Interview Saudi labor localization will take ‘generation or two': Armada CEO Around 70% of Saudi Arabia's population is 35 years old or younger, according to the kingdom’s General Authority for Statistics, providing ample opportunity for an educated and technology-savvy national workforce in the coming decades. Olivier Badard CEO of Armada Holding
Explainer Gulf states push incentives for investors, expats after war dents image Several Gulf states are working to recover their images as global havens of stability in the wake of the Iran war. United Arab Emirates
Newsletter: Business & Tech Oil falls to prewar levels as Hormuz reopens Oil prices retreat as Gulf shipping stabilizes, Qatar moves to restore LNG output, and regional governments roll out new investment and residency incentives. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Interview Franco-Gulf investment holds firm despite Iran war, French official says French investors are reallocating capital toward strategic sectors such as artificial intelligence and technology rather than pulling out of the region altogether. Axel Baroux France’s trade and investment commissioner for the UAE and Middle East
Newsletter: Gulf Gulf defense giants head to Europe By Francesco Schiavi In Bologna, reporting on security, defense, economy, governance
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Saudi contemporary art lands at Art Basel By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Costs of Saudi economic failures show up in electric bills Saudis are complaining openly about their electricity bills that have doubled overnight, a dire sign for their economic future. Saudi Arabia
Saudis expect little from next US leader As the regional security situation deteriorates around them, the Saudis are not optimistic about either candidate for the US presidency, with Hillary Clinton likely to continue current policies and Donald Trump a frightening wild card. Saudi Arabia
Yemeni conflict goes back to square one Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Houthi rebels and their allies continue to engage in divisive efforts rather than attempting to end their conflict. Legacy: Gulf
Will Saudi women break chains of male guardianship? Saudi women recently launched a hashtag calling for an end to male guardianship, which has been behind many of the physical and moral violations they face in Saudi society. Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s Dar al-Kiswah — a monument turned into a dump After Egypt stopped producing the Kaaba’s kiswah in 1961, the centuries-old site of production now lies in a state of utter neglect amid calls for renovation by nearby residents and experts. Saudi Arabia
Iranian military official: We will 'uproot' Jabhat al-Nusra Jabhat al-Nusra's rebranding as independent of its parent organization al-Qaeda has not raised eyebrows in Tehran, where officials say only the group’s name has changed. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia may keep playing 'Iran card' to defer decision on Yemen Yemen victim of Saudi-Iran hostility; Islamic State tries, and fails, to recruit Kurds; Al-Monitor resumes series on lobbying by Middle East governments. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia's moment of truth in Yemen Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has three options to choose from on Yemen, none of them good. Saudi Arabia
Saudi visit to Israel angers Hamas The Hamas movement is worried that a Saudi general's visit to Israel signifies a rapprochement between the two countries at the expense of Gaza relief efforts. Saudi Arabia
Were Saudis behind Abbas-MEK meeting? A meeting between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Mujahedeen-e-Khalq leader Maryam Rajavi in Paris has sparked both Iranian and Palestinian suspicion about Saudi Arabia's ties to the Palestinian Authority. Saudi Arabia
Will Egypt hold popular referendum on islands transfer? In an interview with Al-Monitor, former Egyptian presidential candidate and lawyer Khalid Ali discusses the case he brought before the administrative court to challenge Cairo’s decision to transfer ownership of two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia