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United Arab Emirates

November 7, 2026

Abu Dhabi 3:02 pm

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WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 18: Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a dinner in the East Room at the White House on November 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump is hosting the Crown Prince for meetings aimed at strengthening economic and defense ties, including the U.S. sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Analysis

Gulf’s $3 trillion US investment drive faces post-midterm Trump reckoning

A sweeping midterm election victory by Democrats on Nov. 3 is cause for concern among Gulf states that eagerly embraced Trump's White House and pledged huge investment commitments.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Costa Rica's Grynspan extends lead in UNSG poll as Nusseibeh places fourth

The Costa Rican candidate received 12 encourage votes in Thursday's UN Security Council straw poll.

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Latest News

UAE taps French firm for first-ever natural hydrogen exploration: What to know

FADEL SENNA / AFP via Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

OpenAI's Altman signs UAE energy, government deals amid Gulf funding push

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi (R), in a meeting with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman (L) on Nov. 2, 2026.

United Arab Emirates

UAE's Nusseibeh comes in fourth in latest UNSG straw poll: What to know

Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, speaks at a Sudan Humanitarian Fund event at the Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 3, 2026. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP via Getty Images)

United Arab Emirates

Samuel Wendel

Senior Analyst, Middle East Business & Tech

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

Sabena Siddiqui

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

Vanessa Ghanem

In Dubai, reporting on business, energy and politics

Mohammed Soliman

In Washington, DC, reporting on Gulf politics

U.S. President Donald Trump sits down to a meeting with of Gulf Cooperation Council leaders, including Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (R), during their summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia May 21, 2017. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst - RC19B4965AE0

Trump intensifies ‘Arab NATO’ talks after Iran strike

The Donald Trump administration is working to push forward with a military alliance of Middle Eastern states as the international community looks to respond to a suspected Iranian attack on a Saudi oil facility.

Dragon tree of Socotra (Dracaena cinnabari), Diksam, Socotra Island (Unesco World Heritage List, 2008), Yemen.

Island sheikh talks sovereignty in Yemen's war

The chief sheikh of the Yemeni island of Socotra spoke to Al-Monitor about growing foreign interference on the island, which has been so far spared from the fallout of the Yemeni war.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 24: Lolwah Rashid Al-Khater, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, speaks at the APCO backstage studio during the 2019 Concordia Annual Summit - Day 2 at Grand Hyatt New York on September 24, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Concordia Summit)

Interview

Qatar spokesperson: Blockade 'existential threat' to GCC

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson remains optimistic that diplomacy in Afghanistan remains possible.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is greeted by Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa after arriving at Manama International Airport in Manama, Bahrain, January 11, 2019. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool via REUTERS - RC18014FB370

Bahrain would welcome 'new JCPOA' if Iran ends 'toxic' behavior

In an exclusive interview with Al-Monitor, Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the foreign minister of Bahrain, says his country is "not shy" about working with the United States to support peace and prosperity in the region.

Will Houthis follow up on their threats to hit UAE targets?

The Houthis announced a halt in hostilities against Saudi Arabia but said nothing about the United Arab Emirates, raising questions about how serious the group is about carrying out threats to target the UAE.

What is happening behind the scenes in the Yemen talks?

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are trying to consolidate their military influence in Yemen through talks in Jeddah.

Women are seen at Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque before a visit by Pope Francis in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, February 4, 2019. REUTERS/Tony Gentile - RC187AF4AC70

GCC countries miss chance to grant women full citizenship rights

The tensions polarizing the Gulf region could have triggered long-awaited citizenship reforms, but the right to automatically pass on nationality remains a male preserve.

Destroyed car is seen between rubble as Red Crescent medics inspect the site of Saudi-led air strikes on a Houthi detention centre in Dhamar, Yemen, September 1, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi - RC15DB729000

Congress inches closer to pulling US out of Yemen war

Congress is looking to must-pass spending bills to force President Donald Trump’s hand on Yemen.

How UAE airstrikes on government forces changed military map in Aden

Hopes for a negotiated solution to the dispute in Aden vanished with Saudi Arabia calling on the UAE-backed separatists to withdraw from government institutions in the southern Yemeni city.

A police oficer stands next to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during Teknofest airshow at the city's new airport under construction in Istanbul, Turkey September 22, 2018. REUTERS/Umit Bektas - RC1D5D404840

Turkish drones in Libya are a strategic and family affair

Drones manufactured by the company of the Turkish president’s son-in-law been prominently involved in what has become a proxy war between Turkey and the UAE in Libya.

United Arab Emirates

Qatar seeks increasing development projects in Africa

Qatar is increasing its investments and aid to Somalia, with plans to expand more in West Africa in the future.

Tensions between Saudi, UAE allies threaten government in south Yemen

The Saudi Arabia-UAE coalition intervened in the war in Yemen to restore the government’s seat in Sanaa, but today fighting between proxies for Riyadh and Abu Dhabi could topple the same government in the temporary capital of Aden.