Analysis Why Iran strikes on Kuwait pose dilemma for US Navy’s blockade By striking Kuwait's main airport, the IRGC has attempted to flip the escalation script after US aircraft fired Hellfire missiles to disable commercial oil tankers accused of trying to outrun the US Navy’s blockade. By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Kuwait blames Iran for deadly airport attack as war escalates: What to know The attack on Kuwait’s main airport follows an alleged IRGC infiltration attempt of the strategic Bubiyan Island and Iran-backed plots targeting the Gulf monarchy. Kuwait
Iran’s Hormuz authority declares control over ports in UAE, Oman: What to know The Persian Gulf Strait Authority released a map showing its “areas of oversight” extending to the United Arab Emirates’ ports, eliciting a rebuke from a senior Emirati official. Iran
UAE's Barakah nuclear plant fully operational after first such strike in Gulf Emirati officials have vowed that the country’s energy ambitions will not be impacted by the strike, which was the first on a nuclear facility in the Gulf since the war began, adding that they have the right to respond to the attack. United Arab Emirates
Analysis How the Iran war is exposing a growing Saudi-UAE divide By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Analysis Ports and infrastructure: UAE embraces new economic order in Syria By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
UAE to fast-track construction of second oil pipeline, bypassing Hormuz: What to know United Arab Emirates
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
What the Gulf states new unified visa means for Saudi, UAE, other citizens The new Schengen-like visa — allowing seamless travel between members Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — will be introduced during 2024-25. Legacy: Gulf
