United Arab Emirates - AL-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

UAE cover image

United Arab Emirates

April 24, 2025

Abu Dhabi 4:48 pm

33°C

Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar face uneven 2025 growth as trade tensions rise: IMF

While Gulf economies face only the Trump administration’s baseline 10% tariffs, the levies have already impacted oil prices and revenue, especially for rentier states like Saudi Arabia.

US President Donald Trump (L) and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud gesture during a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh on May 20, 2017. (Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP) (Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Trump set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE May 13-16: White House

Trump's first foreign trip in his second term is aimed at reassuring Gulf partners over the Iranian threat and attracting new investments.

COONC

UAE’s ADNOC inks deal with China’s largest offshore producer as US tariffs bite

A third LNG deal has been struck between a Chinese entity and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company as Beijing scrambles for alternative sources to replace the US supply.

United Arab Emirates

Sharaa MBZ UAE

Analysis

With Sharaa's visit, UAE opens door to post-Assad Syria, but how far will it go?

Does renewed contact between the United Arab Emirates and Syria signal a deeper political alignment or a cautious attempt to manage regional dynamics without fully endorsing the new Syrian order?

Francesco Schiavi

By Francesco Schiavi

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

Latest News

Analysis

How Trump’s US chip crackdown could shake up Middle East tech ambitions

The Ameca humanoid robot greets visitors at Dubai's Museum of the Future, UAE, Oct. 11, 2022.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

GCC-Indonesia economic ties deepen with Saudi MoUs, joint Qatar fund

Jakarta

Analysis

UAE hedges against global economic volatility with EU trade agreement

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was hosted in Paris by President Emmanuel Macron, where the sides signed a groundbreaking cooperation agreement in AI, on Feb. 6, 2025.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Samuel Wendel

Senior Market Research Analyst

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Jennifer Gnana

Gulf Correspondent

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

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

Sabena Siddiqui

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

Sebastian Castelier

In Dubai, reporting on regional business

Retired US army general, David Petraeus, speaks at the Qatar Economic Forum in Doha on May 15, 2024.

David Petraeus, ex-CIA head, tapped to lead KKR's push into Mideast markets

The newly-formed team will identify investment and partnership opportunities in the region, with a focus on the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the private equity firm said.

People walk past the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street on April 11, 2025, in New York City.

Where Middle East’s top investors stand as tariffs roil US bond market

A fighter loyal to the army patrols a market area in Khartoum on March 24, 2025.

Analysis

As Sudan's genocide case against UAE opens at ICJ, legal shield under fire

The war in Sudan has been described as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with 14.6 million people displaced and 30.4 million in need of aid, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics

Florian Wiegand/Getty Images

Mideast markets rebound with tariff suspension after top Gulf firms suffer $100B rout

A global stock rally on April 10 followed a major sell-off in the Gulf, driven by a policy reversal from US President Trump suspending tariffs.

An aerial view of the Cheniere Energy liquefied natural gas plant, on Feb. 10, 2025, in Port Arthur, Texas.

UAE's Mubadala makes first US gas play in wave of Gulf LNG investment

Other Gulf energy majors such as Saudi Aramco and ADNOC have already made significant investments in US LNG.

United Arab Emirates

Alex Wong/Getty Images

Analysis

Trump tariffs could disrupt Gulf’s IPO hot streak as markets sink

New US tariffs have roiled markets worldwide and initial public offerings should not be expected to escape unscathed.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Wright

US energy secretary to tour Gulf amid oil market pressure, Iran talks

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is expected to meet with several Gulf leaders during his trip as the region grapples with lower oil prices after President Donald Trump imposed universal tariffs last week.

trump shows mbs a chart

Analysis

Can Saudi Arabia use investment flattery to woo Trump during visit?

The US president's top priorities will be shoring up US investment from the Gulf, discussing cease-fires in Ukraine and Gaza and the threat of Iran.

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

WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 02: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a “Make America Wealthy Again” trade announcement event in the Rose Garden at the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Touting the event as “Liberation Day”, Trump announced additional tariffs targeting goods imported to the U.S. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

How Trump's latest tariffs impact the Middle East

Gulf countries were relatively spared, with the US imposing only a 10% tariff, whereas other Middle Eastern nations are facing steeper trade penalties.

US President Donald Trump walks toward Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House, on March 28, 2025, in Washington.

After major arms sales, Trump to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar: What to know

The president is urging Gulf countries to increase their investment in the US after a series of bilateral economic and defense deals in recent months.