Iran hits Gulf, threatens truce as Israel escalates in Lebanon: What to know Iranian attacks continued in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait hours after a ceasefire between Iran and the US was announced. Iran
China, Russia veto scaled-back Hormuz resolution at UN Security Council The vote came hours before the US deadline for Iran to reopen the global chokepoint. Bahrain
Gulf nations in line of fire brace for Iran escalation: What to know A bridge linking Saudi Arabia to Bahrain was briefly closed as Iran escalates its attacks in the Gulf ahead of a looming US deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. United Arab Emirates
AirAsia stays course on Bahrain hub as Iran war clouds aviation growth plans The low-cost carrier’s commitment, while conditional on how the conflict evolves, stands out as most global airlines scale back routes, delay launches and reroute flights to avoid the Middle East. Bahrain
Analysis Hostage to Hormuz, can Gulf rewire future energy flows to bypass Iran’s chokepoint? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Downturn or pause? Iran war puts Dubai property market to test By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Gulf investment in UK property expected to reach $3.2 B in 2024 Middle Eastern investors are capitalising on lower property valuations and those investors are likely to refinance when interest rates start falling, the Islamic bank said. Legacy: Gulf
UK investment minister: GCC trade deal would develop AI, fintech sectors In 2022, trade between the UK and GCC countries amounted to 33.1 billion pounds ($42.6 million). Legacy: Gulf
Who is Sultan Al Mansouri, Qatar’s first UAE ambassador in 6 years? A career diplomat who previously served as Qatar’s ambassador to Austria in 2019 and as the ambassador to China in 2014, Mansouri brings a negotiating and economic skillset to the position. Qatar
Saudi Public Investment Fund reports $11 billion loss for 2022 Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund reports its assets have risen from $676 billion to about $778 billion in 2022 in a rare gesture of transparency for the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
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
