Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Rethinking fashion in Doha Also this week: waterfront coffee at Jasper's and live experimental art performances at GubGub Studios By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility The kingdom's stock market climbed to its highest level of the year on Wednesday, with the kingdom’s equities now far outperforming the S&P 500 and other global and regional indices. Saudi Arabia
IMF slashes Mideast outlook by nearly 3 points as Iran war hits economies The International Monetary Fund cut gross domestic product forecasts for the Middle East and North Africa, with the fallout from the conflict exposing stark divergences between the region’s energy exporters and importers. Iran
Newsletter: City Pulse Doha The school that shaped a nation Also this week: UV glow shooting at Alhadaf and Qatar Reads at Doha Festival City By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Analysis How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire? By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Fire Station reopens with Chung Seoyoung show By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Qatar's continued assistance to Gaza Strip in question Hamas says it hasn't been informed of any Qatari intention to discontinue financial aid to the Gaza Strip next year. Qatar
Turkey's defense industry sees rise of 'the president’s men' Decision-making power in Turkey's defense industry is shifting from the military to businessmen close to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Qatar
With Qatar’s money, Israeli gas set to bring Gaza light Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has finally given his consent for Qatar to pay to extend an Israeli gas pipeline to the Gaza Strip's power station — a project that's expected to ameliorate the electricity crisis there while boosting Qatari influence in Gaza and giving Hamas standing as a successful mediator. Qatar
Interview Saudi Arabia still awaiting signs of ‘goodwill’ from Iran In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud talks about the "dramatic effect" of the September attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields, and says there will be no official Saudi contacts with Israel until the Palestinian issue is resolved. Prince Turki bin Faisal bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud Former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US
Al Jazeera spends more than $500,000 defending itself against attacks The Qatari broadcaster is under attack from Doha’s Gulf rivals. Saudi Arabia
How Turkey’s Syria incursion could have big impact in the Gulf Turkey's Operation Peace Spring has exacerbated the divide between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait on the one hand and Qatar on the other. Saudi Arabia
Trump intensifies ‘Arab NATO’ talks after Iran strike The Donald Trump administration is working to push forward with a military alliance of Middle Eastern states as the international community looks to respond to a suspected Iranian attack on a Saudi oil facility. Saudi Arabia
Interview Qatar spokesperson: Blockade 'existential threat' to GCC In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson remains optimistic that diplomacy in Afghanistan remains possible.
Bahrain would welcome 'new JCPOA' if Iran ends 'toxic' behavior In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, says his country is "not shy" about working with the United States to support peace and prosperity in the region. Saudi Arabia
Interview Oman minister describes role as 'facilitator' of diplomacy in turbulent region In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, Oman’s minister responsible for foreign affairs, describes his country's role as facilitator, not mediator, to resolve the region's conflicts, including Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Yemen, and the embargo of Qatar. Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman
Do the Hamas-Israeli understandings have a future? The results of the Israeli elections have raised concerns within Hamas about the future of the understandings reached between the movement and Israel that have provided Gaza a lifeline and that are helping it remain in control. Qatar
Egyptian FM: Ethiopian dam development shouldn’t 'come at expense of lives of Egyptians' In an exclusive, in-depth interview with Al-Monitor, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry says he sees no change in Qatari policies; great potential in regional integration; and says Egypt will play its "traditional role" to support "courageous decisions" to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Qatar