Legacy: Gulf - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Legacy: Gulf

The PwC Tower, or Libeskind Tower, Milan, March 12, 2021.

Analysis

Can Gulf states slash costly reliance on Western consultancies?

A one-year ban on PwC acquiring work in Saudi Arabia has highlighted the Gulf states' dependency on Western firms and the need to develop local consultancies and talent.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Employees of Aramco oil company work in Saudi Arabia's Abqaiq oil processing plant on September 20, 2019.

Analysis

Can Saudi Arabia afford giga-projects with oil prices under $75 per barrel?

Riyadh could soon run a current account deficit as oil revenue declines amid huge spending commitments toward ambitious Vision 2030 projects. Saudi-led OPEC has also deferred an output increase plan to allow more time to reach desired oil prices.

Jennifer Gnana

Samuel Wendel

By Jennifer Gnana , Samuel Wendel

GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images

UAE's final unit of Barakah nuclear reactor hooked to grid: What we know

The Emirates is the only Gulf country with a nuclear power program, though neighboring Saudi Arabia also has atomic power ambitions.

United Arab Emirates

A cargo ship is docked at the port of Yemen's Huthi-held city of Hodeida on July 28, 2024. Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Saudi entity denies its ship hit as Houthis claim attack on Greek tanker

Saudi Arabia's national shipping company Bahri denied reports that its tanker Amjad came under attack by the Houthis, the Yemeni armed group that has stepped up attacks on oil tankers in the Red Sea.

Latest News

Analysis

Telegram CEO's arrest spotlights UAE’s investment-based citizenship laws

MUNICH, GERMANY - JANUARY 24: Pavel Durov of Vkontakte speaks during the Digital Life Design conference (DLD) at HVB Forum on January 24, 2012 in Munich, Germany. ence and culture which connects business, creative and social leaders, opinion-formers and investors for crossover conversation and inspiration. (Photo by Nadine Rupp/Getty Images)

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Heavy floods hit Dubai, airport as Oman toll rises to 18

Dubai's roads were badly hit by the heavy downpours

Agence France-Presse

Oman launches $5 billion 'Future Fund' in sign of economic progress

HAITHAM AL-SHUKAIRI/AFP via Getty Images

Al-Qaeda attack in Yemen kills 2 members of southern forces

Security forces deploy near Aden International Airport in Yemen's southern city on April 14, 2023 during a prisoner exchange between the internationally recognised-government and the Sanaa-based Huthi rebels.

Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie (L) looks on as US Vice President Joseph R. Biden (C) and Amos J. Hochstein, US State Department Special Envoy and Coordinator for International Energy Affairs, talk before the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative Luncheon during the Caribbean Energy Security Summit at the US Department of States January 26, 2015 in Washington, DC. Leaders from around the Caribbean attended the summit to discuss energy and regional issues. AFP PHOTO/BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI (Photo cre

Price impact of Iranian oil uncertain, says US official

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Amos Hochstein, special envoy and coordinator for International Energy Affairs at the US State Department, says Middle Eastern countries are increasingly investing in renewables, international oil companies are returning to Egypt and Israel needs get its regulatory house in order if it wants foreign investments in offshore natural gas.

Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (C), Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, takes part in the funeral of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz in Riyadh January 23, 2015. King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz died early on Friday and his brother Salman became king of the world's top oil exporter. King Salman moved swiftly to appoint Mohammed Deputy Crown Prince on Friday, hours after he took the throne following the death of King Abdullah. REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: ROYALS RELIGION OBITUARY) - RTR4MMDK

Saudi re-reshuffle turning point for relations with Tehran

King Salman's recent reshuffling of key positions and statements by the grand mufti and Iran's supreme leader point to strife between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Turkish soldiers monitor the border line as they stand guard near the Akcakale border crossing in Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, where Islamic State militants control the Syrian side of the gate, January 29, 2015. An audio message purportedly from a Japanese journalist being held by Islamic State militants said a Jordanian air force pilot also captured by the group would be killed unless an Iraqi female prisoner in Jordan was released by sunset on Thursday. The message appeared to postpone a previ

Turkish military puts brakes on Syrian intervention

While a Turkish military operation against Syria is unlikely, Mosul is another story.

Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Nayef (L) arrives with his uncle King Salman (R) to greet U.S. President Barack Obama at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, January 27, 2015. King Salman's appointment of his nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, 55, as Deputy Crown Prince makes him 2nd in the line of succession and he becomes the first grandson of the kingdom's founding monarch to take an established place in the line of succession. Picture taken January 27, 2015. REUTERS/Jim Bourg (SA

Saudi palace intrigue sparks speculation

Saudi King Salman's unprecedented personnel changes and other moves have many wondering what might come next from the House of Saud.

The residence of the military commander of the Houthi militant group, Abdullah Yahya al Hakim, is seen after an airstrike destroyed it in Sanaa April 28, 2015. Saudi-led aircraft pounded Iran-allied Houthi militiamen and rebel army units on Monday, dashing hopes for a pause in fighting to let aid in as relief officials warned of a catastrophic humanitarian crisis. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RTX1AM7D

Saudi Arabia’s Islamist-liberal divide

The Saudi regime needs to tend to internal divisions in the kingdom and scale back its interventionism in the region to improve its prospects for long-term stability.

Iraq's Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama deliver remarks to reporters after their bilateral meeting in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington April 14, 2015. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RTR4XBNF

Iraq maintains neutrality in regional conflicts

On a visit to Washington, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi leveled criticism at Iran and Saudi Arabia, reflecting his desire to maintain a neutral position in their regional rivalry.

Members of Libyan pro-government forces, backed by locals, walk with weapons during clashes in the streets with the Shura Council of Libyan Revolutionaries, an alliance of former anti-Gaddafi rebels who have joined forces with Islamist group Ansar al-Sharia, in Benghazi April 1, 2015. Picture taken April 1. REUTERS/Stringer - RTR4W1LK

Libya looks to Russia for arms

Disillusioned with the West, the Libya government is exploring opportunities in Russia and says it is willing to accept limited participation by Islamists that agree to play by the rules.

Paramilitary soldiers walk past the Parliament building during a joint sitting of the parliament in Islamabad April 10, 2015. Pakistan's parliament adopted a draft resolution on Yemen on Friday urging Pakistan to stay neutral in the conflict, as expected, expressing support for Saudi Arabia and calling on all factions to resolve their differences peacefully. REUTERS/Faisal Mahmood - RTR4WS99

Why Pakistan said no to King Salman

Pakistan's unanimous decision to stay out of the conflict brewing in Yemen, and to push for a political resolution rather than a military one, puts significant strain on bilateral relations, complicating Saudi-Pakistani diplomatic relations.

Khamenei: Nuclear deal could allow talks 'on other issues'

Iran’s supreme leader hints at engagement with the West beyond the nuclear talks; al-Qaeda winning in Yemen; Turkey backs Iran framework agreement; questions about Morocco’s contribution to Clinton Foundation; lobbying series updates.

Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI), speaks during a news conference with radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, south of Baghdad, January 23, 2015. REUTERS/Alaa Al-Marjani (IRAQ - Tags - Tags: POLITICS RELIGION CONFLICT) - RTR4MOPE

Yemen war fuels Iraqi sectarianism

Operation Decisive Storm has stirred different positions within the Iraqi religious and political circles, be they Sunnis or Shiites.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) shakes hands with Saudi Arabia's King Salman at the start of a bilateral meeting at Erga Palace in Riyadh January 27, 2015. Obama sought to cement ties with Saudi Arabia as he came to pay his respects on Tuesday after the death of King Abdullah, a trip that underscores the importance of a U.S.-Saudi alliance that extends beyond oil interests to regional security. REUTERS/Jim Bourg (SAUDI ARABIA - Tags: POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTR4N5LG

Can US reassure Arabs, Israel on Iran deal?

The United States can provide more weapons and intelligence to Persian Gulf states to deter Iranian aggression but cannot prop them up against internal threats.

A man and his children ride on the back of a pick-up truck with their luggage as they flee Saudi-led air strikes in Sanaa April 6, 2015. Foreign nationals were on their way out of Yemen on Monday (April 6) as 12 days of strikes by a Saudi-led coalition have failed to halt the advance of the Iran-allied Houthis and triggered a growing humanitarian crisis for residents in central districts now cut off from the mainland. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah - RTR4W8WJ

Egypt's ambassador to Yemen won't rule out ground troops

In an interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Ambassador Youssef al-Sharqawy says that despite his country's participation in Operation Decisive Storm, it will not play a political role in resolving the conflict in Yemen.