Lebanon’s parliament passed the 2020 budget yesterday although its finance committee chief said the forecast revenues might be unrealistic as the country wrestles with a major economic and financial crisis.

The sometimes strained relationship between Ankara and Washington may be enjoying a period of calm, giving Istanbul stocks “a window of opportunity” to gain in 2020, said one of Turkey’s best-performing equity fund managers.

Malaysia’s central bank Bank Negara Malaysia is pushing the financial sector to join the digital banking revolution: It is preparing the issuance of the country’s first five digital banking licences to “qualified applicants,”

Singapore said yesterday that the coronavirus outbreak will hurt its economy this year, as it announced new measures to tackle the disease which originated in China and has spread to the city-state and several other countries.

The prices of essential seasonal fruits and vegetables have increased despite fresh harvest as the government failed to rein in rising inflation.

Fears over the global economic impact of a deadly new Sars-like virus sent oil prices plunging more than 2% yesterday to extend last week’s sell-off, while safe-haven assets including the yen and gold rallied.

Volvo Car AB is counting on tripling sales of plug-in hybrid models this year as a way to avoid paying what could amount to hundreds of millions of euros in European penalties for the sale of its more polluting yet popular combustion-engine SUVs.

Britain is the United States’ closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain’s exit from the European Union.

Qatar’s chemical sector has the second highest contribution to the GDP among the GCC countries in 2018

Qatar's crude exports witnessed a robust 21% year-on-year expansion as it reported trade surplus of QR14.3bn in December 2019, according to the country's Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA).

An across-the-board selling, notably within real estate and industrials, M onday dragged the Qatar Stock Exchange more than 92 points and placed its key barometer at sub-10,500 levels.

QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), has announced its diamond sponsorship to the "2020 Compliance and Combating Financial Crime Forum," which will start Wednesday.