Middle East

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis takes part in an interview on Jan. 31 in Tokyo. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
Interview

Greek PM slams Turkey for 'sitting on the fence' over Ukraine war

Mitsotakis aims to tap Japan, India for investment after 'turning page' on debt

31 January 2023
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a meeting with the families of the security forces killed during the Iran's protests, in Tehran on Dec. 9, 2022. (WANA handout via Reuters) 
International relations

Iran diplomatic strategy hits wall as Ukraine, Israel derail plans

Drone sales to Moscow sink European enthusiasm to revive nuclear deal

31 January 2023
CP Foods sent its first shipment of chicken products to Saudi Arabia in 18 years last March. (Photo courtesy of CP Foods)
Food & Beverage

Thailand's CP Foods eyes $30m foray into Mideast

Shrimp and chicken farming proposed as new investments in the region

29 January 2023
Then-U.S. President Donald Trump poses with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the foreign ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates after signing the Abraham Accords in Washington on Sept. 15, 2020. 
Comment

Ruthless power battles in Middle East give Asia a golden chance

China and South Korea keen to exploit Israeli-Arab rapprochement

28 January 2023
Turkey's Karpowership says it has the world's largest fleet of floating power plants, which can be deployed quickly to meet urgent needs. (Photo courtesy of Karpowership)
Energy

Ukraine inks tentative energy deal with Turkish 'powership' company

Financing and approval of Moldova, Romania to host ships still to be sorted out

26 January 2023
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, right, shakes hands with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi before the start of their meeting in New Delhi on Jan. 25.
International relations

India and Egypt to promote trade and investment, fight terrorism

Modi, el-Sissi concerned by disruptions to food supplies and other resources

26 January 2023
ComfortDelGro has conducted tests of self-driving taxis in Singapore. (Photo courtesy of ComfortDelGro)
Automobiles

Top Singapore taxi company buys into Israeli self-driving startup

ComfortDelGro expands tie-up strategy with $4m bet on software developer Ottopia

17 January 2023
A Nintendo store in Osaka. The company capitalized on pandemic demand, but its stock price has recently dipped. (Photo by Toshiki Sasazu)
Markets

Saudi sovereign wealth fund increases Nintendo stake to 6%

Kingdom gathers know-how from gaming industry in diversification move

13 January 2023
South Korea, China and Japan all saw drops in their foreign exchange reserves last year as the dollar strengthened.
Currencies

Global foreign reserves dwindle as countries counter dollar's rise

Japan's holdings sink 13%, sharpest on record; China falls short of IMF benchmark

12 January 2023
The economic crisis in Pakistan likely prompted army chief Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir to directly ask wealthy Saudi Arabia and the UAE for new monetary assistance. (Nikkei montage/AP)
International relations

Pakistan army chief assumes loan diplomacy role amid forex crisis

Munir's Saudi Arabia, UAE trips likely timed to avert Islamabad debt default

11 January 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi discussed the proposed trade corridor in July 2022.
International relations

Russia and Iran eye trade route with India to bypass sanctions

Project, two decades in the making, would bypass Europe as tensions mount

11 January 2023
Olam last year sold a 35.4% stake in its agribusiness arm to Saudi Agricultural & Livestock Investment, which had valued Olam Agri at $3.5 billion.
Commodities

Olam plans Singapore, Saudi Arabia dual IPO of agricultural arm

Temasek-backed commodity trader hopes to list subsidiary in first half of 2023

10 January 2023
Demonstrators protest against China in support of its ethnic Uyghur community on Dec. 9 in Istanbul. 
International relations

Turkey says relations with China have soured over Uyghur issue

Ahead of elections, Ankara insists it won't extradite anyone

7 January 2023
Advertisements for hair transplant treatments are ubiquitous at Istanbul Airport. The city has become a popular destination for foreign visitors seeking the procedure. (Photo by Sinan Tavsan)
Business trends

Turkey's hair transplant industry locks in Japanese clients

Affordable prices, high quality on offer but unregistered clinics raise concern

6 January 2023
In Iraq, Gakken subsidiary IC Net started conducting classes on scientific experiments at elementary schools in 2021 in cooperation with a major Japanese oil and gas plant engineering company. (Photo courtesy of Gakken)
Education

Gakken to expand 'noncognitive' education in Asia, Middle East

Turkish and Chinese units to provide class services on scientific experiments

3 January 2023
Indonesia's Investree has already expanded into Thailand and the Philippines. (Source images from Investree website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesia's Investree set to close funding round led by Qatar's JTA

Peer-to-peer lending company looking to enter Middle East market

15 December 2022
Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai arrives at court in 2021. Lai could face life in prison on national security charges. 
International relations

Asian countries top list for worst jailers of journalists: report

Committee to Protect Journalists says imprisoned reporters at global record

14 December 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, stands next to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman after arriving at Al Yamama Palace in Riyadh on Dec. 8. (Saudi Press Agency via AP)
The Nikkei View

Warmer China-Saudi ties have global implications

Beijing's overtures risk further dividing the international community

14 December 2022
Morgan Stanley predicts the global urban air mobility market will grow 30% annually between 2021 and 2040, reaching $1.5 trillion by 2040.
DealStreetAsia

India's Bumble Bee raises $37m to make autonomous air taxis

Bengaluru-based startup plans to launch prototype in April

14 December 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, is welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Dec. 8.
International relations

China's embrace of Saudi Arabia leaves Iran out in the cold

Beijing ditches neutrality at opportunity to fill gap left by U.S.

13 December 2022
France's Olivier Giroud, right, in action with England's Harry Maguire in Al Khor, Qatar on Dec. 10. 
Sports

World Cup: France tops England on goals from Giroud, Tchouameni

Defending champion 'Les Bleus' to face Morocco in semifinal

11 December 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping seeks to deepen Beijing's ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. 
International relations

With Xi's trip, China capitalizes on Saudi-U.S. rift

Beijing chases greater clout in vital region, while Riyadh woos new investment

10 December 2022
Xi Jinping, right, shakes hands with Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, governor of Riyadh, after his arrival in the Saudi capital on Dec. 7. (Handout photo from Saudi Press Agency)
Opinion

U.S. distractions have opened door for China's Arab romance

Xi Jinping is getting a warmer welcome than Biden did in Saudi Arabia

8 December 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Dec. 7. 
International relations

Xi's Saudi visit seeks to shift narrative away from protests

Top oil exporter and importer prepare for uncertainties ahead

8 December 2022
Women protest high energy prices in Istanbul in February. Inflation, which is now at over 80%, has added to the public's frustration with the current Turkish government.
Politics

Turkey's frustrated youth turn their back on Erdogan's ruling AKP

Sky-high inflation, stalled growth sap optimism for country's future

7 December 2022