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April 21, 2026

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A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

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.

A man walks through the atrium during the 2026 IMF and World Bank Group Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, on April 14, 2026. (Photo by Kent NISHIMURA / AFP via Getty Images)

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.

Latest News

Analysis

How fast can Gulf energy production rebound after US-Iran ceasefire?

picture of Qatar Energy's operating facilities on March 3, 2026, in Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

EIA hikes 2026 oil price forecasts 22% as Hormuz fuels long-term market fallout

Gas prices over $6.00 are displayed at a Shell station across from the Marathon Petroleum Corp's Los Angeles Refinery on April 02, 2026, in Carson, California.

AirAsia stays course on Bahrain hub as Iran war clouds aviation growth plans

AirAsia aircraft with two engines landing on Kota Kinabalu International airport runway, Kota Kinabalu Sabah, Malaysia, March 4, 2017.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Karen Young

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional energy

Reve Chaaban

In Doha reporting on culture

Why is Qatar helping Hamas in Gaza?

The Palestinian Authority believes the Qatari aid to the Gaza Strip serves the interests of the US and Israel, which plan to announce the "deal of the century" that aims at separating the Gaza Strip from the West Bank.

Does Bibi use Iran as dodge for occupation policies?

Akiva Eldar calls out Israeli prime minister for “Iran-phobia”; Netanyahu weighs elections; Gazans reject the PA; Israel, Qatar seek to prevent war in Gaza; Israeli barriers keep Palestinians from olive trees.

A tanker loaded with fuel for Gaza enters the Kerem Shalom crossing between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip April 4, 2012. The Gaza Strip's Hamas government and the rival Palestinian Authority (PA) agreed to an Egyptian-brokered deal on Tuesday to end a fuel crisis that has caused daily power cuts in the territory, officials said. REUTERS/Amir Cohen (ISRAEL - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY) - GM1E8441FSU01

Liberman halts Qatar's $60 million fuel flow to Gaza Strip

Qatar's efforts to supply the fuel-starved Gaza Strip with diesel oil have been stymied, at least temporarily.

White House senior advisor Jared Kushner (C) arrives to join U.S. President Donald Trump and the rest of the U.S. delegation to meet with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud at the Royal Court in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 20, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC161444CEB0

Democrats’ promised Trump probes threaten to sweep up Mideast allies

Key US allies could be caught in the crosshairs as Democrats plan extensive investigations into President Donald Trump’s policies and business dealings should they win in November.

Palestinians attend a rally in support of Qatar, at the Qatari-funded housing project in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Yunis on June 9, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / SAID KHATIB (Photo credit should read SAID KHATIB/AFP/Getty Images)

How Gaza brings Israel, Qatar closer

Israel considers Qatari financial aid to Gaza a lifeline with the potential to prevent or at least postpone another war in the south.

How did Turkey end up with VIP plane it didn’t need?

A Qatar leader's VIP plane that had first been put up for sale ended up as a gift for Erdogan, causing a major stir in Turkey.

United Arab Emirates

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) waits for the start of an event with Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (2-R) and Gulf Cooperation Council leaders at their summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC17B78F1020

Trump shelves Gulf talks until next year

The White House has once again postponed a Gulf Cooperation Council summit aimed at bringing together the fragmented alliance to counter Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump meets with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2018. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1CF8BD1230

Qatar crisis looms over Trump meeting with Kuwait emir

In a quiet visit overshadowed by domestic US political turmoil, Kuwait’s emir visited the White House on Wednesday.

Will Hamas, Israel call Qatar-brokered truce?

Qatar has been increasingly involved in talks between Hamas and Israel in what raises questions about its exploitation of the Gaza card in the Gulf crisis.

What Israel wants from Qatar

By signing an arrangement with Hamas, and meeting Qataris, Israel opens the door for Qatari and Iranian influence in the Gaza Strip, and even in the West Bank.

Israel-Hamas talks isolate Abbas

Israel negotiates with Hamas, despite its ideology of destroying the Jewish state, while ignoring Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, its only security partner against terror.

Can Qatar and Germany save Turkey’s economy?

The Turkish lira was up a few points after Qatar's leaders pledged to help Turkey and German Chancellor Angela Merkel made some positive statements, but will this be enough to get Turkey through its currency crisis?