Legacy: Gulf - AL-MONITOR: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Legacy: Gulf

The PwC Tower, or Libeskind Tower, Milan, March 12, 2021.

Analysis

Can Gulf states slash costly reliance on Western consultancies?

A one-year ban on PwC acquiring work in Saudi Arabia has highlighted the Gulf states' dependency on Western firms and the need to develop local consultancies and talent.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Employees of Aramco oil company work in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant on September 20, 2019.

Analysis

Can Saudi Arabia afford giga-projects with oil prices under $75 per barrel?

Riyadh could soon run a current account deficit as oil revenue declines amid huge spending commitments toward ambitious Vision 2030 projects. Saudi-led OPEC has also deferred an output increase plan to allow more time to reach desired oil prices.

Jennifer Gnana

Samuel Wendel

By Jennifer Gnana , Samuel Wendel

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE's final unit of Barakah nuclear reactor hooked to grid: What we know

The Emirates is the only Gulf country with a nuclear power program, though neighboring Saudi Arabia also has atomic power ambitions.

United Arab Emirates

A cargo ship is docked at the port of Yemen's Huthi-held city of Hodeida on July 28, 2024. Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi entity denies its ship hit as Houthis claim attack on Greek tanker

Saudi Arabia's national shipping company Bahri denied reports that its tanker Amjad came under attack by the Houthis, the Yemeni armed group that has stepped up attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Latest News

Analysis

Telegram CEO's arrest spotlights UAE’s investment-based citizenship laws

MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 24: Pavel Durov of Vkontakte speaks during the Digital Life Design conference (DLD) at HVB Forum on January 24, 2012 in Munich, Germany. ence and culture which connects business, creative and social leaders, opinion-formers and investors for crossover conversation and inspiration. (Photo by Nadine Rupp/Getty Images)

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Heavy floods hit Dubai, airport as Oman toll rises to 18

Dubai's roads were badly hit by the heavy downpours

Agence France-Presse

Oman launches $5 billion 'Future Fund' in sign of economic progress

HAITHAM AL-SHUKAIRI/AFP via Getty Images

Al-Qaeda attack in Yemen kills 2 members of southern forces

Security forces deploy near Aden International Airport in Yemen's southern city on April 14, 2023 during a prisoner exchange between the internationally recognised-government and the Sanaa-based Huthi rebels.

Police Officers stand in front of the Hofburg Palace, the venue of the 8th OPEC International Seminar, in Vienna, Austria, on July 5, 2023.

Brazil to join OPEC+ as Saudi-led bloc agrees to oil cuts

Saudi Arabia, which leads the alliance of oil producers, has been instituting voluntary production cuts in an effort to keep prices up.

USS Eisenhower

US Navy shoots down Iran-made drone fired from Yemen

The shooting follows a separate incident in the Persian Gulf in which an Iranian drone came within 1,500 yards of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier.

Chinese flag

UAE-China ink multibillion-dollar deals as ties grow

The United Arab Emirates and China are major trade partners and have strengthened cooperation in both finance and energy in recent months.

Expo 2020

What does Saudi Arabia hosting of Expo 2030 mean for its economy?

Winning the rights to host the world fair follows news that the kingdom will likely host the 2034 FIFA World Cup, among several other major events.

CIA Director William Burns arrives for a briefing on Ukraine at the US Capitol,Washington, Sept. 20, 2023.

CIA chief Bill Burns returns to Qatar as Israel-Hamas truce holds

The heads of the CIA and Israel's Mossad met Qatar's prime minister in Doha to discuss a possible extension of a truce between Hamas and Israel.

A woman sits with her German shepherd at the Barking Lot cafe in Saudi Arabia.

Culture

In cultural shift, Saudi Arabia allows pets on public transportation

Pet owners can now bring their pets onto buses, boats and trains in the kingdom, but only under certain conditions.

Meloni MBS

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.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (C) and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (L) in Doha - Jacquelyn Martin/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Gulf Briefing: COP28 needs to 'deliver results'

This week we have the UAE preparing for the COP28 climate summit, updates on the Qatari-mediated Gaza Strip hostage deal, Houthi threats in the Red Sea and more.

Houthi Movement via Getty Images

How risky is US-Houthi escalation after Navy thwarts tanker hijacking?

The Iran-backed rebels are risking new levels of escalation as they jockey for clout in talks with Saudi Arabia as Israel's war in the Gaza Strip grinds on.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA - NOVEMBER 25: Fans of Al Ahli support they team during the Saudi Pro League match between Al-Ahli SFC and Al-Shabab at Prince Abduallh Al Faisal stadium on November 25, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images)

Israel-Hamas war looms over Saudi Arabia’s big bets on sports, entertainment and tourism

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A foreign laborer pours water on his head as he tries to cool off during his working day.

Ahead of COP28, HRW says UAE migrant workers face more climate change risks

Human Rights Watch said migrant workers in the Gulf nation are more exposed to health risks related to climate change and also face abuse and violations.

TOPSHOT - France's President Emmanuel Macron greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as he arrives at presidential Elysee Palace in Paris, on June 16, 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron hosts Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for talks in Paris, seeking to nudge the de-facto leader of the oil-rich kingdom into more full-throated support of Ukraine against the Russian invasion. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP) (Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP via Getty Images)

What Saudi crown prince's call to stop weapons exports means for Israel

The crown prince’s comments come amid persistent opposition to Israel’s strikes against Hamas in Gaza in the Arab world.