Those ambitions now face a severe test as the war reverberates across the Middle East. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region stretches from Morocco and Egypt in North Africa to Iran and the Gulf states in the Middle East and includes some of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, energy routes and aviation corridors. More than 46,000 flights in and out of the Middle East were canceled between Feb. 28 and March 11. The narrow waterway between Iran and Oman is one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, carrying roughly one-fifth of the global oil supply. For the millions of expat workers from South Asia and elsewhere who depend on the Gulf’s tourism economy, the consequences are already becoming clear.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 16, 2026 11:49 UTC