GCC-Indonesia economic ties deepen with Saudi MoUs, joint Qatar fund Trade between Indonesia and the Gulf is rising and negotiations are underway for a GCC-Indonesia free trade agreement. Saudi Arabia
Analysis UAE hedges against global economic volatility with EU trade agreement The UAE is doubling down on bilateral free trade agreements as it hedges against economic headwinds fueled by the United States' universal tariff policy. By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
Egypt's Sisi visits Qatar, nabs $7.5B in investments: What to know President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s trip to Doha comes amid Egypt’s moves to improve ties with Turkey and tensions with the UAE over the Gaza war. Egypt
Analysis Saudi Arabia-PwC split signals shift to local consultancies: What to know The Saudization of the consultancy sector is not a compliance exercise but instead amounts to a strategic realignment that challenges the long-standing, but outdated, assumption that foreign expertise is inherently superior. By Amal Altwaijri In Washington, DC, reporting on Saudi Arabia
Analysis France recalibrates Turkey ties as east Med dynamics shift: What to know By Jonathan Fenton-Harvey In London, reporting on North Africa and Gulf politics
Netanyahu set to meet Trump amid differences over Iran, tariffs and Turkey: What to know United States
Saudi Arabia 'conservative' on oil revenue as it pares back Vision 2030 plans Mohammed Al-Jaadan warned that being a resource-rich country was a curse as well as a blessing because being dependent on one commodity such as oil can hold a country "hostage" to the volatility of global demand and prices. Saudi Arabia
How Iran could benefit from Chabahar Port deal with India India has been reluctant to move ahead with its plans for Chabahar due to US sanctions, despite an exemption. Iran
What does Turkey's three-year austerity plan to curb inflation entail? The plan is to increase the efficiency of the public sector through cost-cutting measures such as a ban on buying new vehicles for civil servants. Turkey
Emirates airline reports record $4.7B profit as Gulf competition heats up The Dubai-based airline has posted strong performance figures in recent months. United Arab Emirates
Turkey, Israel tangle in fresh row over trade ban The fresh tensions between the two regional powers seem to be stemming from a Turkish directive sent to companies that were doing business with Israel to introduce a three-month adjustment period for implementation of the trade ban. Turkey
Israel's Elbit clinches $53M deal to sell mortar systems to Europe Between 2019 and 2023, Israeli weapons constituted 2.4% of the global market, massively reshaped by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and increased imports by European countries. Israel
Dubai crowned wealthiest city in Middle East, home to 72,500 millionaires The number of individuals in Dubai with liquid investment wealth — assets that can be readily converted to cash — of $1 million or more increased by 78% between 2013 and 2023 to 72,500, according to a report. United Arab Emirates
Turkey and Kuwait sign six deals as Erdogan hosts country's Emir The Kuwaiti emir traveled to Turkey for his first foreign visit to a non-Arab country since he took the oath of office in December. Turkey
KFC, Pizza Hut profit in Middle East cut by half amid Gaza war boycotts Americana Restaurants said the decline was due to the “ongoing geopolitical tensions” in the Middle East and the effect of the Ramadan period. Israel
As it seeks to rival China and Pakistan, India sets its sights on Oman trade deal The agreement could serve as a "strategic lever" for New Delhi to expand its influence in the Middle East. Oman
UAE’s non-oil revenues hit by April floods, but quick recovery expected The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UAE Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 55.3 points in April, still indicating growth, but had been at 56.9 the previous month. United Arab Emirates
UAE, Ukraine conclude trade deal talks, Emirates to help post-war reconstruction Ukraine’s bilateral trade has sharply fallen since Russia invaded the country in February 2022. United Arab Emirates
