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
In Moscow, Russia's Lavrov welcomes Gulf states' rapprochement with Iran Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Russia and GCC countries will expand their cooperation together in areas of economic trade, defense, security, energy and politics. Legacy: Gulf
Kuwait rejects Iran's drilling plans in disputed gas field in Gulf Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have a longstanding dispute with Iran over the Durra gas field. The recent disagreement follows improvement in Iran's relations with both countries. Legacy: Gulf
UAE, Qatar reopen embassies after years of political rift The Emirati and Qatari foreign ministers held a phone call ahead of the two embassies restarting their diplomatic functions on Monday. United Arab Emirates
UK business minister heads to Gulf to discuss GCC trade deal Kemi Badenoch will meet her counterparts in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as well as the new GCC secretary general in a five-day trip. Legacy: Gulf
HSBC projects strong China-Middle East economic growth In 2021, trade between countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and China surpassed GCC trade with the United States and Europe for the first time, according to the IMF. Legacy: Gulf
Analysis Saudi Aramco, high-value IPOs face impending pressure in 2023 The United Arab Emirates saw the world’s largest IPO of first quarter 2023, with ADNOC Gas PLC raising $2.5 billion on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. By Salim A. Essaid
Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia top MidEast recipients of US visas in 2022 Citizens from the MENA region received about 480,000 non-immigrant visas, or about 7% of the total 6.8 million visas issued globally. Israel
UAE, Qatar to reopen embassies within weeks UAE-Qatar embassies are expected to reopen with new ambassadors in their posts within weeks or by mid-June latest, according to Reuters sources. Legacy: Gulf
US welcomes Bahrain, Qatar deal to restore relations The State Department applauded the "breakthrough" agreement reached between the two US partners in the Middle East. Qatar
Turkey, Egypt inch closer to restoring ties as FMs meet in Ankara The former Eastern Mediterranean rivals are on the path to rapprochement, but there are no plans for the return of ambassadors as of yet. Turkey
New UAE-Canada flight agreement boosts Emirates capacity by 40% Emirates said it will add two flights per week between Dubai and Toronto to serve its large number of travelers starting April 20. Legacy: Gulf
China's emergence as Saudi-Iran broker signals multipolar diplomacy in Middle East As China hosts on Thursday the Saudi and Iranian foreign ministers in Beijing, the Gulf states have an opportunity to capitalize on its growing role. Legacy: Gulf
