Technology

People attend the international esports gamers Next World Forum in Riyadh, Sept. 7, 2022.

Culture

Iran war hits Saudi gaming drive as Esports Nations Cup pushed to 2027

The postponement is a blow for the kingdom, which has made growing its esports sector one of the main priorities under its Vision 2030.

A ship sails off the coast of Ajman on July 10, 2026.

Interview

Why Strait of Hormuz no longer rattles oil markets as much: IMF

The fund's Middle East director, Jihad Azour, told Al-Monitor that the big Gulf energy producers now have more capacity to absorb the shock.

Jihad Azour

Jihad Azour

Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund

A student attends a training seminar at the Tourism Ministry Training center in the city of Riyadh on August 30, 2022.

Interview

Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO

Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades.

Olivier Badard

CEO of Armada Holding

This photo illustration taken in Damascus on May 20, 2026, shows the X account of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa on a smartphone displaying his tweet to President Donald Trump.

Syria reports sabotage of undersea internet cable between Tartous and Alexandria: What to know

The affected cable connects Syria to Egypt and is one of four cables that link to the coastal city of Tartous.

Latest News

Explainer

Saudi investors could emerge as key winners from SpaceX’s historic IPO

The headquarters of SpaceX in Hawthorne, California, with a Falcon 9 booster in March 2024.

Iran partially restores internet after 88-day blackout: What to know

An Iranian woman walks past a mobile phone shop at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on April 19, 2026.

Oman enters Gulf AI race with new special economic zone in Muscat

Haitham AL-SHUKAIRI / AFP via Getty Images

Who is Handala, the hacktivist group US ties to Iranian intelligence?

Flag of Iran on a computer binary codes falling from the top and fading away.

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

AI chips, drones, jets: A look at Trump's $3.2 trillion megadeals during Gulf trip

Amid photo ops and lavish receptions, President Donald Trump’s Gulf trip yielded $3.2 trillion in announced deals with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE — though some details remain vague.

Joe Raedle/Getty Images

US eases foreign investment rules days before Trump Gulf visit: What to know

Gulf states are estimated to manage 40% of the world’s sovereign wealth and are some of the biggest investors in the United States.

Khaldoun al-Mubarak, Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of the Mubadala Investment Company, speaks at a panel session during the World Government Summit in Dubai on February 12, 2024. (Photo by RYAN LIM / AFP) (Photo by RYAN LIM/AFP via Getty Images)

Mubadala investments soar by 33% as UAE deepens AI ties with US

Mubadala made 119 billion Emirati dirhams ($32.4 billion) worth of investments in 2024, up 33.7% from the previous year, according to a Thursday statement from the UAE fund.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikha Mayes Al-Thani speaks at inaugural USQBC-SelectUSA event in Washington, DC, February 25, 2024.

Interview

Qatar’s digital future offers opportunities in AI, energy, says head of US-Qatar Business Council

Talent, not just capital, is key to sustainable growth, says Sheikha Mayes Al Thani.

Sheikha Mayes Al Thani

Sheikha Mayes Al Thani

Managing Director, US-Qatar Business Council

Yasser Hassan

Exclusive

'Cloud First' policies give Saudi Arabia, UAE edge in AI race: Amazon exec

In March 2024, AWS announced plans to invest $5.3 billion in Saudi Arabia to launch a cloud infrastructure region in the kingdom by 2026.

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

chip

How UAE AI firm's past China links stalled this US chipmaker's IPO

Cerebras Systems executives had been hoping that the Trump administration would fast-track the national security review that has left the chipmaker’s initial public offering in limbo for five months, Reuters reported Tuesday.

United Arab Emirates

Sheikh tahnoon

UAE seals cloud deal with Microsoft, Core42 as Sheikh Tahnoon visits US

The deal follows Microsoft's $1.5 billion investment last year in G42 to accelerate AI development.

United Arab Emirates

KARIM SAHIB/AFP via Getty Images

UAE’s Sheikh Tahnoon makes first US visit since Trump reelection: What to know

The UAE's influential national security advisor, who chairs some of the country's most important funds and firms, will reportedly meet with White House officials and business leaders including Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

United Arab Emirates

NYSE

Analysis

US stock plunge poses dilemmas for Gulf investors while exposing PIF, Mubadala risks

Middle East investors are bracing for steep losses and questioning about their long-term investments in America amid a drop in the US stock market.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Saudi digital economy expert Deemah Al-Yahya speaks onstage during the 2024 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square, New York, Sept. 24, 2024.

Interview

As AI superpowers clash, Saudi tech diplomat pushes collaboration over competition

Deemah AlYahya

Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, accompanied by his son, X Musk, speaks to the press as President Donald Trump looks on in the Oval Office at the White House, Washington, DC, Feb. 11, 2025.

Elon Musk's Boring Co. to build Dubai Loop network of tunnels

The loop is a network of underground tunnels, similar to one being developed in Las Vegas, that allows passengers to be transported nonstop, in electric vehicles, to 11 stations.

United Arab Emirates

An unidentified man speaks at the preliminary meeting for the fourth edition of the LEAP technology conference, set for Feb. 9-12, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Feb. 4, 2025.

Billions invested in AI, data centers at Saudi's LEAP summit: What to know

The four-day event saw billions of dollars worth of investment poured into artificial intelligence projects — many of them in Saudi Arabia.