Opinion Industry Everyone’s losing sleep over tariffs – except Gulf car buyers Here’s a little-known UAE trade secret: it can take up to a year for a vehicle’s price to adjust The majority of our new (and used) vehicles arrive on ships from Asia, Europe and China Imthishan Giado, Partner, Motoring Middle East
Opinion Oil & Gas Despite Trump, China still has a big thirst for Gulf oil China’s economic engine is changing gears, not stalling – and it is still thirsty for Gulf fuel Gulf suppliers are taking immediate advantage of Washington’s hardline trade posture Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Markets Searching for a Trump-proof gem? Head for an emerging market 2025 could trigger a reversal of fortunes between Wall Street and emerging markets China, Singapore, Brazil and India could become havens for investors fleeing the trade war Matein Khalid, Investor
Opinion Agriculture The Gulf must rethink food security in the wake of Trump’s tariffs Agricultural trade in the Gulf will not be shielded from the ripple effects of US tariffs The growing US-China trade war may have significant repercussions for the Middle East Martin Keulertz, Lecturer, University of the West of England
Opinion Food & Drink Rising cocoa prices could dampen cravings for Dubai chocolate A volatile commodity market is putting pressure on the UAE’s chocolate makers Climbing cocoa prices and new regulations may dent growth in the UAE's premium confectionery market Josh Gilbert, Market analyst, eToro
Opinion Lifestyle Bubbly, Bauhaus and Blahniks – a tour of Art Dubai 2025 One way to 'do' Art Dubai is to treat the actual art as secondary and just focus on the crowd Over the years, I’ve refined three techniques for experiencing the joys of Art Dubai Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Trade Gulf logistics reform must be prioritised It is estimated border waiting times result in a loss to the Gulf region of $266m a year The GCC could become a leader in cooperation and connectivity through better-harmonised regulations John Manners-Bell, CEO, Transport Intelligence Insight
Opinion Banking & Finance Service without a smile: Why regional banks must step up Why are banks traditionally so bad at customer service? The reasons are many Service standards remain poor - this needs to change Suvo Sarkar, CEO, 3D Advisory
Opinion Banking & Finance There’s no easy fix for Lebanon’s banking collapse It is politics, not finance, that prevents the resolution of the Lebanese banking crisis New Central Bank governer Karim Souaid needs all the help he can get Andrew Cunningham, Middle East banking consultant
Opinion Oil & Gas Oil, tariffs and the coming crash After the protectionist firestorm in Washington, recession is inevitable. The wolf is real, and here Trump’s tariff war, Opec+ tensions and fears over Iran are driving oil prices into a perfect storm Matein Khalid, Investor
Opinion Artificial Intelligence The Gulf’s time to seize AI leadership is now The world has reached an inflection point, and the race for AI leadership is still wide open Deeper collaboration across states could significantly amplify the Gulf's impact Mark Breslin, Emerging technologies expert
Opinion Banking & Finance From horses to houses: the march of UAE tokenisation The DLD tokenisation project could be a case study of real estate in the age of digital assets Digital fractional ownership is turning high-value assets into accessible investments Justin Harper, Business journalist and editor
Opinion Oil & Gas Trump’s trade moves put American LNG at risk Lower LNG prices beckon for all over the next five years. But Doha won’t mind so much Liquefied natural gas producers in the Gulf, not the US, look likely to be the beneficiaries of the tariff war Robin Mills, CEO, Qamar Energy
Opinion Media & Advertising Dubai chocolate is the golden ticket of city branding Dubai chocolate may sound like a calculated branding exercise to promote the city. It’s not Food is part of a place's cultural identity. Plenty of cities and countries have dishes associated with them Austyn Allison, Middle East advertising expert
Opinion Energy Energy is the Gulf’s trump card in the era of tariff wars It is too early to bet on a US or China ‘winner’ – better to play for time and use energy diplomacy For Gulf policymakers, the pressure to choose between the US and China is mounting Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Oil & Gas Libya courts oil investors but risks loom large Oil companies are watching Libya – but do they see opportunity, or a risk too far? The country's long-term stability will ultimately determine investment success Salem Maiar, Consultant in Libyan natural resources and geopolitics
Opinion Trade Riyadh and Beijing deepen ties beyond trade It is clear the next generation of Saudis will have a much greater knowledge of China China realises that, to become a true global power, it needs to better explain itself to the world Jonathan Fulton, Associate Professor, Zayed University
Opinion People & Lifestyle Despite what the Spectator says, the passport business is alive and thriving High net worths are cranking up their passport portfolio, with four considered a fair goal 'Investment migration' is on the rise, with rich US citizens in particular looking to move Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Trade South Africa courts Gulf in $5.5bn infrastructure push It is obvious why South Africa's infrastructure minister made a beeline for the GCC states Some of the UAE’s leading international investors are already present in the South African market Liz Bains, Journalist
Opinion Tax To get tech giants to pay their fair share, the taxman needs AI too Digital taxation is now a worldwide priority as tech giants operate across borders It's not easy for governments to track the activities of digital businesses. AI-powered tools can help Manal Abdel-Samad, Senior adviser in fiscal policy
Opinion Oil & Gas Trump’s Gulf trip will test regional nerves and alliances Presidents don’t like public embarrassment, and neither do Gulf emirs or crown princes With oil sliding and Iran talks ahead, the GCC braces for a high-stakes presidential visit Simon Henderson, Director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Opinion Tourism Moscow’s metro rolls out Arabic welcome for Gulf tourists Russia is increasingly trying to tailor its tourism offerings to suit Arab visitors' preferences Arabic speakers visiting Russia often struggle to find locals who speak their language. Yet Moscow is eager to welcome them Andrey Ostroukh, Comms consultant
Opinion Trade Gulf states brace for global trade upheaval As with all moments of crisis, the tariff shock can mean opportunities for the GCC US tariffs may dampen GCC growth but could also accelerate regional industrial ambitions John Manners-Bell, CEO, Transport Intelligence Insight
Opinion Economy Trump’s tariffs bring that sinking Lehman feeling After days of carnage on global equity and financial markets, I have that sinking Lehman feeling The world is in for a wild ride which will change everything, mostly for the worse Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Aviation US policy rattles Middle East aviation industry US airlines have shown little interest in flying directly to the Gulf, with virtually no presence Tariffs and weak demand leave Middle Eastern carriers wary of market shifts John Grant, Partner, Midas Aviation
Opinion Media & Advertising Caracas, high fives and Covid: my passport’s eventful decade Flicking through a passport's dog-eared pages is like a conversation with an old companion Frank Kane's passport has taken him on a lot of adventures – what will the new one bring? Frank Kane, Editor-at-Large, AGBI
Opinion Business of Sport Gulf nations gain ground in sport soft power ranking The race for soft power through sport will only intensify – and Gulf states are in the mix The Gulf's three big spenders all appear on the soft power list, but might well wish they were higher Simon Chadwick, Professor of AfroEurasion sport
