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June 20, 2026

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French Trade & Invest Commissioner for United Arab Emirates and Middle East and Business France's regional director for the Middle East Axel Baroux. — Business France

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

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Saudi Aramco's VC arm sees boom in emerging technologies, retail

Anas Alqahtani, CEO of Wa'ed Ventures, expects strong growth in Saudi Arabia’s emerging technology and retail sectors over the coming years.

Latest News

Who is Fahd Al-Dosari, Saudi Arabia’s new ambassador to Lebanon?

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji meets with Fahd bin Abdulrahman bin Hathloul Al-Dosari, the new Saudi ambassador to Lebanon, in Beirut on June 17, 2026.

Saudi Arabia's Riyadh Air wins US flight approval: What to know

A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft of Saudi airline Riyadh Air is pictured on the tarmac at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on June 7, 2026.

Gulf cautiously welcomes US-Iran deal as Hezbollah congratulates Tehran

Veiled women in black Chadors wave Iran and Hezbollah flags during commemoration at the Iranian embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on April 22, 2026.

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

Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein (R) shakes hands with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, in Baghdad on Feb. 2, 2023.

Saudi Arabia, UAE invest $6 billion in Iraq operations

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will join together to boost trade and commerce in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia's Minister of Energy Abdulaziz bin Salman looks on during a press conference after the 45th Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee and the 33rd OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting, Vienna, Austria, Oct. 5, 2022.

Saudi Arabia extends oil production cut in attempt to increase prices

Russia also moved to tighten supply, announcing it would reduce oil exports to 500,000 bpd in August.

Visitors use an augmented reality mask on the Saudi Arabia company STCs stand at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, in Barcelona on February 27, 2023. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) (Photo by THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images)

Gulf investors shape US-China tech competition, from Silicon Valley to Shenzen

Facing a funding drought, big name US venture capitalists have been descending on the Gulf in search of fresh funds.

Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Supporters of Iraq's Sadrist movement gather outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on June 30, 2023 for a second day of protests against a Koran burning outside a Stockholm mosque that outraged Muslims around the world. The protest came a day after an Iraqi citizen living in Sweden, Salwan Momika, 37, stomped on the Islamic holy book and set several pages alight in front of the capital's largest mosque. Swedish police had granted him a permit in line with free-speech protections, but authorities later said

As protests continue against Sweden, OIC to meet in Saudi on Quran burning

Member states are set to discuss measures to be taken against attacks on the Muslim holy book.

People walk past the main gate to the campus of the American University of Beirut (AUB) in the heart of the Lebanese capital, on January 13, 2022. - Power shortages and soaring petrol prices mean many Lebanese students can neither afford to reach their classes nor study from home, a conundrum that is ravaging a generation's future. (Photo by ANWAR AMRO / AFP) (Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images)

9 Middle East universities, 3 in Saudi Arabia make world’s top 300 schools

Nearly 150 universities from the MENA region are featured in a list of the world’s top universities.

West Bank violence

Blinken: US warned Israel that West Bank tensions could undermine Saudi normalization

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it would be tough, if not impossible, to deepen and expand the Abraham Accords if the violence continues in the West Bank.

Muslim pilgrims crowd Saudi Arabia's Mount Arafat,also known as Jabal al-Rahma or Mount of Mercy, during the climax of the Hajj pilgrimage on June 27, 2023. The ritual is the high point of the annual pilgrimage, one of the five pillars of Islam, that officials say could be the biggest on record after three years of Covid restrictions. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP via Getty Images)

Millions of Muslims mark Eid al-Adha in Saudi Arabia after hajj pilgrimage

Muslims in the region are celebrating Eid al-Adha despite soaring prices.

OXCCU

British sustainable fuel startup eyes Middle Eastern market

OXCCU looks to lower the cost of sustainable aviation fuel to make it a more attractive option for airlines to buy instead of fossil fuels.

Saudi Arabia Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (2L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R).

Top Saudi officials travel to China to attend 'Summer Davos' as ties deepen

The kingdom’s economy minister and other top officials will participate in the so-called Summer Davos as China-Saudi ties continue to gain momentum.

This photograph taken on June 21, 2023, shows an Airbus A321 XLR airplane.

Analysis

More Middle East aircraft orders expected after quiet Paris Air Show

The IBA industry consultancy firm had expected an order from Turkish Airlines, but the carrier delayed its plans at the last minute by two months.

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

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is greeted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Saudi Arabia last April.

Saudi Crown Prince MBS meets Egypt's Sisi in France

Egypt has looked to Saudi Arabia for help during its ongoing economic crisis.

Omani Police

Oman seizes 6 million pills in Captagon bust with Saudi Arabia

A video shared by the Royal Oman Police shows agents unloading what appears to be white cardboard boxes filled with bags of Captagon tablets encased in moss-colored bricks.