Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Qatar celebrates heritage at Darb Al Saai Also this week: Football heritage at Katara, Kadim Al Sahir on stage and candlelit tributes at MIA By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Newsletter: Gulf Saudi Arabia, Qatar turbocharge strategic coordination Saudi Arabia and Qatar unveiled sweeping agreements — including a flagship high-speed rail link — that mark their most ambitious push yet to deepen strategic coordination. By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Mideast funds back Paramount's $108B Warner Bros. takeover bid Netflix appeared to have won a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount and Comcast, securing a $72 billion equity deal for Warner Bros. Discovery's TV, film studios and streaming assets, but Monday's $108 billion bid changes the calculus. Saudi Arabia
Analysis Differences over Hamas, Turkey and Iran overshadow Netanyahu-Trump summit When Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu meets US President Donald Trump in Washington, expect him to focus on Hamas' disarmament and rail against Turkey taking part in the international stabilization force in Gaza. By Ben Caspit In Tel Aviv, reporting on national security, Israeli politics, defense
Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Museum honoring M.F. Husain opens in Doha By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Analysis Trump’s Muslim Brotherhood move reignites Israel’s battle over Raam By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Qatar makes massive LNG ship order The purchase by Qatar Petroleum from three South Korean companies comes as oil prices continue to rise from the lows earlier in the year. Qatar
Qatar triples swap line with Turkey Qatar has offered support to Turkey’s central bank, expanding a currency-swap agreement to $15 billion as Ankara seeks to mitigate economic shocks from the coronavirus pandemic. Qatar
Gulf countries increase virus-related restrictions after new cases The United Arab Emirates and Qatar registered more than 2,000 coronavirus cases between the two of them on Monday alone. Saudi Arabia
Qatar Airways mandates full-body protective gear for flight attendants Passengers will also be required to wear masks per the Gulf carrier's new onboard safety measures as it looks to expand flights amid the crisis. Qatar
Qatar to dole out $55,000 fines, jail time for not wearing face masks Masks are mandatory for all Qataris who leave their homes, except when driving alone. Qatar
Gulf’s megaprojects face delays, reassessment Saudi Arabia has cut capital expenditure for a number of Vision 2030 projects amid a drop in oil prices and Chinese investment. Will other Gulf states follow suit? Saudi Arabia
Intel: US contracts Boeing to build new cruise missiles for Saudi Arabia, Qatar The US Navy awarded Boeing a nearly $2 billion contract Wednesday to provide Saudi Arabia with 650 new land attack cruise missiles, as well as to upgrade existing ones by the end of 2028. Saudi Arabia
Have taxes killed GCC economic integration? Saudi Arabia's recent decision to increase its value-added tax by 200% could spell the end of chances for regional economic integration and policy coordination. Saudi Arabia
Qatar Airways seeks billions in loans The Gulf carrier that has continued to fly during the pandemic crisis previously announced it was cutting jobs. Qatar
Qatar coup rumors leave trail to regional rivals An apparently doctored video made the rounds on Twitter Monday suggesting a coup was under way in Qatar. Saudi Arabia
Qatar Airways to cut jobs The Gulf airline continues to fly to destinations worldwide while other regional carriers have stopped nearly all of their flights. Qatar
China ramps up COVID-19 diplomacy in Mideast As the Trump administration tries to link the coronavirus to a Chinese laboratory, Beijing is using the pandemic to strengthen ties in the Gulf. Saudi Arabia
