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April 6, 2026

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AirAsia aircraft with two engines landing on Kota Kinabalu International airport runway, Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia, March 4, 2017.

AirAsia stays course on Bahrain hub as Iran war clouds aviation growth plans

The low-cost carrier’s commitment, while conditional on how the conflict evolves, stands out as most global airlines scale back routes, delay launches and reroute flights to avoid the Middle East.

Exhaust emits from the engine of a passenger jet as it prepares for take off at Heathrow Airport on March 30, 2006, in London, England.

Jet fuel squeeze exposes Europe’s reliance on Middle East supply

Lawmakers on the continent have been told to make "timely preparations in anticipation of a potentially prolonged disruption" in energy flows from the region.

A trilateral meeting was held today in Jeddah, bringing together His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on March 20, 2026.

Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar to deepen security ties amid Iran war: What to know

Gulf states and Jordan are aligning more closely as Iranian attacks persist.

Latest News

QatarEnergy begins LNG production at major US project amid global supply strain

Golden Pass

Analysis

Iran war drives Turkey-Gulf defense alignment, but not alliance

United Arab Emirates army helicopters fly from the Burj al Arab hotel (R) toward Burj Khalifa, Dubai, Jan. 16, 2026.

Barin Kayaoglu

By Barin Kayaoglu

In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security

Qatar-based Al Jazeera commentators go dark on social media: What to know

This picture taken on August 11, 2025, shows the headquarters of the Qatari state-funded news television network Al Jazeera in the capital Doha. (Photo by Karim JAAFAR / AFP) (Photo by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP via Getty Images)

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Reve Chaaban

In Doha reporting on culture

A woman checks a window shop at a jewelry store in Dubai, on March 10, 2025.

Gulf markets recover after gold rout, buoyed by Iran de-escalation hopes

Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index, TASI, rose 1.4%, a day after falling the most in nearly 10 months amid a broad sell-off in the commodities market.

United Arab Emirates

Loading docks at the port of Libya's northwestern city of Misrata during a ceremony marking the completion of the first phase of the Misrata Free Zone project, on June 25, 2022.

Qatari, Swiss firms to invest $2.7B in Libya's Misrata port: What to know

Libya is seeking to increase its non-oil shipping capacity amid rising oil production and signs of both economic progress and turmoil.

Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman bin Hassan Al Thani, meet on the sidelines of the Doha International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX2026), Jan. 20, 2026.

Somalia, Qatar sign defense pact after Mogadishu scraps UAE deals: What to know

Somalia and Qatar signed a defense cooperation agreement in Doha on Monday to strengthen bilateral military ties and security collaboration, days after Mogadishu ended all its contracts with the United Arab Emirates.

Members of the Petroleum Oils and Lubricants squadron at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing take a break from replacing a 50,000-gallon fuel bladder in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, on Dec. 30, 2002, in Al Udeid, Qatar.

US evacuates some personnel from Qatar air base amid Trump threat to strike Iran

Iran's Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned Tuesday that Tehran will retaliate for any attacks on the country.

A Patriot missile battery is seen near Prince Sultan air base at al-Kharj on Feb. 20, 2020.

CENTCOM opens air defense cell at Qatar's Al Udeid base: What to know

Bringing together military officers from regional countries to coordinate air and missile defense marks a nascent step in CENTCOM’s decades-long push to diplomatically facilitate air defense cooperation between Gulf states against Iran.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) gestures next to Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (L) during a meeting at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on November 25, 2015. AFP PHOTO/JUAN BARRETO / AFP / JUAN BARRETO (Photo credit should read JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

With central role for Qatar, can Gulf states mediate between US and Venezuela?

Venezuela's ties improved with Gulf states under Maduro, and some in the region voiced concern about the US operation.

Adam Lucente

By Adam Lucente

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

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, head of the Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia's influential sovereign wealth fund, addresses the opening ceremony of the Future Investment Initiative, in Riyadh, on Oct. 28, 2025.

Gulf accounted for 43% of global sovereign wealth fund investment in 2025

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund was the world's highest spending sovereign wealth fund in 2025, investing some $36.2 billion.