Russia, China, Iran to hold joint naval drills in Strait of Hormuz: What to know The drills come as the three countries strengthen their ties amid growing US economic and military pressure on Iran. Iran
Iran dispatches senior official to China amid talks push with US Ahead of his trip to Beijing, Kazem Gharibabadi met with the Russian ambassador to Iran on Tuesday. Iran
UAE launches sovereign open-source AI model K2 Think: What to know The Gulf state is one of the few countries in the world developing its own sovereign open-source AI model to counter the dominance of the United States and China in the sector. United Arab Emirates
Interview Qualcomm sees growing demand for edge AI in the Middle East The Middle East's young population is increasingly adopting AI through mobile devices rather than data center-based solutions, Wassim Chourbaji, Qualcomm's president for the Middle East and Africa, told Al-Monitor. Wassim Chourbaji Qualcomm president for the Middle East & Africa
Analysis Trump dials up risky Iran tariffs that would hit China, UAE and others: What to know By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Interview Youth, strong AI adoption make MENA leading region for smartphones: OPPO Lay Ren President of OPPO MENA
Analysis From Sputnik to satellites: How China is pulling Egypt and Gulf into its space orbit By Dale Aluf In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East
Analysis Wang Yi’s tour signals China’s quiet push for influence beyond trade By Sabena Siddiqui In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran
China’s Alibaba to invest $2 billion in Turkey The news follows economic changes in Turkey as well as improving ties between Turkey and China. Turkey
Turkey, China near agreement on nuclear power plant If built, the facility will likely be Turkey's third nuclear plant, with Russia currently constructing its first. Turkey
US touts Bahrain defense agreement as model for Middle East strategy The upgrade to US-Bahrain ties marks the latest sign of Biden's emerging Middle East strategy following the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor at the G20 summit last week. Legacy: Gulf
China's VP meets UAE's Ghubash as BRI summit convenes in Hong Kong The UAE’s goal at the two-day summit in Hong Kong is to enhance joint trade and investment particularly in areas of new economy, technology, and entrepreneurship. United Arab Emirates
Saudi Arabia in race against time to achieve 2030 green electricity goal Although the kingdom has pledged to shift away from burning oil for electricity, the carbon intensity of its gross domestic product has moved in the opposite direction from the rest of the world. Saudi Arabia
MBS and Modi discuss expanding trade goals as Saudi-India ties grow The two leaders attended the Saudi-Indian Strategic Partnership Council where they convened on various fields of cooperation and reviewed regional and international topics of mutual interest. Saudi Arabia
Analysis India's economic corridor to Europe via Saudi, UAE: a win for US, West Asia In reflection of the emerging multipolar world, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi aim to transform their bilateral relations with Washington, Brussels, and Delhi into multidimensional partnerships by joining the IMEC, with energy serving as a core pillar but not the sole one. By Mohammed Soliman In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics
Mubadala opens office in Beijing as UAE-China ties grow The United Arab Emirates' Mubadala Investment Company began operations in the Chinese capital this week. Legacy: Gulf
How significant is latest US seizure of illicit Iranian oil shipment? The US government said entities affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had sought to smuggle the oil to China. Iran
Saudi-China cooperation strengthens with stock exchange deal China is growing closer to Saudi Arabia politically and economically as business deals pile up. Legacy: Gulf
China’s Huawei opens cloud data center in Riyadh to grow MENA footprint The Chinese telecoms giant said in February it would invest $400 million in Saudi Arabia's cloud region over the next five years. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, UAE, Iran give BRICS economic boost, but won’t rival US leadership Tangible economic benefits may be some distance away, experts say, but the symbolic benefit is joining an alliance separate from, or opposed to, Western interests. Iran
