Geopolitics
“US envoys Witkoff and Kushner land in Qatar for fresh Iran war talks.” Euro News, June 30, 2026.
“Iran on Monday separately announced it will send delegations to Qatar this week, although Tehran insisted it has not agreed to meet with the US “at any level” after attacks across the Persian Gulf over the weekend challenged the ongoing talks.”
Go Deeper: “How Qatar’s quiet diplomacy helped pave the way for the US-Iran deal.” The Arab World, June 16, 2026.
“A Dispute Over Opening Hormuz Drives a Wedge Into U.S.-Saudi Relations.” WSJ, June 30, 2026.
“Saudi officials were displeased and interpreted Rubio’s decision not to visit Riyadh as a calculated snub, people familiar with the kingdom’s thinking said.”
Go Deeper: “A bad peace: the Arab Gulf states and the US–Iran memorandum of understanding.” IISS, June 26, 2026.
“Iraq, GCC discuss stronger ties as Baghdad pledges closer Gulf cooperation.” Arab News, July 01, 2026.
“During the meeting, Al-Zaidi said his government was committed to deepening ties with GCC countries, describing them as Iraq’s “Arab depth” and stressing the importance of building relations with regional and international partners.”
Go Deeper: “The Geopolitical Imperative of Iraq-GCC Relations.” AGSI, Jun 4, 2026.
“China, Saudi Arabia should contribute to maintaining regional, world peace, stability: Chinese vice president.” Anadolu, June 30, 2026.
“China is willing to work with Saudi Arabia to deepen political mutual trust, strengthen high-level exchanges, and expand practical cooperation to promote new progress in bilateral relations, he added.”
Go Deeper: “China – Saudi Arabia Bilateral Relations.” Bo Wang, Middle East and Economic Institute, April 1, 2026.
“Iran and Oman hold first Hormuz talks as US-Iran deal stays on edge.” Euro News, June 29, 2026.
“Yet the Strait of Hormuz remains the decisive leverage in Iran’s hands, while both sides continue to offer different interpretations of the framework deal, exploiting its vague language and apparent loopholes.”
Economics, Business and Market
“Abu Dhabi’s Investing Model Evolves With MGX’s $50 Billion AI Fund.” Bloomberg, June 29, 2026.
“It already counts OpenAI, xAI and infrastructure partnerships with BlackRock and Microsoft among its bets, and is targeting more than $100 billion in assets under management.”
Go Deeper: “The new playbook for AI leadership: The case of the United Arab Emirates.”Trisha Ray, Ryan Pan, and Raul Brens Jr., Atlantic Council, May 7, 2026.
“Persian Gulf Crude Exports Rebound to 75% of Prewar Levels.” Bloomberg, June 25, 2026.
Those routes prevented exports from collapsing altogether. Saudi Arabia maintained crude shipments to overseas buyers at about 3.75 million barrels a day through March, April and May — roughly 55% of pre-war exports — according to Bloomberg vessel-tracking data. So far this month, shipments have averaged about 4.2 million barrels a day, or 60% of pre-war levels.
Go Deeper: “How the Gulf’s Economy Is Recovering After More Than 100 Days of War.” Wired, July 1, 2026.
“Saudi Sovereign-Wealth Fund Struggles to Find Winning Investments.” WSJ, June 30, 2026.
“But the Public Investment Fund’s vast portfolio is showing little in terms of returns on its investments, with most of the growth coming from government injections and borrowing, according to its annual report published Tuesday.”
Go Deeper: “The PIF’s 2026-30 Strategy Emerges Amid Heightened Regional Tensions, Uncertainty.” Robert Mogielnicki, AGSI, May 11, 2026.
“Nigeria Draws First Tranche of $5 Billion Swap With UAE Bank.” Bloomberg, June 26, 2026.
“Africa’s biggest oil producer will provide collateral equivalent to 133.3% of the loan in naira-denominated securities for the transaction. Such deals have been highlighted by the International Monetary Fund and credit assessors including Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Ratings for its inherent risks due to a lack of transparency.”
Go Deeper: “UAE deepens Africa investment push with focus on renewables and logistics.” Vanessa Ghanem, The National, February 14, 2026.
“Asian LNG Buyers Expect Qatar to Let Force Majeure Lapse in July.” Bloomberg, June 26, 2026
“However, QatarEnergy is setting the stage to rapidly increase production and exports as it brings in empty vessels and prepares equipment at Ras Laffan for restart, while shipping out some cargoes through Hormuz. The country plans to return to normal LNG output within weeks from the undamaged parts of its facility, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani told the Financial Times this week.”
Go Deeper: “Qatar says US-Iran hotline essential to stop rogue actors impeding Hormuz reopening.”
“Net FDI inflows drop 2.4% to SR23 billion in Q1 2026.” Saudi Gazette, June 30, 2026.
“The authority added that net inflows also fell by 51.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, when they reached SR48 billion. Meanwhile, statistical data showed positive growth in total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into the Saudi economy during the first quarter of 2026, which rose to SR26.6 billion, marking a 2.4 percent increase from SR26 billion recorded in the first quarter of the previous year. However, total inflows declined by 49.9 percent compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, when they stood at SR53.1 billion.”
Go Deeper: “Foreign Direct Investment, Quarter 1 2026.” [Saudi] General Authority For Statistics, 2026.
“Saudi Arabia extends tax penalty waiver until December 2026: Key details revealed.” Gulf Business, June 30, 2026.
“ZATCA said taxpayers seeking to benefit from the initiative must be registered with the authority for tax purposes, submit all required tax returns, and settle the full principal amount of any outstanding tax liabilities.”
“Saudi Aramco helicopter crash in Ras Tanura kills all 14 on board.” Al Jazzera, June 28, 2026.
“The helicopter belonging to the Saudi Aramco oil company crashed in Ras Tanura at around 6am (03:00 GMT). The dead were all Saudi nationals, reported the SPA state news agency.”