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Saudi Arabia

March 4, 2026

Riyadh 2:16 am

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A plume of smoke rises from the port of Jebel Ali following a reported Iranian strike in Dubai on March 1, 2026.

Analysis

Iran’s assault reveals Gulf defense gaps and reliance on US tech and intel

The recent Iranian strikes on bases, airports and energy facilities across the Gulf have exposed gaps in the GCC's defense architecture.

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP via Getty Images

US-Iran war rattles global stocks as UAE trading set to resume

An Emirates passenger plane is landing at Frankfurt Airport from Dubai International on March 3, 2026, in Frankfurt, Germany.

Gulf air corridors reopen cautiously as evacuations take shape

Nearly 1,900 of more than 5,450 flights scheduled to the Middle East were canceled Tuesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

United Arab Emirates

A food delivery bike drive close to a plume of smoke rising from the Zayed Port following a reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on March 1, 2026. Iran's retaliatory missile and drone campaign in the Gulf has killed three people and wounded 58 in the United Arab Emirates since it began, Emirati authorities said on March 1, the day after the US and Israel launched a nationwaide attack on Iran killing its supreme leader. (Photo by Ryan Lim / AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

From oil to data centers, US-Iran war takes key Mideast infrastructure offline

Although disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have long been expected as a by-product of a regional war with Iran, Tehran is expanding the list of targets — with other key energy assets potentially in the crosshairs.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Iran pounds Gulf, regional states after US-Israel strikes: What to know

A smoke plume rises over Abu Dhabi from the site of an Iranian missile strike on February 28, 2026. Iranian missiles hit capital cities around the wealthy Gulf on February 28, killing at least one, in retaliation for a US and Israeli attack that threatened to spark a wider conflict. One civilian died in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, after being struck by falling debris, according to the ministry of defence. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)

Analysis

UAE-Saudi fracture to test Egypt’s security-economy tradeoff

This handout picture released by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on February 23, 2026, shows Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (R) welcoming Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi (L) upon his arrival for an official visit at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah. (Photo by Ahmed NURELDINE / SPA / AFP via Getty Images)

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Asia liquefied petroleum gas prices spike after damage to Saudi facility

Close-up of an LPG dispenser nozzle filling a car's fuel tank. This illustrates the use of alternative fuel sources for automobiles. LPG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to gasoline.

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Adam Lucente

News and Business Correspondent

In New York City, reporting on regional news, militancy, climate change

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Francesco Schiavi

In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance

Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick leaves the Phillip Burton Federal Building on day three of the trial between Waymo and Uber Technologies on February 7, 2018 in San Francisco, California.

Saudi Arabia grants citizenship to Uber co-founder, Red Sea Global CEO

Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick and Red Sea Global CEO John Pagano have been granted Saudi citizenship.

Saudi Investment Minister Khalid Al Falih with Moroccan Industry Minister Riad Mezzour

Saudi investment minister visits Morocco, Senegal on Africa trade drive

Saudi Arabia has pledged more than $41 billion in investment in sub-Saharan Africa over the next decade.

Ziad El Chaar, Dar Global's chief executive officer. — Dar Global

Interview

Dar Global hints at Trump real estate deals in Saudi Arabia’s gigaprojects

The Dubai-headquartered real estate company has worked with the Trump Organization on luxury property developments across the Gulf.

Ziad El Chaar

Chief Executive Officer, Dar Global

A picture taken from a station of Dubai's Palm Monorail, shows traffic on a road in Palm Jumeirah on August 28, 2025.

World Bank ups Middle East 2025 economic outlook as oil, tourism rebound

The lender expects gross domestic product growth in the region to average 2.8% this year, up from its April forecast of 2.6%.

aluminium-dutton

Saudi, Chinese companies to develop giant aluminum industrial hub in Riyadh

The new industrial base is set to cover 1.5 million square meters and will be developed in two phases, with the first expected to be completed in 30 months and create more than 1,800 jobs.

A Riyadh Metro train makes its way along a track in the middle of a road in Riyadh on December 3, 2024.

What’s next for Saudi Arabia’s budget balancing act as deficit doubles?

The Gulf state now expects a deficit of $65.3 billion in 2025 — more than double the initial forecast — as the kingdom continues heavy spending amid weak oil prices.

comedy fest

Culture

Saudi comedy festival draws A-list performers, backlash: What to know

The star-studded festival highlights Riyadh’s push to brand itself as a cultural hub even as critics accuse Saudi Arabia of whitewashing its repressive reputation.