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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.

Emiratis attend the presentation of the UAE Space Agency's strategic frameworks on May 25, 2015, at the National Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi.

New $4 billion AI space entity unveiled in UAE

Bayanat and Yahsat plan to merge into Space42 as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman all seek more opportunities in the space sector.

Yemeni coastguard members loyal to the internationally-recognised government ride in boats in the Red Sea off of the government-held town of Mokha in the western Taiz province, close to the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, on December 12, 2023. (Photo by Khaled Ziad / AFP) (Photo by KHALED ZIAD/AFP via Getty Images)

As US rallies new Red Sea task force, Arab states remain silent

The US is opting for a collective defensive approach after Yemen's Houthi rebels targeted a dozen commercial ships with drones and missiles in the Red Sea during recent weeks in response to Israel's war in Gaza.

A picture taken during an organized tour by Yemen's Houthi rebels (onboard) on Nov. 22, 2023, shows the Galaxy Leader cargo ship, seized by Houthi fighters.

US looks to China as Yemen’s Houthis ramp up Red Sea attacks

Maritime attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have rattled energy markets and thrown Yemen's peace process in doubt.

A file image grab taken from a video handed out by Yemen's Houthi rebels on March 27, 2018.

Breaking | Last Updated: December 18, 2023, 10:22 pm

US announces new naval task force as Houthis threaten Red Sea shipping

The United States is rallying its allies in a bid to deter Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, but it wasn't immediately clear what action they'd take to deter the ongoing flurry of attacks.

Getty Images

China's Nio electric vehicle maker gets $2.2 billion from UAE investment firm

Nio is seeking money from the Middle East due to its financial struggles.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - OCTOBER 31: The Skyline of Riyadh is seen on October 31, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is set to host the men's 2034 World Cup after Fifa confirmed it was the only bidder for the tournament. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia’s multinational HQ deadline nears amid uncertainty for companies and Gulf competition

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A picture taken on November 23, 2016 shows smoke plumes rising behind a billboard at the Maaden Aluminium Factory in Ras Al-Khair Industrial area near Jubail City, 570 kms east of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Middle East transparency on carbon emissions lags behind rest of world

Turkey and the UAE led the pack for most transparent countries in the region regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

United Arab Emirates

Pedestrians walk past a billboard announcing the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund annual meetings, where the organizations looked to scale up and retool to pursue ambitious global climate goals, Washington, DC, Oct. 5, 2023.

World Bank ups Middle East climate financing to $10B by 2025

The global lender provided $6.3 billion in climate financing for the MENA region between 2021 and 2023, much of it focused on mitigation and adaptation.

The Marco Polo, the largest cargo ship to call at an East Coast port, arrives into New York Harbor on May 20, 2021 in New York City. The 1,300 foot ship is owned and operated by the French transport company CMA CGM Group. The Marco Polo, which is only slightly smaller than the container ship that got stuck in Egypt's Suez Canal in March, will arrive into the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal and spend two days there before leaving for Norfolk, Virginia. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Houthi Red Sea attacks pose challenge to global trade

David Rosenberg

David Rosenberg

In Tel Aviv, reporting on business and tech

A picture obtained by AFP from Iranian News Agency ISNA on June 13, 2019, reportedly shows fire and smoke billowing from Norwegian-owned Front Altair tanker said to have been attacked in the waters of the Gulf of Oman

Houthi missile hits Norwegian-flagged tanker in latest Red Sea attack

Iran-backed rebels hit a Norwegian-owned chemical tanker with a cruise missile, but the ship had no clear connection to Israel, signaling the Houthis may be widening the aperture of their attacks.

Virginia, Arlington, aerial photograph of the eastern entrance of the Pentagon.

Key Pentagon policy officials to step down amid widening Middle East crisis

Mara Karlin, who oversaw the drafting of the Biden administration's national defense strategy and has filled in as the Pentagon’s no.-3 top official, and Dana Stroul, the department’s Middle East policy director, are both stepping down as Congressional dysfunction threatens to hold up their replacement.

Washington Connection

Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after witnessed a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 22, 2019.

Analysis

Will US pressure on UAE-China tech cooperation pay off?

Companies in the Gulf are feeling pressure from the United States over technological ties with China, according to one expert.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change