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United Arab Emirates

April 27, 2026

Abu Dhabi 8:39 am

31°C

A view of Dubai Marina in Dubai on March 3, 2026.

UAE’s cash request tests US ties as Iran war strains Gulf financial muscle

Amid growing economic fallout from the regional war, Abu Dhabi’s bombshell request for a war-time financial lifeline from the United States is less about cash and more about clout — for now.

United Arab Emirates

A liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker is moored at a LNG berth in Kawasaki, Kanagawa, prefecture April 8, 2026.

IEA delivers grim gas supply forecast as oil notches 15% weekly rise

A wave of new LNG supplies will be delayed for at least two years due to war-related damage to Qatari energy infrastructure, according the International Energy Agency's latest market update.

A picture shows the Ras Laffan Industrial City, Qatar's principal site for production of liquefied natural gas and gas-to-liquid, administrated by Qatar Petroleum, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of the capital Doha, on Feb. 6, 2017.

Analysis

Gulf energy deals face Iran war stress test as global expansion meets oil shock

ADNOC, Aramco and QatarEnergy have aggressively expanded their international portfolios in recent years, a strategy facing new constraints as the US-Israel-Iran war impacts Gulf production and exposes structural risks.

Samuel Wendel

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Latest News

Could UAE tap US currency swap line as Iran war strains Gulf economies?

Haruna Furuhashi /Getty Images

United Arab Emirates

Interview

UAE official says opening Hormuz integral to any Iran deal, describes infrastructure damage 'manageable'

Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability, United Arab Emirates

Saudi stocks hit 2026 high, bucking global war-driven volatility

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

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

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. 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.

U.S. President Donald Trump stands behind a U.S. Space Command flag with Vice President Mike Pence and Defense Secretary Mark Esper at an event to officially launch the United States Space Command in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RC1E707D9440

Pentagon touts Space Command as boon to Middle East role

The Donald Trump administration's launch of a Pentagon command to defend US space orbiting satellites could give Middle East commanders a boost in protecting their eyes and ears on the battlefield.

UAE Navy boats are seen next to Al Marzoqah, Saudi Arabian tanker, off the Port of Fujairah, UAE May 13, 2019.REUTERS/Satish Kumar - RC1AA0D0CE30

Despite heightened regional tensions, UAE seeks de-escalation with Iran

The UAE government has been taking steps toward easing tensions with Iran as a safety precaution in the event of a major military conflict between Tehran and Washington.

United Arab Emirates

Aden standoff puts Hadi's legitimacy at stake

The seizure of Aden by Yemeni separatists threatens to fracture the Saudi-led coalition.