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Qatar

January 2, 2026

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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

In this handout image supplied by Qatar 2022, this artist's impression represents Qatar Foundation Stadium. Qatar will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

Qatar to require World Cup spectators be fully vaccinated

The four-week World Cup tournament will hold all of its matches in full stadiums.

Qatati Minister of Finance

Qatar orders arrest of finance minister in corruption probe

A statement from Qatar's attorney general said Ali Shareef Al Emadi is suspected of misuse of public funds and abuse of power.

LNG powered ship

Qatar LNG expansion plan turns spotlight back on methane emissions

The natural gas industry is a major emitter of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that receives less attention than carbon dioxide, despite having a much higher warming potential.

A man receives a dose of the coronavirus vaccine at the Qatar National Convention Center, Doha, Qatar, Feb. 18, 2021.

Qatar reimposes several COVID-19 restrictions

The government did not say exactly why it ordered the closures and capacity restrictions. Qatar has begun vaccinating people against the coronavirus and daily cases are relatively low, though increasing.

Mauritania's Minister for Foreign Affairs Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed speaks during the General Debate of the 73rd session of the General Assembly at the United Nations in New York on Sept. 27, 2018.

Mauritania resumes ties with Qatar following Gulf rift easing

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry attends the first joint European Union and Arab League summit at the International Congress Centre in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, on February 24, 2019. (Photo by MOHAMED EL-SHAHED / AFP) (Photo credit should read MOHAMED EL-SHAHED/AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt, Qatar move closer to reconciliation

The foreign ministers of Egypt and Qatar met in Cairo for the first time since 2017 to discuss implementation of a reconciliation agreement amid a wider Gulf conflict.

The Netherlands puts Qatar trade event on hold over foreign workers' deaths

The Dutch government postponed a trade mission in Qatar after a report on thousands of workers dying there since the country was awarded the 2022 World Cup.

UAE, Qatar officials meet in Kuwait amid Gulf thaw

Kuwait hosted delegations from the two countries more than a month after Saudi Arabia and its allies agreed to end their blockade on Qatar.

United Arab Emirates

A Kuwaiti trader wearing a protective mask follows the market at the Boursa Kuwait stock exchange in Kuwait City on March 1, 2020. - Boursa Kuwait decided to close the main trading hall due to the COVID-19 coronavirus disease developments. Stock markets in the oil-rich Gulf states plunged on March 1 over fears of the impact of the coronavirus, which also battered global bourses last week. All of the seven exchanges in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which were closed the previous two days for the Muslim

GCC states race for foreign investment

Despite the Saudi-led effort to bury the hatchet with Qatar, unified economic policies are coming up against by GCC countries’ needs to win foreign investment post-COVID.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud (R) and Secretray General of the Gulf Cooperation Council Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf, hold a press conferece at the end of the GCC's 41st summit, in the city of al-Ula in northwestern Saudi Arabia on January 5, 2021. - Gulf leaders signed a "solidarity and stability" deal after the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar publicly embraced, bringing Doha back into the regional fold after a three-year rift. (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AF

Egypt, Bahrain adopt 'wait and see' approach to reconciliation with Qatar

Egypt awaits Qatar to take actions on the ground in accordance with Al-Ula Declaration that ended the boycott of Doha, but amid concerns that Qatar will bail out on its commitments.

US may help keep GCC reconciliation on track

It is unclear how firm or shaky the ground is for Gulf Cooperation Council nations' reconciliation with Qatar, but they may be on more or less good behavior to start off as well as possible with the Biden administration.

Qatar Airways announces expansion of flights to US

Qatar's flagship airline will resume flights to Seattle and Atlanta and increase daily and weekly flights to other cities in the United States.