1.5 billion tourists over five continents raked $11tn into the global economy in 2024, surpassing pre-COVID levels. Meanwhile, North Africa broke records as a new hot-spot destination.

After dramatic action from the central bank, an $8bn IMF loan and a $35bn development deal, Cairo aims to bounce back in the new year, but faces both familiar and new problems first

The move toward sharia-compliant sovereign financing is designed to ease liquidity and draw cash back into the formal banking system. If it works, Algeria could become a major player in the industry

While financial obligations outlive regimes, Damascus may be able to show that some of the $7.6bn in loans from Tehran was spent repressing the Syrian people—and that Iran knew about it

The Russia-dominated union has demonstrated impressive growth functioning as an economic bloc but politically not all members see eye to eye

Like Saudi Arabia, Gulf states should update their investment laws to help incentivise FDI, which is crucial to developing key sectors in their economies

Fears of an arms race amid tensions in the region come alongside ambitious growth plans and hopes to boost living standards

With Trump's return to the White House, his planned tariffs could bring down international trade, which in turn would reduce the demand for crude oil

War caused its GDP to fall by 86%, leaving 69% of Syrians impoverished. Regime change brings hope for an economy once one of the Middle East's strongest. This is its story and a look ahead.

Sources of cash are drying up as front companies and drug production lines are dismantled and supply networks and smuggling routes are compromised. Iran is also questioning its funding of the group.