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
What Iran-Qatar reset means for Syria Iran adds another “Sunni” power to its regional network; Turkey ponders next moves in Idlib; Israel presents the “big picture” on Iran in Washington and Sochi, Russia; Akiva Eldar on Israel’s silence over Charlottesville. Saudi Arabia
Stakes high for Kuwait as mediator in Qatar crisis Kuwait has established its neutrality in the Qatari crisis, but it has a lot at stake. Legacy: Gulf
Influence-rich Saudis blow through Sunni unity Just a month after hosting the US president and the leaders of dozens of Muslim countries, Saudi Arabia apparently cares more about putting Qatar in its place than maintaining the alliance it built. Saudi Arabia
Gulf rift sends tremors through Yemen The decision by Gulf countries involved in the Yemen war to sever ties with Qatar has created complexities on both sides of the Yemen conflict. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi-Qatar rift could benefit Israel Israeli officials estimate that the Saudi-Qatar rift could strengthen the Israeli-Saudi alliance against regional Islamic terror. Saudi Arabia
The curious timing of the Qatar crisis The latest Middle East crisis, the rift between Qatar and its Gulf Cooperation Council partners, has come at a sensitive time for the Gulf states. Legacy: Gulf
'Fake news' sparks real crisis in the Gulf Controversial statements reported by Qatar's state news agency and later attributed to a hack have revealed deep tension among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. Saudi Arabia
Gulf of mistrust mars Kuwaiti initiative for Iran-GCC dialogue Despite Kuwait’s reported initiative to resolve tension between Iran and the Gulf Cooperation Council, it appears that the two sides are not yet ready to address the deeper causes of conflict and tension. Legacy: Gulf
Why did Oman join Saudi Arabia’s anti-terrorism alliance? Oman joins the 40-member Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, yet still strikes a balance while refusing to distance itself from Iran in order to please Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
