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Qatar

January 2, 2026

Doha 2:32 pm

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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.

Guests stand at the booth of Saudi AI company Humain during the Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh on Oct. 29, 2025.

Analysis

Middle East adapts to Trump’s tech agenda as Gulf AI gamble grows in 2025

This year saw a wave of dealmaking across data centers, chips, critical minerals and AI collaboration as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE eagerly aligned with President Trump’s tech agenda amid sharp swings in US foreign policy.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Traffic moves on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai on March 24, 2025.

Analysis

Gulf finance hubs race to expand as hedge funds flock to Dubai, Abu Dhabi

The Gulf’s top financial hubs have posted another strong year in 2025, with the UAE spearheading a regional push to attract hedge funds, asset managers, crypto and fintech firms as regional neighbors target growth of their own.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Analysis

Trump has upper hand over Netanyahu, but is it enough for Gaza?

US President Donald Trump speaks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem on Oct. 13, 2025.

Rina Bassist

By Rina Bassist

In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs

Qatar’s prime minister meets US officials as Gaza plan stalls

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (R) shakes hands with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani at the State Department in Washington, on Dec. 17, 2025.

Egypt secures Qatari investment boost, launches first SCZONE industrial deal

Egypt’s Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade Hassan El Khatib speaking at the Egyptian-Qatari Investment Forum in Cairo, Egypt on Dec. 14, 2025 (State Information Service)

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Correspondent

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Kate Dourian

In Dubai, reporting on energy

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

DENOUR/AFP via Getty Images

Gas deal strengthens Qatar-China ties

China’s connections to the Gulf continue to expand.

BudZero

Qatar reverses course, bans alcohol at World Cup

Budweiser had obtained exclusive rights to sell beer in the stadiums, but can now sell it only in luxury boxes.

World Cup

Culture

Iran, Saudi, other MidEast teams warm up in Qatar as World Cup approaches

Iran is looking to advance to the second round for the first time ever, but the team is mired in controversy over the protests in the country while host Qatar itself is facing criticism at home.

Activists play football during a symbolic action by LGBT+ associations in front of the FIFA museum in Zurich on Nov. 8, 2022.

Qatar World Cup ambassador says homosexuality is 'haram'

Qatar’s human rights record is under scrutiny in the lead-up to the World Cup, particularly regarding the treatment of LGBTQ people and laborers.

JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

Qatar summons German ambassador over World Cup criticism

Qatar, which will be the first Middle East country to host the World Cup, has been criticized by Germany for its human rights record.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Qatar signs deal with Google Cloud

Qatar is seeking to digitize its economy and government, while Google Cloud wants to expand in the Middle East.

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek el-Molla (C) speaks during the opening session of the 24th ministerial meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Cairo, Egypt, Oct. 25, 2022.

Gas forum kicks off in Cairo

Qatar and Russia may be looking to cooperate more on energy matters.

This picture taken on Oct. 18, 2022 shows a view of solar panels at the newly-inaugurated al-Kharsaah solar power plant in Qatar.

Qatar brings new solar power plant into operation

The French energy giant TotalEnergies is the Gulf nation's partner in the project.

CIS summit

Middle Eastern leaders converge on Kazakhstan

The Central Asian nation hosted the annual Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States summits this week.

David Hecker/Getty Images

Qatari oil, gas exports up 100% in 2022

Qatar is working to export more gas to Europe in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images

Iran to join Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Iran took a step toward joining in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization at a summit in Uzbekistan this week.

Qatar ammonia

Qatar to build new plant to produce blue ammonia

Several Gulf states are experimenting with blue ammonia and carbon capture technology, which has energy-related potential but a mixed impact on the environment.