Economics and Policy
Tuesday’s bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut will damage efforts to encourage investment in Lebanon, experts told The Daily Star, warning that another spate of deadly bombings linked to the war in Syria might be the last straw for the economy.
Syria’s army has pushed rebels out of the mountain town of Qara near Lebanon, strengthening its hold on a highway linking the capital to regime strongholds along the Mediterranean coast.
Iraq’s oil industry is poised for a second year of only modest growth in 2014, starting off slowly as extensive work at a major port curbs exports and red tape and violence prompt some oil firms to delay projects.
Egypt’s natural gas shipments are set to drop by about half this year, undermining the military led-government’s attempts to stabilize the largest economy in North Africa.
Companies and Business
Dubai’s property market is not “overheating” and recent government regulations are “prompting a cooling in the pace of growth,” according to the Q3 property report from consultant Cluttons.