Economics U.S. President Barack Obama met Saudi Arabia’s new interior minister, Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, on Monday to discuss security and regional issues, the White House said. More from Reuters The Heritage Foundation 2013 Index of Economic Freedom rated the Lebanon at 91st in terms of economic freedoms, out of 177 countries included in this year’s report. More from The Daily Star The Iraqi government released more than 300 prisoners held under anti-terrorism laws on Monday as a goodwill gesture to Sunni Muslim demonstrators staging protests against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. More from Reuters Companies Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) plans to increase lending to businesses in the Middle East as oil-rich Gulf investors show more appetite for acquisitions, a senior banker at the U.S. financial services firm said. More from Reuters Savola Group is set to close an Islamic Bond issue valued at 1.5 billion
