Abu Dhabi merges ADQ into new wealth fund L'IMAD: What to know Under the new structure, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, will oversee a broader swath of the emirate’s investment holdings. United Arab Emirates
Saudi defense chief visits White House as Riyadh wary of Iran strike The visit is occurring as the Pentagon amasses an armada off Iran and the United States continues to threaten to strike the Islamic Republic militarily. Saudi Arabia
UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector. United Arab Emirates
Thousands rally for South Yemen independence amid Saudi diplomatic push Large protests called for southern independence in Yemen on Friday, reflecting persistent support for the separatists despite the Saudi-backed government’s efforts to quash the separatist movement. Yemen
Analysis UAE-backed fund's planned Telegraph takeover raises press freedom fears Members of parliament and former state security figures have raised concerns about what it would mean for an entity with close ties to a foreign government to own one of the United Kingdom’s most influential newspapers. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
What does Saudi's first-ever alcohol store say about new Gulf culture? Alcohol-free 'mocktails' are also becoming increasingly popular across the region. Saudi Arabia
Red Sea trade hit can be 'managed' amid weak global demand, says WEF Maroun Kairouz, director of the World Economic Forum for the Middle East and North Africa, told Al-Monitor that the Israel-Hamas conflict has not had a material impact on global energy markets so far. Yemen
Davos 2024: Inside Investcorp’s plan to build China-Gulf 'investment bridge' In an interview with Al-Monitor, co-CEO Hazem Ben-Gacem said there is a big push for infrastructure funding in the Asia-Pacific region, controlled buyouts in Japan and growth investments in India and China. Bahrain
Davos 2024: Reaching net zero without space tech 'wishful thinking,' says Saudi minister On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Alswaha told Al-Monitor that technology will help countries deliver on climate promises. Saudi Arabia
Will Saudi Arabia see mining gold rush in 2024? The kingdom plans to take advantage of the growing demand for critical minerals to power the green transition. Saudi Arabia
Why has Iran Air abandoned plans to relaunch Saudi Arabia flights despite detente? The Iran Air flights to Saudi Arabia were intended to transport pilgrims to Jeddah and were scheduled to take off from Tehran, Mashhad and Isfahan on Wednesday. Iran
Analysis 2023 in review: The year Saudi Arabia became sports superpower The kingdom has been laying the groundwork to become a sporting leader for decades, but this year marked a turning point as investment ramped up. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Saudi PIF ups investment in China’s Alibaba-backed tech fund eWTP Arabia Capital invests in energy and technology start-ups across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia. Saudi Arabia
Kuwait, Qatar, UAE telecoms merge assets into $2.2B tower company Three Gulf companies will create a new entity, which has not yet been publicly named, combining around 30,000 tower assets in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Tunisia. Legacy: Gulf
Italy and Saudi Arabia in talks for major deals as ties grow under Meloni The government of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, which came into power in October 2022, has been working to deepen ties with energy- and cash-rich states in the Middle East and North Africa. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia to sign more than $500M in deals with African countries Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al-Falih said the kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, will make some “game changing” investments in Africa. Saudi Arabia
