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Economy & Business

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Manchester City's Emirati owner and UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed

Analysis

How Manchester City fallout tests Gulf’s global investment model

The Premier League’s historic financial misconduct ruling against the Emirati-owned club has sparked a media firestorm and experts say fallout could extend beyond the pitch to impact Gulf investment in sports and other industries.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air is pictured on the tarmac at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, June 7, 2026.

Explainer

What Houthi airport attacks mean for Saudi Arabia’s aviation ambitions

The kingdom has spent recent years pouring billions into a new airline and airport infrastructure amid efforts to compete with established Gulf travel hubs.

Guests attend the 25th WPC Energy Congress, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 12, 2026.

Saudi Arabia outlines oil export plans amid escalating Houthi attacks

Saudi authorities said on Monday they were extending the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport after deadly attacks over the weekend by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis.

Cars drive past the gates of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sept. 19, 2026.

Riyadh’s skies remain unsettled after deadly Houthi strikes

Saudi authorities confirmed Friday that Thursday’s first attack struck airport facilities and the second hit a Saudia aircraft.

Latest News

Riyadh airport issues travel alert as Yemen's Houthis claim fresh attack on Saudi Arabia

Travelers queue to check in their luggage at the terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, on March 10, 2026.

Iraq devalues dinar 13% as Hormuz disruption hits oil revenue

A man walks past a closed foreign exchange office in Baghdad on October 7, 2026. Iraq's central bank devalued the dinar currency against the dollar on October 7, with the country facing a deepening crisis brought on by the Middle East war. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP via Getty Images)

Explainer

Rubio says Iran ‘lost’ Hormuz. Has it?

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks at the Pnyx hill, where ancient Athenians held democratic assemblies, with the ancient Parthenon temple atop the Acropolis seen in the background, in Athens on October 7, 2026. (Photo by Mark Schiefelbein / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Flights continue in Saudi Arabia despite Houthi attacks, airspace threats

Travelers consult the departures screens at the terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, on March 10, 2026.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

A man works in a vegetable field in Fujairah on November 28, 2023. (Photo by Karim SAHIB / AFP) (Photo by KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images)

Global food demand to give Gulf’s liquids-to-chemicals strategy a leg up

Sebastian Castelier

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

The Container ship Maersk Bratan" is discharged at the terminals of HHLA (Hamburg Port Logistics Inc) in Hamburg on June 22, 2022.

Explainer: Major shipping giants resume Red Sea routes amid Houthi attacks

The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have fired on international ships and Israel’s port in the Red Sea since the Gaza war began, wreaking havoc on the global shipping industry.

Ronald Al Nassr

Analysis

2023 in review: The year Saudi Arabia became sports superpower

The kingdom has been laying the groundwork to become a sporting leader for decades, but this year marked a turning point as investment ramped up.

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

A Maersk container ship sails through the new section of the Suez Canal.

Houthi attacks: Hundreds of ships to reroute from Red Sea, 44% cost spike for China

The Red Sea is one of the world’s most important shipping routes for oil, fuel and consumer goods, and shipments between Asia and Europe typically go through the sea and the Suez Canal.

Starbucks demonstration

How Starbucks fell from favor with pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian activists

The coffee giant is no stranger to frothy accusations of being pro-Israel, and now a pro-Palestinian post on one of its union's social media accounts has sparked a boycott.

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power signs $4B green hydrogen deal in Egypt

The second phase of the project could produce 2 million metric tons per year, the statement said, without providing details on the timeline.

TO GO WITH AFP STORY BY SALAM FARAJ An Iraqi money dealer counts Iranian rial banknotes bearing a portrait of the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, at an exchange office in Baghdad on February 3, 2012. Tens of thousands of Iranian visitors have been finding difficulty in using the Iranian currency in Iraq due to a depreciation of the rial against the dollar. AFP PHOTO/ ALI AL-SAADI (Photo credit should read ALI AL-SAADI/AFP/GettyImages)

How will uncertainty and government policies impact Iran’s economic outlook in 2024?

Bijan Khajehpour

Bijan Khajehpour

In Vienna, reporting on Iranian politics

Getty Images

China's Nio electric vehicle maker gets $2.2 billion from UAE investment firm

Nio is seeking money from the Middle East due to its financial struggles.

Getty Images

BP, Equinor change oil shipment plans after Red Sea Houthi attacks

The Iran-backed rebels have said the attacks are in retaliation for the war in Gaza.

People wait at a gas station as fuel distribution across more than 70% of gas stations is disrupted, Tehran, Iran, Dec. 18, 2023.

Iran says ‘enemy conspiracy’ behind outage at 70% of gas stations

The Oil Ministry’s Shana news agency reported that operations will be running again as normal within “a few hours” and until then fuel is being distributed offline.

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - OCTOBER 31: The Skyline of Riyadh is seen on October 31, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is set to host the men's 2034 World Cup after Fifa confirmed it was the only bidder for the tournament. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

Saudi Arabia’s multinational HQ deadline nears amid uncertainty for companies and Gulf competition

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

A picture taken on November 23, 2016 shows smoke plumes rising behind a billboard at the Maaden Aluminium Factory in Ras Al-Khair Industrial area near Jubail City, 570 kms east of the Saudi capital Riyadh.

Middle East transparency on carbon emissions lags behind rest of world

Turkey and the UAE led the pack for most transparent countries in the region regarding greenhouse gas emissions.

United Arab Emirates