The Gulf Nashra Weekly Digest
Trump Vows to Defend Qatar’s Security, Gulf Ship Joins Freedom Flotilla, Opinions on the Gaza Plan and Hamas Response
Media Coverage
Geopolitics
“Trump gives Qatar unprecedented security guarantee after Israeli attack.” Axios, October 1, 2025.
“President Trump signed on Monday an executive order to provide Qatar a U.S. security guarantee with conditions similar to NATO’s Article 5, according to the text of the order published by the White House.”
Go Deeper: “Why Trump’s Executive Order on Qatar Marks a Historic Shift.” CSIS, October 2, 2025.
“As Lebanese military prepares to disarm Hezbollah, France supports Saudi conference.” Defense, September 29, 2025.
“French President Emmanuel Macron has pledged to back a ‘conference that our Saudi friends will hold’ in support of the Lebanese Armed Forces, as the LAF prepares for the contentious mission to disarm Hezbollah.”
Go Deeper: “Lebanon at a Crossroads: Can Saudi Arabia Counter Iran’s Waning Influence?” Informed Comment, February 19, 2025.
“Gulf ship joins international flotilla to break Gaza siege.” The New Arab, September 12, 2025.
“A Gulf ship with 11 participants from Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait has set sail as part of an international flotilla aiming to break Israel’s siege on Gaza..”
“The Gulf vessel is part of the wider Global Steadfastness Flotilla, a coalition of civil society organisations, grassroots movements and individuals from more than 44 countries.”
Go Deeper: “Legal analysis of the Freedom Flotilla.” Freedom Flotilla Coalition, May 10, 2024.
Domestics, Markets & Economy
“Kuwait launches $11.25 billion 3-part bond: IFR.” The Economic Times, October 01, 2025.
“The Gulf oil exporter launched a $3.25 billion, three-year portion at 40 basis points (bps) over U.S. Treasuries, a $3 billion five-year tranche at 40 bps over the same benchmark and a $5 billion 10-year portion at 50 bps.”
Go Deeper: “Kuwait Plans to Raise Up to $19.5 Billion to Finance Projects.” Bloomberg, May 19, 2025.
“Bahrain joins GCC sovereign debt rush with dual bond offering.” Zawya, October 1, 2025.
“In January, Moody’s projected that Bahrain would issue between $2 billion and $3 billion in international bonds, including sukuk, during 2025. The kingdom has already issued a series of development bonds this year, as it seeks ways to refinance debt due to strained finances from lower oil prices.”
Go Deeper: “GCC: Managing Tensions And Mega Deals.” Global Finance, August 27, 2025.
“Tesla expands Gulf Cybertruck sales to Qatar.” The National, October 03, 2025.
“Tesla’s Cybertruck is now available in Qatar, making it the third Gulf market after the UAE and Saudi Arabia where the vehicle is being officially sold, as the world’s largest electric vehicle maker gradually expands overseas.”
Go Deeper: “UAE, GCC now among the world’s fastest-growing electric vehicle markets.” Gulf News, October 04, 2025.
“OPEC+ set for another oil hike as Saudi and Russia debate size, sources say.” Reuters, October 3, 2025.
“Russia and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest OPEC+ producers, have over the past years sometimes disagreed on the size of output rises but ultimately found a compromise.”
Go Deeper: “Saudi Arabia’s Spending Spree Meets Oil Price Reality.” Oil Price, October 3, 2025.
“UAE non-oil private sector growth rebounds in September, PMI shows.” Reuters, October 3, 2025
“The UAE’s non-hydrocarbon GDP is expected to grow by 4.5% in 2025 and 4.8% in 2026 benefiting potentially from the indirect effects of higher hydrocarbon growth, including more investment, government spending and confidence in the economy.”
Go Deeper: “UAE non-oil business activity expands to seven-month high in September.” The National, October 03, 2025.
“Saudi Crown Prince orders freeze on Riyadh rent hikes for five years.” Alarabiya, September 25, 2025.
