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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.

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad meets with his Saudi counterpart in Riyadh, on April 12, 2023.

Breaking | Last Updated: April 13, 2023, 6:42 am

Syrian foreign minister makes surprise visit to Saudi Arabia

Syria and Saudi Arabia said they took steps towards resuming consular services and flights between their countries following Faisal Mekdad's first visit since the start of the civil war.

Iranian and Saudi foreign ministers in China

Iranian Embassy reopens its gates in Saudi Arabia after 7 years of closure

The move comes as Saudi Arabia and Iran advance their deal to normalize full relations, while Washington scrambles to maintain its relations with the Gulf kingdom.

AHMAD GHARABLI/AFP via Getty Images

Middle East debt issuances nearly triple in Q1 2023 as Saudis take lead

In Q1 of 2023, Saudi Arabia was the leading debt issuer in the MENA region.

A handout photo released by Yemen's Houthis-run Saba News Agency shows the Omani and Saudi delegations in meeting Houthi officials, on April 09, 2023 in Sana'a, Yemen. A delegation from Saudi Arabia and Omani mediators arrived in Yemen's capital Sana'a on Sunday to negotiate a new truce with the Iran-allied Houthi group, as Riyadh seeks a way out of the war and create peace in Yemen. This important political move comes as Diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict have multiplied since the Yemeni government

In Yemen, Saudi-Houthi talks signal imminent cease-fire, but no peace in sight yet

Saudi Arabia, whose unilateral cease-fire in April 2020 and initiative in March 2021 were rejected by the Houthis, is finally eyeing a negotiable exit from a war it could not win militarily, chiefly due to multiplicity of agendas, mismanagement of war and lack of strategy.

IVAN PISARENKO/AFP via Getty Images

China’s Sinopec acquires stake in Qatar gas project

Chinese energy firms are increasingly cooperating with their Qatari and Saudi counterparts as the People’s Republic makes further inroads into the region.

A general view of the Emirates Golf Club and the Dubai skyline during a pro-am event prior to the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Jan. 26, 2021.

Who is exempt from UAE’s upcoming corporate tax?

Government entities, investment funds and others will be exempt from the first-ever corporate tax that will soon take effect in the Emirates.

In this photo illustration, the welcome screen for the OpenAI ChatGPT app is displayed on a laptop screen on Feb. 3, 2023, in London, England.

Analysis

Middle East unlikely to slow down on AI, ChatGPT rollout

Astra Tech, backed by Abu Dhabi AI company G42, said it created the first Arabic language ChatGPT last Wednesday. Also this week, the number of signatories of the open letter increased more than sixfold since last Monday’s 3,000, highlighting the growing concern about unregulated AI.

By Salim A. Essaid

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 09: Phil Mickelson of the United States reacts to his birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 9, 2023 in Augusta, Georgia.

Koepka, Mickelson play at The Masters, a 'win' for Saudi-funded LIV Golf

The breakaway league has been criticized for its relative lack of talent versus the PGA Tour, but LIV golfers performed well at The Masters to the chagrin of their detractors.

This picture taken on March 23, 2023 shows a view of Dubai's landmark Burj Khalifa skyscraper, the world's tallest building, on the first day of the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP) (Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi, UAE banks rank highest valued in Middle East: Forbes

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries took 41 places, or 82%, of the list of the 50 highest-valued banks in the Middle East and North Africa.

Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’s Regional Vice-President for Africa and Middle East.

Gulf's economic transformation will drive air traffic, IATA says

Kamil Al-Awadhi, the association's Middle East chief, said countries in the region have spurred air traffic by hosting global business, political and sporting events.

Saudi mining

Saudi Arabia will mine minerals, but can it extract maximum added value?

The kingdom wants to leverage its untapped mineral deposits to boost non-oil exports and incentivize local manufacturers to turn raw materials into high-value products.

The USS Florida sails during "Giant Shadow," a Naval Sea Systems Command/Naval Submarine Forces exercise to test the capabilities of the Navy's future guided missile submarines January 22, 2003 off the coast of the Bahamas.

US Navy sends guided-missile submarine to Middle East amid Iran tensions

US show of force comes as Pentagon extends aircraft carrier deployment following last month's lethal attack by Iran-backed militias on US personnel in Syria.