Analysis Why Saudi Arabia, Egypt are wary of Turkey’s proposed 4-way defense pact with Pakistan The proposed framework faces major hurdles and fault lines, ranging from NATO constraints to Israeli opposition and weak military integration. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
In Lebanon, Saudi Arabia pursues quiet diplomacy as Trump pushes Israel normalization Saudi Arabia has been engaged in intense diplomacy in Lebanon in recent days, leading up to the extension of a ceasefire with Israel. Lebanon
Why did the Met Opera lose its Saudi funding deal? The deal, announced as a nonbinding memorandum of understanding last September, would have seen the PIF inject up to $200 million into the opera institution over the next eight years. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Ithra brings MENA design to Milan Also this week: Lana Khayat at Art Dubai and Najdi dining in Diriyah By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: FutureVerse NEOM’s new logistics look By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
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
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. Saudi Arabia
What does Donald Trump's latest $200 million deal with Saudi Arabia entail? The former president, who is now the presumptive nominee for the Republican Party, has long had significant business ties to Saudi Arabia via his properties and the LIV Golf league. Legacy: Gulf
UK-Saudi deal allows kingdom to tap into Britain’s $1T tech market The kingdom spent $5.1 billion on research and development in 2022, a 32.7% from the previous year’s $3.9 billion. Saudi Arabia
What’s behind flurry of Saudi helicopter deals with Airbus, Leonardo? The Saudi sovereign fund’s helicopter firm inked several agreements during a helicopter expo in this week, choosing to partner with Airbus amid concerns about Boeing. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi PIF-owned company, tourism fund partner on new downtown for Riyadh Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is working with the kingdom’s Tourism Development Fund to create "the world’s largest downtown" in the capital. Saudi Arabia
Culture Why did Saudi soccer league suspend Cristiano Ronaldo? Ronaldo’s time in Riyadh has been successful, but the Saudi Pro League is facing some challenges after luring many star players to the kingdom in 2023. Legacy: Gulf
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy in Saudi Arabia to talk prisoners, Russia war Saudi Arabia has taken an increasingly active role in mediating the Ukraine-Russia war while maintaining friendly relations with both states. Legacy: Gulf
Qatar places major bet on gas as Saudi Aramco scores new find in Jafurah Asian liquefied natural gas prices have fallen to a nearly three-year low as warmer winter temperatures have dampened demand. Qatar
Analysis International law 'cannot be a la carte': UAE, Saudi and Egypt scold Israel at ICJ The presentations at The Hague could further the rift between Israel and the Arab world amid the Gaza war and efforts to expand normalization, though countries in the region are still interested in maintaining relations with Tel Aviv. By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Saudi Arabia reports oil export slump after OPEC cuts The dip in exports for the fourth quarter of 2023 was due to Saudi Arabia’s decision to reduce crude output in accordance with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies — the kingdom has also implemented voluntary cuts. Saudi Arabia
Saudi tech giant expands investments into China, AI as part of $100B plans Alat plans to invest $100 billion by 2030 to coincide with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s Vision 2030 plan to wean the kingdom’s economy off of its reliance on oil. Saudi Arabia