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United Arab Emirates

April 22, 2026

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A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Haruna Furuhashi /Getty Images

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

The Gulf country apparently wanted reassurances from Washington in case its economy is severely damaged by the Iran war.

United Arab Emirates

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, UAE assistant minister of foreign affairs for energy and sustainability, spoke to Al-Monitor about the situation in the Gulf along with the UAE's focus on promoting privatization in the water sector and the 2026 UN Water Conference.

Latest News

Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE's deputy PM holds first call with Ghalibaf amid push to extend US-Iran ceasefire

ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images

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IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies

A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

China signals bigger Gulf role as UAE crown prince visits Beijing

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, in Beijing on April 13, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

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

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics

Nikolai Patrushev (R), Secretary of the Security Council of Russia (R) listens during the first meeting of national security secretaries of Afghanistan, China, Iran, India and Russia, in the Iranian capital Tehran on September 26, 2018. (Photo by ATTA KENARE / AFP) (Photo credit should read ATTA KENARE/AFP/Getty Images)

Top Russian security officials tour Egypt, Gulf to discuss Syria, Libya

Over the space of a week, top officials in the Russian security apparatus toured Saudia Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt with some intriguing proposals on Syria and Libya.

The Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) Leaders are seen ahead of their Summit meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 9, 2018. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY - RC1819A5F470

GCC states boxed in by US sanctions on Syria

The United States creates dilemmas for GCC in Syria; Qatar steps up with $500 million Lebanon investment; Netanyahu seeks Arab photo-op in Poland.

Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Semi-Final - Qatar v United Arab Emirates - Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - January 29, 2019 Qatar's Hasan Al Haydos scores their third goal REUTERS/Suhaib Salem - RC142CB29E70

Qatar scores symbolic victory in soccer win over UAE

An unhealthy rivalry between Qatar and the UAE was on display during the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals, with Emirati fans booing the Qatari national anthem and pelting water bottles at the players.

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Onlookers look at a car burnt down by a blast in the war-torn southwestern city of Taiz, Yemen January 22, 2019. REUTERS/Anees Mahyoub - RC1FAD2F1FA0

Mattis departure risks US policy void as Yemen pact falls apart

Day-to-day responsibility for managing the Yemen conflict is being passed on to John Rood, the Pentagon’s No. 3 official.

A construction crane is seen as smoke rises from Yarmouk Palestinian camp in Damascus, Syria April 21, 2018. REUTERS/Ali Hashisho - RC16C2D4AC60

US-Gulf tensions mount over restrictions on Syria reconstruction

Gulf states are seeking to become major economic players in post-war Syria, but US sanctions are causing some states to proceed with caution.

United Arab Emirates

A female protester waves Bahrain's flag as she takes part in a protest marking the 4th anniversary of the 14th February uprising to demand democratic reforms in the village of Sanabis, west of Manama, February 14, 2015.
Bahrain quelled the 2011 uprising but has since struggle to resolve political deadlock between the government and the Shi'ite opposition. Sporadic unrest has continued. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed (BAHRAIN - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST CRIME LAW) - GM1EB2F00KJ01

Bahraini opposition in Iraq stirs crisis between Baghdad, Manama

The opening of an office of the Bahraini opposition in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad has caused a crisis between Iraq and Bahrain.

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to students at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, January 10, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS - RC18BBC96000

Egyptians decry Pompeo's 'ode to Israel' from Cairo

In his recent speech in Cairo, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo failed to explain US policy on the Middle East, but he did voice support for Israel.

Iran plays Hamas card ahead of Israeli elections

Hamas insists on Qatari money; Iran offers training for Palestinian factions; Russia wrestles with its limits in Syria; UAE leads GCC rapprochement with Damascus.

Security guards stand in front of the United Arab Emirates embassy during its reopening in Damascus, Syria December 27, 2018. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki - RC1F43BEB420

Gulf states slowly warm to Damascus

Gulf states are turning their backs on supporting armed groups in Syria and preparing to re-engage the government in Damascus.

Netanyahu’s Golan statement ignores new Syria reality

For Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu partnering with the far-right and proclaiming sovereignty over the Golan Heights is more important than aspiring to regional alliances with Muslim and Arab countries.

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Turkish police forensic experts examine the roof of the residence of Saudi Arabia's Consul General Mohammad al-Otaibi as a part of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey October 17, 2018. REUTERS/Osman Orsal - RC16743EB6C0

Khashoggi’s murder three months on: new clues, new dynamics?

Unresolved questions linger in the murder of The Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, but authorities are hoping chilling new footage might provide clues.

Putin’s next act: Syrian-Turkish rapprochement

The Russian president still needs the United States to keep the pace, and the peace, in Syria.

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