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Economy & Business

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Analysis

How Russia stands to win, lose as Iran war squeezes Gulf oil exports

As crude prices surpassed $100 per barrel with the Strait of Hormuz shut, Russia is reaping benefits amid new US sanctions flexibility — but experts say Moscow faces challenges capitalizing on this new market opening.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Saudis shop for fresh products at a market in Riyadh on Feb. 18, 2026, on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Saudi Arabia.

Analysis

Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security

Roughly 61 million people in the Gulf rely on established food supply chains, many of which have been upended since the United States and Israel launched their attack against Iran on Feb. 28.

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

Young wheat shoots emerge from moist soil in farmland near Zakho, Iraqi Kurdistan region, Dec. 19, 2025.

Iran war hits fertilizer supplies as Fitch warns prices could rise some 25%

Higher prices and availability, due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, are raising food security concerns globally as well as in the Middle East.

Commercial vessels are pictured offshore in Dubai on March 11, 2026. AFP via Getty Images

Oil jumps above $100 as energy crisis called worst in history: What to know

The latest spike is the second time in a week that oil prices have climbed above $100 a barrel.

Latest News

Group of 32 states to release 400M barrels of oil reserves: What to know

Sakis Mitrolidis / AFP via Getty Images

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

Analysis

Oil-price hikes from Iran war threaten Turkey's rate cuts in inflation fight

Yasin AKGUL / AFP via Getty Images

Ezgi Akin

In Ankara, reporting on diplomacy, EU-Turkey ties, NATO

Airlines gradually restore Middle East flights, Gulf still heavily grounded

An Emirates Airbus A380 passenger aircraft prepares for landing at Dubai International Airport in Dubai on March 8, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

Oil swings steady as Aramco warns of 'catastrophic' Hormuz disruption

Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

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

Francisco Serrano

In Lisbon, reporting on North Africa business

The Ameca humanoid robot greets visitors at Dubai's Museum of the Future, on October 11, 2022. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Gulf players chase data center demand as AI race heats up

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Delta resumes Israel flights as Ryanair, American hold off

Several international airlines have resumed flights to Tel Aviv in recent weeks, though major carriers like American Airlines and Turkish Airlines have not.

UK Turk

Turkey, UK to begin trade deal talks in June

The official talks, set to begin on June 10, were announced following a Thursday meeting between the countries’ trade ministers in London.

A passenger walks along the platform of the Rakosrendezo railway station, site of a controversial redevelopment by the UAE, Budapest, Jan. 12, 2024.

Hungary signs $5.5B deal with UAE firm to develop Budapest neighborhood

The new project around the Rakosrendezo freight train station is expected to bring the futuristic, high-rise style of Dubai and other Emirates to the Hungarian capital.

United Arab Emirates

A view of the platform of the Leviathan natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea is pictured from the Israeli northern coastal beach of Nasholim, on Aug. 29, 2022.

Israel’s NewMed Energy says UAE deal suspended amid Gaza 'uncertainty'

Israel-UAE relations have been negatively impacted by the war but still remain intact.

AMIR MAKAR/AFP via Getty Images

EU readies $8B aid package for Egypt to help economy, stem immigration

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to travel to Cairo Sunday with the Belgian, Italian and Greek prime ministers to complete and announce the aid agreement for Egypt.

BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images

Turkey doubles down on coal despite European efforts to decarbonize

Turkey has been importing around three quarters of its coal from Russia as prices have fallen since the Ukraine war began in Feb. 2022.

President and CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser speaks during a press conference in the eastern region of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 3, 2019.

Saudi Aramco turns to China for future oil demand as profits fall 25%

China is the biggest customer for Saudi crude but is also crucial in Aramco’s ambitions to convert 4 million bpd of its oil production into petrochemicals by 2035.

MBZ Sisi

Will UAE's $35B investment help Egypt recover from financial crisis?

The Gulf state has stepped in with a major deal that could throw an economic lifeline to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's government.

President and CEO of Saudi Aramco Amin Nasser (L) and Aramco's chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan attend a press conference in the eastern Saudi Arabian region of Dhahran on November 3, 2019. - Saudi Aramco confirmed it planned to list on the Riyadh stock exchange, describing it as a "significant milestone" in the history of the energy giant. (Photo by - / AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia’s PIF poised for more bold investments as Vision 2030 squeezes war chest

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

The futuristic cityscape of Dubai with the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building.

What’s behind Dubai’s new 20% tax on foreign banks?

The UAE implemented its first-ever corporate tax last year in an effort to boost revenue amid the shift away from oil and gas.

Photo from LEAP 2024.

AI and cloud investments dominate Saudi Arabia's LEAP tech summit

Amazon Web Services and DataVolt were among the companies that made significant cloud investments in the kingdom, which is looking to become a global technology hub.