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
Protesters return to Egypt's streets Will Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's decision to renounce Egyptian control of two Red Sea islands to Riyadh be the straw that breaks the camel’s back, amid widespread anger at the government policies? Saudi Arabia
Can Obama wake Saudis from their dream of continued dominance? US President Barack Obama is expected to attempt some delicate diplomacy when he visits Riyadh this month: mending fences with Arab allies while still urging them to pick up the pace in fighting terrorism. Saudi Arabia
OIC conference begins with Iran-Saudi spat Iran’s foreign minister has condemned Saudi Arabia's attempts to introduce anti-Iranian resolutions ahead of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia
Cairo tries to reassure citizens and Israel amid island controversy The announcement that Egypt would be ceding control of two disputed Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia has provoked outrage domestically and raised concerns in Israel. Saudi Arabia
Is Israel forming an alliance with Egypt and Saudi Arabia? Israel estimates that strengthening Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and maintaining a dialogue with Saudi Arabia are key elements for the region's stability. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan courts King Salman as new BFF Even if Saudi King Salman Abdul-Aziz Al Saud fails to broker a rapprochement between Egypt and Turkey, he still shares many commonalities with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, not least their irritation with the US leadership. Saudi Arabia
What Hollande’s visit means for Lebanon French President Francois Hollande is expected to visit Lebanon on April 16 as a part of a tour in the Middle East, although the trip will not achieve a breakthrough in the presidential crisis. Saudi Arabia
Turkey plays both sides in Iran, Saudi conflict Does Turkey courting Iran and Saudi Arabia simultaneously mean Ankara is moving away from Sunni-based policies? Saudi Arabia
US, UN welcome Yemen cease-fire US officials welcomed a Yemen truce that went into effect April 11 after quiet Saudi-Houthi negotiations had already reduced violence in the year-old conflict, and urged the parties to find a political resolution at April 18 peace talks in Kuwait. Saudi Arabia
Will US-Saudi 'special relationship' last? Despite what many observers see as a strain in US-Saudi relations over very different if not completely opposite foreign policy postures, the two countries' shared interests remain a firm and unchanging foundation for their cooperation. Saudi Arabia
Saudi-Iran rivalry spills into UN Human Rights Council While Iran was unhappy with the renewal of Ahmed Shaheed’s mandate as special rapporteur for Iran, it appears to be even more irritated over how Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar voted in favor of the measure at the UN Human Rights Council. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia tilts toward India Pakistan, after refusing to supply troops for Saudi Arabia's war against Yemen, finds the Gulf kingdom improving relations with Pakistani archenemy India. Saudi Arabia