Pistachios reach highest prices in eight years amid Iran war Pistachio prices rose to around $4.57 a pound in March, their highest since 2018, according to data company Expana. Iran
UAE’s cash request tests US ties as Iran war strains Gulf financial muscle Amid growing economic fallout from the regional war, Abu Dhabi’s bombshell request for a war-time financial lifeline from the United States is less about cash and more about clout — for now. United Arab Emirates
IEA delivers grim gas supply forecast as oil notches 15% weekly rise A wave of new LNG supplies will be delayed for at least two years due to war-related damage to Qatari energy infrastructure, according the International Energy Agency's latest market update. Qatar
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
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
Turkey's lira makes a comeback amid economic U-turn: Goldman Sachs Foreign investors are beginning to return to the Turkish economy after Erdogan's new government reversed the previous unorthodox policies in June. Turkey
Analysis China's venture capital firms making inroads in Saudi Arabia, UAE Chinese venture capital investors have been pricing deals at more competitive rates and taking advantage of a widening vacuum left by Western rivals in the region. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
UAE-Brazil ties strengthen with EDGE's acquisition of Brazilian weapons firm Relations between the UAE and Brazil are improving militarily and economically following the UAE being offered membership in BRICS. Legacy: Gulf
Pakistan, Gulf Cooperation Council sign 'preliminary' free trade agreement When the final trade deal comes into effect, it will likely be the GCC's first since 2009. Legacy: Gulf
Saudi Aramco makes first global LNG investment with US MidOcean stake MidOcean Energy is in the midst of buying interests in four LNG projects in Australia as part of its growth strategy. Saudi Arabia
UAE’s Masdar to triple Southeast Asia’s largest floating solar plant The new agreement between Masdar and Indonesian power utility PLN Nusantara Power will launch Phase II of the Cirata floating solar plant in the Indonesian province of West Java. United Arab Emirates
Jim Ratcliffe revises Manchester United bid as Qatar's offer is considered Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, a Qatari banker and the son of a former Qatari prime minister, is the only other party to have publicly stated that they are trying to buy the British soccer club. Qatar
QatarEnergy, BP, others snap up Egyptian oil and gas concessions Four blocks have been awarded one day into international bidding for the exploration of Egypt's 23 open oil and gas blocks. Egypt
Saudi domestic capital to shoulder lion’s share of funding for Vision 2030 Halfway through Vision 2030, the kingdom has started to tap into domestic capital and debt financing to get some of its most futuristic projects off the ground. Sebastian Castelier In Dubai, reporting on regional business
Oman's oil and gas sector drives 30% GDP growth in 2022 Oman’s hydrocarbon sector growth rate was 61.6% from 2021 to 2022, compared to non-hydrocarbon sector growth at 16.9% during the same period, according to the Central Bank of Oman (CBO) 2022 Annual Report. Oman
Saudi Arabia inches closer to nuclear power with wider IAEA access The kingdom's energy minister said that the country plans tougher checks by the International Atomic Energy Agency on its nuclear activities. Saudi Arabia
UAE, other Gulf states shift from talk to action on carbon capture tech The idea of capturing and storing carbon emissions instead of letting them enter the atmosphere is gaining momentum in some parts of the Gulf region. It is also the necessary tool to rebrand hydrogen produced from fossil fuels from "gray" to "blue." Legacy: Gulf