Analysis Gulf’s $3 trillion US investment drive faces post-midterm Trump reckoning A sweeping midterm election victory by Democrats on Nov. 3 is cause for concern among Gulf states that eagerly embraced Trump's White House and pledged huge investment commitments. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: Gulf Gulf states step up China diplomacy as Trump’s lame-duck session nears Oman and Saudi Arabia are deepening diplomatic outreach to Beijing as the outcome of Tuesday’s US midterm elections introduces fresh uncertainty over Washington’s Iran policy. By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Turkey’s parliament ratifies Mecca pact in boost to Saudi Arabia Turkey will now decide the scope of military support for Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Iran-backed Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Turkey
Culture What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo after retirement from Portugal team? The Portuguese superstar is signed to the Saudi side Al Nassr until 2027, but the Yemen war is impacting the sport in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Dana Awartani revives lost mosaics By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Newsletter: Business & Tech Democrats’ win: What’s at stake for Gulf business By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse US elections spotlight Gulf tech risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Iranian military official: We will 'uproot' Jabhat al-Nusra Jabhat al-Nusra's rebranding as independent of its parent organization al-Qaeda has not raised eyebrows in Tehran, where officials say only the group’s name has changed. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia may keep playing 'Iran card' to defer decision on Yemen Yemen victim of Saudi-Iran hostility; Islamic State tries, and fails, to recruit Kurds; Al-Monitor resumes series on lobbying by Middle East governments. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's moment of truth in Yemen Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has three options to choose from on Yemen, none of them good. Saudi Arabia
Saudi visit to Israel angers Hamas The Hamas movement is worried that a Saudi general's visit to Israel signifies a rapprochement between the two countries at the expense of Gaza relief efforts. Saudi Arabia
Were Saudis behind Abbas-MEK meeting? A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Mujahedeen-e-Khalq leader Maryam Rajavi in Paris has sparked both Iranian and Palestinian suspicion about Saudi Arabia's ties to the Palestinian Authority. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt hold popular referendum on islands transfer? In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Egyptian presidential candidate and lawyer Khalid Ali discusses the case he brought before the administrative court to challenge Cairo’s decision to transfer ownership of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Al-Qaeda affiliate’s desperate 'switch' validates US Syria policy Fear of US and Russian airstrikes on eve of Syrian offensive a sign that Jabhat al-Nusra may be feeling the heat; Turkey’s de-Gulenification campaign in context; retired Saudi general probes Israeli commitment to peace settlement. Saudi Arabia
What Saudi Arabia can offer Israel The unofficial visit by a retired Saudi general to Israel was a quiet overture that indicated Riyadh is willing to explore normalization with Israel in return for advancing the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. Saudi Arabia
Is Saudi Arabia really seeking regime change in Iran? While Iran has strongly reacted to former Saudi spy chief Turki bin Faisal Al Saud’s appearance at the MEK’s annual conference, Iranian observers merely see the Saudi move as bringing a longstanding hidden agenda out in the open. Saudi Arabia
Is Iran its own worst enemy in Twitter war with Saudi Arabia? In response to anti-Iranian hashtags generated by Saudi Arabian Twitter users, Iranians are calling for authorities to remove the block on the social media site. Saudi Arabia
IRGC head calls House of Saud 'clear enemy' of Iran As tensions continue to simmer, the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has said in a speech that Saudi Arabia is now one of Iran's "clear enemies" and accused the Saudis of trying to spread instability in the country. Saudi Arabia
How Nice attack brought together rival Iranian factions The terrorist attack in Nice draws condemnation in Iran, but also cross-factional criticism of the French government for hosting the exiled Iranian opposition group MEK. Saudi Arabia