

Kate Dourian

In Dubai, reporting on energy

This picture taken on October 12, 2022 shows a view of solar panels used to power irrigation pumps along the Afir agricultural canal near the city of Kafr el-Dawwar in Egypt's northern province of Beheira. (Photo by Khaled DESOUKI / AFP) (Photo by KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt needs clean energy to shine after $50B bailout, but will it?

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Employees and volunteers take part in a charity work organized by Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in order to send humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in Ankara, Turkey on May 31, 2024. (Photo by Altan Gocher / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP) (Photo by ALTAN GOCHER/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images)

Why Turkey won’t be able to walk back from ban on Israel trade

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

In this picture taken on October 26, 2011 workers assemble one of the many car models at Chinese carmaker's Chery Automobile plant in Wuhu, east China's Anhui province. The growth of China's car market will be driven primarily by exports this year because domestic sales have slowed dramatically, as the world's largest car market -- sold 614,000 cars abroad in the first nine months of 2011, a 60 percent rise on the same period in 2010. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP via Getty Images)

China’s EV giants target Turkey as trade wars intensify

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

People visit the Global Village, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex in Dubai, on the eve of Eid al-Fitr which ends the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, on April 20, 2023. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Middle East economic outlook caught between low growth, high debt convergence

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

A Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Boeing 737-700 aircraft (background L) is seen past an AirAsia plane at Langkawi International Airport on the Malaysian resort island of Langkawi on March 2, 2024, ahead of the expected departure of Norway's King Harald V who has been hospitalised on the island. Norway's King Harald V, aged 87 and in poor health, is expected to return in "a few days" from Malaysia where he is hospitalised, the royal household said February 29. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo by MOHD RASFAN/

Malaysia courts Gulf investment and economic ties, but Saudi relations remain question mark

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech