Saudi Arabia's FM heads to China amid differences with US on Iran war Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s visit to Beijing comes as commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains unstable. Saudi Arabia
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 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
Zarif: Iran sees 'mostly negative signals' from US Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in an interview with Al-Monitor, confirmed brief bilateral exchanges with Saudi counterparts and said numerous disagreements remain inside the international Syria support group on a political transition. Saudi Arabia
Why Saudi Arabia needs to trust its man on Iran Considered an Iran expert in Saudi foreign policy circles, Minister Adel al-Turaifi has the background to help mend ties with Tehran; yet, he has so far been either unable or unwilling to resist pressure to take steps to achieve the exact opposite. Saudi Arabia
Ongoing war silences Yemeni indie radio station Tayramana FM, a product of the Arab Spring, is on indefinite hold, waiting for an end to the current war so it can re-establish the community it had built. Legacy: Gulf
Gazan poet faces death sentence in Saudi Arabia A Saudi court has sentenced Palestinian poet Ashraf Fayadh to death on charges of spreading atheism and insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Saudi Arabia
Iran's military bulks up with new Russian tanks Tehran plans to purchase T-90 tanks from Russia, but is it enough to strengthen the Iranian military? Saudi Arabia
Will election of women open door to reform in Saudi Arabia? Now that women have been elected in Saudi Arabia, the United States should take advantage of this historic example and quietly encourage further reforms there. Saudi Arabia
Turkey misfires in Iraq Turkey’s military deployment near Mosul provokes widespread opposition and sends Russia-Turkey ties into a further downward spiral; Turkey’s Kurds face "unrealistic prospect" for democracy; Barzani on the spot as a result of KRG alignment with Turkey; Russia slams Saudi hosting of Syrian opposition. Saudi Arabia
Will Lebanon finally get a new president? After 32 tries failed to produce a winner in Lebanon's long quest for a president, observers hope the 33rd time's a charm. Saudi Arabia
Will Iranians watch Saudi-financed Persian TV? Hoping to reach an Iranian audience, Saudi Arabia is moving to focus more on Persian-language media, but the kingdom has little advantage in an already saturated market. Saudi Arabia
Erdogan more isolated than ever on Syria The Turkish president is on the defensive after Turkey’s shooting down of a Russian warplane; the Syrian war enters a more dangerous phase. Saudi Arabia
Are Turkey, Saudi Arabia pressuring Jordan on terror blacklist? Jordan has been tasked with overseeing which groups fighting in Syria are designated as terrorist organizations, but its mission is complicated by alliances in the region. Saudi Arabia
Sudan gets $2.2B for joining Saudi Arabia, Qatar in Yemen war After providing financial support, Saudi Arabia is collecting on its IOU from Sudan, which now finds itself enmeshed in Yemen's civil war. Saudi Arabia