After major arms sales, Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar: What to know The president is urging Gulf countries to increase their investment in the US after a series of bilateral economic and defense deals in recent months. Saudi Arabia
UAE, Qatar investments fuel Jared Kushner's firm assets to $4.8 billion Commitments from Abu Dhabi–based asset manager Lunate and the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund, increased Affinity’s assets by $1.5 billion over a year. United Arab Emirates
US plans to sell $1.96 billion of MQ-9 drones to Qatar Qatar could become the first Gulf state to receive the drones, the sale of which the Pentagon has supported for years despite concerns within the State Department during the Biden administration. Qatar
Analysis Emboldened by Trump, Netanyahu is driving Israel into judicial crisis By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Gulf states reach out to new Syrian leaders ahead of Jordan talks: What we know Bahrain's King Hamad sent a letter to HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, while the UAE has held direct contact with opposition groups. Qatar is set to reopen embassy in Damascus soon. Syria
Qatar to reopen embassy in Syria after 13 years Doha is looking to engage with the Islamist-led government in Syria after severing relations 13 years ago over deposed President Bashar al-Assad's brutal crackdown. Syria
Qatar says ‘renewed interest’ in Gaza talks, wants unified Arab stance on Syria Doha, which had earlier suspended mediation efforts, says it supports a viable Palestinian governance model and is formulating a pan-Arab position on Syria that encompasses diverging Gulf views. Qatar
Analysis Syrian rebel offensive worries Gulf states as they rally around Assad Most Arab Gulf states have quickly expressed solidarity with Damascus, but the ongoing rebel offensive has caught many by surprise and adds a layer of uncertainty over Arab normalization with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. By Giorgio Cafiero
Barclays fined $50M for failing to disclose 2008 Qatari funding The UK-headquartered bank will pay a fine of 40 million pounds to British regulators for failing to disclose information of its rescue by Qatar during the 2008 financial crisis. Qatar
Analysis Will Turkey host Hamas leaders after consequential Qatar departure? Pro-Muslim Brotherhood groups and leaders in Turkey enjoyed few restrictions on their activities in the past but are now seeing their activities curtailed. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
After UAE visit, Qatari PM holds talks in Iran as Hamas officials depart Doha A Gulf political official told Al-Monitor on Wednesday that the Qatari prime minister's visit to the UAE is designed to communicate Doha's new policy toward Hamas, where it seeks to be more in alignment with them regarding the group. Qatar
Reports Hamas' political bureau relocated to Turkey false, Turkish sources say Turkish diplomatic sources refutes claims of Hamas political leaders relocating from Qatar to Turkey, following media reports. Turkey
In reshuffle, Qatar emir replaces 6 ministers, intel chief: What we know The Qatari emir issued a series of orders, replacing ministers and appointing new heads of some top agencies in the country, including the State Security, which has been involved in the indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Qatar
Qatar tells Hamas leaders to leave as Gaza cease-fire talks deadlocked The Biden administration sees the militant group's presence in Qatar as "no longer viable or acceptable" given its repeated refusal to release even a small number of the remaining hostages. Qatar
Analysis Beyond congratulations, Trump faces changed, eastward-looking Gulf Gulf states are familiar with Donald Trump and his transactional nature but have also managed to forge their own regional alliances over the last four years. By Jennifer Gnana In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics
What's significance of UAE's Sheikh Tahnoon third visit to Qatar in a year? Qatar and the UAE are strengthening ties with high-profile meetings and joint investments like the $20 billion Development Road Project. However, differing views on Gaza’s future could challenge their cooperation. United Arab Emirates