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
After Iranian, Russian military advances Syrian opposition suffers setback in Aleppo Regime forces were able to retake large swathes of Aleppo’s southern countryside from the opposition, whose weaponry is insufficient in the face of Iranian and Russian ground and air support. Saudi Arabia
Gulf-funded think tank to make Capitol Hill debut The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington promises a broader view of Gulf affairs. Saudi Arabia
Is Al Jazeera Hamas' voice to the outside world? Hamas has made a habit of giving Al Jazeera exclusive glimpses into its operations, and the news group has been facing criticism for it. Qatar
Why the Gulf isn't to blame for Syrian refugee crisis Oil-rich Gulf states are defending their record in assisting Syrian refugees as world opinion grows more hostile to their perceived indifference. Legacy: Gulf
Yemen's African connection Amid the withholding of the details of the Emirati death toll in Yemen, African soldiers are set to step up their role in Operation Restoring Hope. Legacy: Gulf
Meshaal calls for unity to achieve Palestinian goals Hamas political bureau head Khaled Meshaal proposes renewed efforts to overcome the current Palestinian crises. Qatar
What Obama should say to King Salman during his visit The inaugural visit of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud to Washington offers US President Barack Obama a unique opportunity to address the long-standing tensions and rivalry between Iran, Iraq and the GCC states. Legacy: Gulf
Security Council: Syria 'largest humanitarian crisis in the world' UN, Russia and Iran coordinate new diplomatic effort on Syria; what did Zarif tell Nasrallah?; Egyptian government rejects mediation with Muslim Brotherhood; did US-trained force coordinate with Jabhat al-Nusra? Qatar
Zarif presses diplomacy on Syria Iran brokers humanitarian cease-fires in Syria; Yair Lapid discusses “dreadful gamble” in US-Israel relations; Turkey’s Stone Age temple may predate Stonehenge and Egyptian pyramids by thousands of years. Oman
Lobbying 2015: Qatar crawls in from the cold Qatar is coming in from the cold in Washington as the gas-rich emirate falls into line with its Gulf neighbors’ stance against rebellious Islamist. Qatar
Qatar opens doors to help Palestinians escape 'painful reality' of Gaza Qatar and Palestine have been working together to bring a larger number of Palestinians to work in Qatar, where the market is in need of skilled labor. Qatar
Fight against IS draws Hamas, Egypt closer Relations between Hamas and Egypt, strained since the 2013 ouster of President Mohammed Morsi, appear to be improving with Saudi mediation. Saudi Arabia
