Qatar locks in US LNG through 2054 as it looks beyond Hormuz The Gulf state agreed to buy up to 4 million tons of US liquefied natural gas annually through 2054. Qatar
China-Saudi consortium wins $306M World Cup stadium deal: What to know The project is a vote of confidence to Saudi Arabia's ambitious Vision 2030 agenda to diversify the economy away from oil, despite an uptick in attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on the kingdom in recent weeks. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: Business & Tech Saudi economic ambitions under strain Saudi Arabia postponed its flagship investment conference, known as “Davos in the Desert,” on Monday as Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels continued attacks on the kingdom. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Gulf oil exports surpass prewar levels despite escalating tanker attacks According to data from Kpler, oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz and alternative routes across the Middle East averaged more than 24 million barrels a day last week, surpassing prewar levels of 23.3 million. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Analysis As Iran’s oil lifeline runs dry, can it outlast Trump's economic siege? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
South Korea, UAE ink trade deal lifting tariffs on over 90% of imports The agreement was signed by ministers at a summit in the capital Seoul during the UAE president's first state visit. United Arab Emirates
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal invests in Elon Musk’s $24B AI startup Kingdom Holding Company also holds a stake in Elon Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter. Saudi Arabia
UAE president arrives in South Korea to talk defense, energy, business ties The visit, the first by the Emirati president, aims to enhance the already strong ties between the two countries. United Arab Emirates
Interview Saudi Expo 2030 to offer major opportunities for French businesses, says official In November, the Saudi capital won the right to host the Expo 2030 world trade fair that is expected to attract around 40 million visitors and billions of dollars of inward investment. Axel Baroux French Trade and Invest Commissioner for the UAE and Middle East
Malaysia courts Gulf investment and economic ties, but Saudi relations remain question mark Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Gaza war complicates IMEC plans even as Gulf-India ties warm The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor's progress is facing some difficulties related to geopolitical complexities, funding and conflicts in the Red Sea and Gaza. By Adam Lucente In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change
Poverty in Lebanon tripled to 44%, as high as 62% in rural areas: World Bank In a recent report, the World Bank revealed a three-fold increase in poverty rates in Lebanon, which is hard hit by an economic crisis and financial meltdown, with nine out of every 10 Syrians displaced in the country living under the poverty line. Lebanon
Goldman Sachs first Wall Street bank to get green light for Saudi Arabia HQ The US-headquartered investment bank received a license from the Saudi Ministry of Investment to set up its regional headquarters in the capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Algeria signs with ExxonMobil, Baker Hughes as Europe's gas demand soars Europe is increasingly looking to Algeria for natural gas amid the Ukraine war, and the North African country’s exports are on the rise. Algeria
Yellen warns Israel against blocking Palestinian banks, battering West Bank Israel has been threatening to cancel a vital waiver that expires July 1 between Israeli and Palestinian banks that allows Israeli banks to process shekel payments for vital services and PA salaries. Israel
UAE's ADNOC invests in Mozambique's natural gas in first African foray The deal will give ADNOC a share of the liquified natural gas output from the concession, which has a combined capacity of over 25 million metric tons per pear, the company said in a statement. United Arab Emirates
Huawei launches Egypt public cloud service as China ties grow Last September, Huawei announced that it would pump $430 million into North Africa to build the firm's first cloud center there as well as train thousands of developers and tech specialists. Egypt