Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Fireworks, feasts and festivals: Doha’s NYE 2026 Also this week: Open-air cinema nights, global sneaker art and festive concerts By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Analysis Gulf finance hubs race to expand as hedge funds flock to Dubai, Abu Dhabi The Gulf’s top financial hubs have posted another strong year in 2025, with the UAE spearheading a regional push to attract hedge funds, asset managers, crypto and fintech firms as regional neighbors target growth of their own. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Trump has upper hand over Netanyahu, but is it enough for Gaza? Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been stalling on the implementation of the second phase of President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, but at the end of the day, Trump has much more leverage over Netanyahu. By Rina Bassist In Paris, reporting on Israeli politics and European affairs
Newsletter: City Pulse Doha I. M. Pei’s architectural legacy comes to Doha Also this week: Global marching bands at Katara, Arab Cup celebrations, and National Day festivities By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Newsletter: City Pulse Doha Qatar celebrates heritage at Darb Al Saai By Reve Chaaban In Doha reporting on culture
Newsletter: Gulf Saudi Arabia, Qatar turbocharge strategic coordination By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
If push comes to shove, will Turkey defend Qatar against Iran? Turkey's main opposition party has lots of questions about what message Ankara would be sending to Iran, and others, by deploying troops in Qatar. Qatar
Where does Hamas' policy document leave Islamic Jihad? Despite strong bilateral ties, differences over the new policy document emerged between Hamas and Islamic Jihad, raising questions on the future of their relations. Qatar
Gulf carriers delight as Congress rakes US airlines over the coals Lawmakers fault lack of competition for plummeting US customer service; could this affect US airlines' campaign for fairer competition with Gulf carriers? United Arab Emirates
Will Iraqi government-PMU disputes spiral into armed clashes? With the Islamic State nearly defeated in Iraqi cities, disputes between PMU-affiliated Shiite factions and the Iraqi government have surfaced, threatening future military clashes between them. Qatar
Complex deal frees kidnapped Qatari royals, two Saudis Various versions of a recent hostage deal are circulating that include, potentially, political motivations, millions of dollars in ransom, exchanged military prisoners and relocated civilians. Saudi Arabia
Israel warns that Gaza will face power supply crisis An Israeli major general has said that Gaza will face an imminent humanitarian crisis because of a shortage of diesel fuel that is needed to run its only power station. Qatar
Why was deal to evacuate Syrian towns brokered by Qatar and Iran? A deal brokered by Qatar and Iran that ignores Turkey and Russia — the largest respective sponsors of the opposition and the regime in Syria — threatens to derail broader peace talks aimed at ending the tragic civil war. Qatar
Ineptitude meets low altitude at Arab League summit Few major breakthroughs were reached at this year's Arab League Summit held in Jordan. Saudi Arabia
PA, Jordan compete for aid at Arab League Summit Both the Palestinian and Jordanian governments took advantage of the Arab League Summit in Amman to present their cases for why they deserve more financial aid from the rich Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia
Why Qatar and Turkey are becoming an item Turkey and Qatar are working to extend their relations beyond the friendship of the countries' leaders to address their shared uncertainties about the new US administration, security threats and the growing regional influence of Iran and Russia. Qatar
Zarif visits Qatar as Iran, Saudi Arabia continue hajj talks Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif traveled to Qatar to discuss bilateral relations after a flurry of diplomatic activity recently between Iran and Gulf Cooperation Council member states. Saudi Arabia
Gulf countries take back seat on Syria route It seems Saudi Arabia is more interested in Yemen than in Syria these days, which explains dwindling Gulf support for Syrian rebels. Saudi Arabia
