Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Saudi Arabia awards $490m contract for museum in Diriyah Also this week: Smash burgers in Riyadh and Saudi maps in Venice By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Analysis UAE’s OPEC exit rattles cartel as Gulf alliances shift OPEC's fourth-largest producer will leave the cartel on May 1, marking the most significant departure in the group’s history as the war changes Abu Dhabi's relationship priorities. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Why UAE's decision to leave OPEC is major shift for cartel The UAE accounts for 12% of OPEC's output, but tensions had been simmering over intragroup rivalries and the country wanting to export more oil. United Arab Emirates
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
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Ithra brings MENA design to Milan 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
Congress orders federal probe into Khashoggi’s disappearance Bipartisan calls for a federal probe and possible sanctions against Saudi Arabia indicate that Congress has lost confidence in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia
Turkish authorities to search Saudi consulate for missing journalist As the Turkish authorities prepare to search the Saudi consulate where a dissident Saudi journalist disappeared last week, the Turkish opposition is curiously silent about the matter despite the ruling party's harsh treatment of the country's own press. Saudi Arabia
Disappearance of Saudi journalist puts Erdogan in difficult situation The potential for a full-blown crisis between Turkey and Saudi Arabia remains in the cards. Saudi Arabia
Will Khashoggi’s disappearance rock Turkish-Saudi relations? How Turkish President Erdogan discloses the official findings of the investigation into Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance will be crucial in determining the future of Turkish-Saudi ties. Saudi Arabia
Intel: Why Ankara is refraining from retaliation against Riyadh over missing dissident Turkey seems to be reluctant to wage a full-out-war against Saudi Arabia on the fate of missing Saudi journalist, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan adopts low-key approach. Saudi Arabia
What happened to Jamal Khashoggi? The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi from the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul highlights, once again, the House of Saud's division on the war in Yemen and the crown prince's decision-making. Saudi Arabia
Fate of missing Saudi journalist puts Turkey in ironic position As mystery remains over the fate of a missing dissident Saudi journalist, Ankara finds itself in a position in which it may try to rescue a foreign journalist at a time when more than 100 journalists are behind bars in Turkey. Saudi Arabia
Assessing Bahraini-Syrian encounter in New York Bahrain Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa's meeting with his Syrian counterpart leaves observers questioning its position on the Syrian crisis. Saudi Arabia
Netanyahu wants peace with Arabs, not Palestinians Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks big about improving ties with Arab countries but his speeches are meaningless without first resolving the conflict with the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia
Lebanon’s next chapter: A new social contract Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil blames “foreign countries” for “disrespect of elections” in his country. Saudi Arabia