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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.

General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon multirole fighter aircraft release flares as they perform aerial manuevers during the 2021 Dubai Airshow in the Gulf emirate on November 14, 2021. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

New Congressional task force to take on US foreign arms sales process

A bipartisan task force launched by House Foreign Affairs panel chair Rep. Michael McCaul follows internal reviews at the Pentagon and the State Department on steps to speed up the foreign arms sale process.

Washington Connection

Muslim pilgrims crowd Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat,also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 27, 2023. The ritual is the high point of the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, that officials say could be the biggest on record after three years of Covid restrictions. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Millions of Muslims mark Eid al-Adha in Saudi Arabia after hajj pilgrimage

Muslims in the region are celebrating Eid al-Adha despite soaring prices.

This picture taken on July 21, 2022 shows a view of sacks of confiscated captagon pills, presented at the judicial police headquarters in the city of Zahle in Lebanon's central Bekaa valley. - A decade of appalling civil war has left Syria fragmented and in ruins but one thing crosses every frontline: the drug fenethylline, commercially known as captagon. The stimulant -- once notorious for its association with Islamic State fighters -- has spawned an illegal $10-billion industry that not only props up the

Lebanon seizes Captagon shipment bound for central Africa, Gulf

Lebanon's latest bust comes as US sanctions and other measures work to counter trafficking in the country.

OXCCU

British sustainable fuel startup eyes Middle Eastern market

OXCCU looks to lower the cost of sustainable aviation fuel to make it a more attractive option for airlines to buy instead of fossil fuels.

Saudi-Iran-China

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Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (2L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R).

Top Saudi officials travel to China to attend 'Summer Davos' as ties deepen

The kingdom’s economy minister and other top officials will participate in the so-called Summer Davos as China-Saudi ties continue to gain momentum.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) transits the Strait of Hormuz as an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter from the Nightdippers of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 5 lifts off from the flight deck November 19, 2019. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strateg

Congress doubles down on Middle East defense architecture in NDAA markups

To counter China's influence and Iran activities, lawmakers want to expand cybersecurity, maritime and air and missile defense support to Middle East allies and enable Israeli Air Force pilots as Arab leaders begin to engage with Iran.

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.

Analysis

Macron, MBS see future in French-Saudi partnership

Saudi crown prince spends an action-packed week in Paris, including Global Financing Summit; Gulf eyes greater share of crypto market; is Netanyahu losing control?; why Jenin and Nablus remain hotbeds of Palestinian resistance.

Week in Review

Andrew Parasiliti

By Week in Review , Andrew Parasiliti

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia last April.

Saudi Crown Prince MBS meets Egypt's Sisi in France

Egypt has looked to Saudi Arabia for help during its ongoing economic crisis.

Visitors stand in front of works by Bybit on display during the 15th edition of Art Dubai at Madinat Jumeirah in the Gulf emirate of Dubai, on March 10, 2022. - Art Dubai, the Middle East's largest annual contemporary art fair, featured for the first time digital works, as the wealthy Gulf emirate seeks to position itself as a crypto-assets hub. - RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY MENTION OF THE ARTIST UPON PUBLICATION - TO ILLUSTRATE THE EVENT AS SPECIFIED IN THE CAPTION (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP)

Gulf primed to capture more crypto business, but volatility may mute returns

Amid an accelerating US crypto crackdown, the Middle East stands to benefit.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Bradley Beal, #3 of the Washington Wizards, drives around Jared Rhoden, #8 of the Detroit Pistons.

Qatar to buy stake in Washington Wizards, Capitals: reports

The move follows the National Basketball Association allowing sovereign wealth funds to invest in teams and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund merging its LIV Golf league with the PGA Tour, demonstrating Gulf investors' interest in US sports.

Astra II rocket launchers open fire during military exercises at the Formosa Instruction Center in the state of Goias, 100 km from Brasilia, on August 16, 2021. - The armed forces mobilized 2500 soldiers to participate in the operation Formosa Operational Demonstration. (Photo by EVARISTO SA / AFP) (Photo by EVARISTO SA/AFP via Getty Images)

UAE defense firm EDGE and Brazilian navy sign anti-ship missiles deal

The agreement follows the United Arab Emirates participating alongside Brazil in the BRICS meeting earlier this month.