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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

United Arab Emirates

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

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL, APRIL 26: Under 52kg bronze medallist, Gefen Primo of Israel happily poses with Israel's Sports Minister, Mrs Miri Regev and the President of the Israel Judo Federation, Moshe Ponte during day one of the 2018 Tel Aviv European Judo Championships (26-28 April) at the Tel Aviv Convention Centre, Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 26, 2018. (Photo by David Finch/Getty Images)

Israel’s unhealthy mix of sports and politics

Israeli politicians love to be seen alongside successful athletes and frequently use athletic success for patriotic-nationalist purposes.

Israeli celebration of ties with Gulf states premature

The visit of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Oman is Sultan Qaboos’ way of signaling to Israelis what peace could look like, should they end the occupation of the Palestinians.

United Arab Emirates

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani speaks to the country's consultative Shoura council in Doha, Qatar, November 6, 2018. Qatar News Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS PICTURE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. - RC1FF5F57E20

What's behind Qatar’s Cabinet shuffle?

With a recent Cabinet shuffle, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani appears to be positioning his country for long-term economic success by taking advantage of short-term realities.

Middle East upheaval casts shadow over 'Arab NATO'

A regional military exercise hosted by Egypt excludes Qatar in a blow to anti-Iran unity.

A woman holds a portrait of missing journalist and Riyadh critic Jamal Khashoggi reading "Jamal Khashoggi is missing since October 2" during a demonstration in front of the Saudi Arabian consulate on October 9, 2018 in Istanbul. - Khashoggi, a Washington Post contributor, vanished last on October 2 after entering the Saudi Arabian consulate to receive official documents ahead of his marriage to a Turkish woman. A Turkish government source told AFP at the weekend that the police believe the journalist "was k

As Khashoggi slaying case evolves, so does Saudi story

A few countries are proclaiming strong support for Saudi Arabia, while others bide their time as the investigation unfolds.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan (R), Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah (L) and King Salman of Saudi Arabia are pictured at a family photo session during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Istanbul Summit in Istanbul, Turkey April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - GF10000382311

Gulf countries concerned as Turkey cozies up to Kuwait

Turkey’s military cooperation accord with Kuwait raises eyebrows in the Gulf.

Bahrain opposition calls for boycott of upcoming elections

November elections may do little to end the standoff between Bahrain's Sunni-led government and leaders of the country's Shiite majority.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S. March 20, 2018. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC16218400E0

Commentary: Saudi First foreign policy comes back to bite Trump

US alignment with Riyadh’s worldview is under scrutiny after the disappearance of journalist and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi.

Jewish group takes over another Jerusalem property

The chaos surrounding the issue of properties in Jerusalem point to a larger problem, namely the absence of a unified solid political leadership that can guide the city’s 330,000 Palestinians.

United Arab Emirates

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) arrives to join U.S. President Donald Trump and the rest of the U.S. delegation to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC161444CEB0

Democrats’ promised Trump probes threaten to sweep up Mideast allies

Key US allies could be caught in the crosshairs as Democrats plan extensive investigations into President Donald Trump’s policies and business dealings should they win in November.

People carry food aid delivered by the International Committee of the Red Cross to internally displaced people in the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah, Yemen, July 21, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC1233D23F30

UN warns of famine after Yemen talks sputter

In an interview with Al-Monitor, the top UN aid official in Yemen warned that 10 million more people are at risk of starving if fighting in the war-torn country doesn’t stop.

A soldier from the United Arab Emirates stands guard next to a UAE military plane at the airport of Yemen's southern port city of Aden August 8, 2015. Soldiers from the United Arab Emirates, at the head of a Gulf Arab coalition fighting Iran-allied Houthi forces in Yemen, are preparing for a long, tough ground war from their base in the southern port of Aden. Picture taken August 8, 2015. REUTERS/Nasser Awad - GF20000082000

Intel: Why the Gulf states should fear a blue wave in November