Opinion Oil & Gas Despite Trump, China still has a big thirst for Gulf oil Gulf suppliers are taking immediate advantage of Washington’s hardline trade posture April 22, 2025
Utilities Foreign companies cash in as Gulf turns to smart power grids Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among the Gulf states investing billions to make their electricity grids “smart” using artificial intelligence – and increase their share of generation from solar and wind power. That share is expected to almost double in the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years. It will rise […] April 22, 2025
Markets Gulf issuers plan debt sales, undeterred by market turmoil Gulf issuers, including Saudi Arabia’s $925 billion sovereign wealth fund, are working on a round of bond offerings, according to sources, braving debt markets despite recent turmoil ignited by US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies. Markets have been volatile since Trump announced sweeping tariffs on April 2, even after he rolled most of them back, as investors struggle to […] April 22, 2025
Tax Trump tariffs threaten $22bn in Arab exports says UN Bahrain and Jordan are the countries likely to be most affected by tariffs planned by President Donald Trump on non-oil exports by the Arab world to the US worth nearly $22 billion, a United Nations body has warned. Despite a sharp fall in the region’s sales of oil to the US over the past decade, […] April 21, 2025
Markets Population burst bolsters Dubai’s listed companies Listed companies in Dubai were on average the most profitable last year among the Gulf exchanges as the emirate’s banking, real estate and telecom sectors benefited from its expanding population. Net profit at Dubai’s listed companies totalled $25.4 billion, up 16 percent compared with the year before, according to a report by Kuwaiti asset manager […] April 21, 2025
Markets Value of GCC bonds down in first quarter The value of bonds issued by the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) slumped by 7 percent in the first quarter of 2025 following a steep fall in Saudi Arabia, according to a Kuwaiti think-tank. The total value of bonds and Islamic sukuk issued by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman was $51.5 […] April 21, 2025
Opinion Trade Gulf logistics reform must be prioritised The GCC could become a leader in cooperation and connectivity through better-harmonised regulations April 18, 2025
Opinion Agriculture The Gulf must rethink food security in the wake of Trump’s tariffs The growing US-China trade war may have significant repercussions for the Middle East April 18, 2025
Banking and Finance GCC banks unlikely to escape US tariff impact US President Donald Trump’s imposition of additional import tariffs will trouble GCC banks, despite the bloc’s meagre non-oil exports to the United States, according to analysts. Trump’s tariff strategy, targeted principally at China but worldwide in scope, has roiled global equity markets, sent the dollar tumbling and exacerbated oil price declines. As such, “the indirect […] April 18, 2025
Opinion Banking and Finance Service without a smile: Why regional banks must step up Service standards remain poor - this needs to change April 17, 2025
Video length: 04:57 VIDEO Utilities Water scarcity: The GCC’s desalination challenge The Gulf is one of the most water scarce regions in the world, so it has had to adopt innovative solutions for its water resources. One of the most prominent of these is desalination. While less than 1 percent of the world’s drinking water is desalinated, GCC countries depend on their desalination plants for up to […] April 17, 2025
Analysis Transport Mena business travel surged before tariff storm hit The number of business travel trips booked in the Mena region increased by more than 50 percent in the first quarter of 2025. However, the onset of a trade war and a projected slowdown in economic growth may temper performance for the foreseeable future, according to travel experts. Business travel company Tamodo said it expected […] April 17, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Oil, tariffs and the coming crash Trump’s tariff war, Opec+ tensions and fears over Iran are driving oil prices into a perfect storm April 16, 2025
Oil & Gas IEA slashes oil demand outlook as trade tensions bite The International Energy Agency (IEA) slashed its 2025 oil demand growth forecast on Tuesday, citing rising trade tensions and a weakening global economy. The forecast widens the gap with Opec’s more upbeat outlook. The Paris-based watchdog now expects demand to grow by just 730,000 barrels per day in 2025, down from 1 million bpd previously […] April 15, 2025
Markets Foreign investors cut Gulf stocks even before Trump-led turmoil In the build up to the biggest global stock market rout since at least the Covid-19 pandemic this month, foreigners were net sellers of more than $400 million of Saudi Arabian equities in March. This was the first net monthly outflow of the year and the biggest since April last year, as disappointing earnings made […] April 15, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Trump’s trade moves put American LNG at risk Liquefied natural gas producers in the Gulf, not the US, look likely to be the beneficiaries of the tariff war April 14, 2025
Opinion Energy Energy is the Gulf’s trump card in the era of tariff wars For Gulf policymakers, the pressure to choose between the US and China is mounting April 14, 2025
Analysis Construction Global trade war prompts Gulf construction reassessment The global trade tensions triggered by Donald Trump’s tariff hikes is sending shockwaves through the Gulf’s construction sector, leading Saudi Arabia and the UAE to rethink sourcing materials and supply chain networks. The risk of costs accelerating has risen, but over the longer term prices could temper, providing a cost opportunity for the GCC, industry […] April 14, 2025
Analysis Trade US-China trade war brings pros and cons for the Gulf The growing trade war between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, presents the Gulf Arab states with a complex puzzle. International commerce may shift towards new consumer and trans-shipment markets, while a recession-driven collapse in oil prices and higher-for-longer inflation because of tariffs are further risks to the region. Sectors of the […] April 12, 2025
Economy Visiting US energy minister expects more UAE investment The US administration expects “growing” investment from the UAE in the US energy sector, its energy secretary Chris Wright said during a visit to Abu Dhabi this week. On his first overseas trip since taking office, Wright met senior officials from the UAE – the Middle East’s third-largest oil producer – including Abu Dhabi National […] April 11, 2025
