Gulf investment to turn inward to rebuild postwar infrastructure: QNB Charles-Emmanuel de Beauregard, Qatar National Bank’s head of corporate and institutional banking, said that the Gulf countries will need to rebuild their logistics capabilities after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Qatar
Saudi Aramco's VC arm sees boom in emerging technologies, retail Anas Alqahtani, CEO of Wa'ed Ventures, expects strong growth in Saudi Arabia’s emerging technology and retail sectors over the coming years. Saudi Arabia
Analysis As Trump admin drops Halkbank case, S-400 last big hurdle in US-Turkey ties The move eases a key source of friction with Turkey ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. By Amberin Zaman Reporting on geopolitics, minorities, human rights, culture
Bessent says Iran's frozen assets will pay for Gulf damage, Hormuz tolls US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that any damage Iran inflicts on Gulf allies will be paid for with funds extracted from Iranian accounts. Iran
Who is Bill Pulte, Trump loyalist tapped as intelligence director? By Jared Szuba In Washington, DC, reporting on defense, national security, military
Analysis Ports and infrastructure: UAE embraces new economic order in Syria By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Why Iraq's dinar is trading below official dollar rate amid new restrictions A top US official visited Iraqi officials last week to discuss countering illicit finance and strengthening Iraq’s financial system. Iraq
Davos 2024: Inside Investcorp’s plan to build China-Gulf 'investment bridge' In an interview with Al-Monitor, co-CEO Hazem Ben-Gacem said there is a big push for infrastructure funding in the Asia-Pacific region, controlled buyouts in Japan and growth investments in India and China. Bahrain
EU sanctions Hamas' Yahya Sinwar and Somalia's al-Shabab top leader The European Union Council announced Tuesday it was taking restrictive financial measures against the Gaza-based group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar. Israel
Saudi PIF invested $31.6B in 2023, record in global sovereign wealth funds The PIF is estimated to have nearly $800 billion in assets and wants to become the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund by 2030. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Israeli FM rejects France’s call for cease-fire as 'gift for Hamas' While rejecting the call by French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said the two countries are working together to de-escalate tensions on the Lebanon border. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
How France is targeting Hamas financing Representatives of 20 countries gathered in Paris to formulate a plan against the financing of Hamas and expand sanctions against its members. Israel
Bahrain's Investcorp buys 50% of Corsair's $4.8B infrastructure business The new entity, Investcorp Corsair, will continue to grow with a particular focus on transportation, logistics and related subsectors, a statement from the two companies said. Bahrain
France, Germany, Italy push for EU sanctions against Hamas leaders In a letter to the European Union Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell, the foreign ministers of the three countries stress they would like to see more Hamas leaders sanctioned. Israel
Explainer: Did investors profit from Hamas attack on Israel? The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange said there was no irregular trading after US researchers noted an increase in short volume and interest of some Israeli securities in the days leading up to Hamas’ deadly incursion. Israel
After Yahya Sinwar sanctions, France looks to deepen EU's anti-Hamas push France announced Tuesday it was freezing the assets of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for six months, a move it says is a prerequisite for enforcement of European Union sanctions on Hamas leaders. Palestine
As Israel’s economy slows, investors ask how long will Hamas war go on Despite fears, previous periods of violence in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank showed the Israeli economy emerging stronger on the other side. Israel
What $6.9B China-Saudi currency swap means for Beijing’s efforts to globalize yuan China’s increasing economic influence and the high price of the US dollar, which has increased amid increasing interest rates to tame inflation, have led some economies to switch to cheaper yuan-denominated transactions. Saudi Arabia