“Effective September 25, 2025, landlords in Riyadh cannot increase total rent values on existing or new residential and commercial leases for five years. The rent freeze may later be extended to other cities or regions subject to approval by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs.”
Go Deeper: “Riyadh Introduces a Five-Year Rent-Stabilization Plan to Support a Balanced and Fair Rental Market.” Lexis, September 30, 2025.
“EA Announces Agreement to be Acquired by PIF, Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners for $55 Billion.” EA Sports, September 29, 2025.
“Under the terms of the agreement, the Consortium will acquire 100% of EA, with PIF rolling over its existing 9.9% stake in the Company. EA stockholders will receive $210 per share in cash.”
Go Deeper: “From real sport to esports - why Saudi Arabia spent $55bn on EA.” BBC, October 1, 2025.
“Kuwait’s budget deficit shrinks without public spending cuts.” Al Majalla, September 22, 2025.
“The improvement came after a rise in revenues, which reached 21.bn dinars, or $72.3bn. Oil revenues of 19.4bn dinars, or $63.5bn, exceeded estimates of 18.9bn dinars. Non-oil revenue reached 2.7bn dinars, up almost 28% year-on-year.”
Go Deeper: “Closing Accounts Summary for the Fiscal Year Ending in 31 March, 2025.” Finance Ministry, September 17, 2025. [PDF].
Gulf Opinions
This week Gulf commentators focused on Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan. Omani voices were especially dismissive: Abbas Al-Maskari warned that the proposal resembles “a new mandate” that recycles historical injustices with contemporary instruments, observing that “Palestinians pay an old price with new tools—this time not through red soldiers, but through intermediaries and diplomats weaving temporary solutions that quickly harden into permanent realities.” Mohammed Al-Abri reinforced that reading, arguing any “initiative issued from Tel Aviv and announced in Washington” must be interpreted through global power dynamics that overwhelmingly favor Israel, because such offers are “framed not on recognizing Palestinian rights, but on dictates demanding compliance in exchange for vague promises of security or reconstruction.” In Doha, Hanaddi Al-Jasem—invoking Emir Tamim’s forceful UN remarks—called Israel “rogue, cunning, and deceitful,” and said that it “cannot be trusted” even when it makes agreements. She quoted the Emir: “They visit our country while plotting to bomb it; they negotiate with delegations and plan to assassinate their members. It is hard to deal with a mentality that shows no respect for the most basic principles of human conduct, making its actions nearly impossible to predict— is this not the very definition of a rogue government?”
Saudi and Emirati commentators offered a grimmer, more pragmatic diagnosis that placed greater emphasis on actors and incentives while remaining pessimistic about the plan’s prospects. Saudi Arabia’s Abdulrahman al-Rashed suggested that responsibility lies with both Hamas and Netanyahu: Hamas resists disarmament and risks losing external patrons, while Netanyahu seeks to maintain territorial and security control even under Washington’s pressure; at the same time he cannot refuse President Trump’s orders. This, he argued, indicates that these two parties are at the root of the problem. The editor-in-chief of the Saudi Al Jazeera Newspaper, Khalid al-Malik, recalled Oslo’s collapse despite U.S. guarantees—Rabin’s assassination and Israel’s subsequent backtracking—and concluded that a “guarantee-free plan” is unlikely to succeed, especially after Israel’s prime minister indicated the army will remain and Israel will retain security responsibility in Gaza. Emirati voices were sharper: Mohamad Yousef accused Hamas of having “started the evasion,” calling this “their method of obstructing and prolonging the war of extermination, as if they were determined to solve the Gaza crisis after eliminating its people,” while political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla tweeted a stark ultimatum: “Hamas, which is living its final days, faces two choices with no third option: either it willingly sacrifices itself for the sake of 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, or it will be slaughtered by the hand of an Israeli beast committing a war of extermination, pushing Gaza 5,000 years backward. Advice to Hamas: better to die by my own hand than by the hand of my enemy, the lesser of two evils.” While Gulf voices remained largely skeptical, the debate took a new turn on October 3, 2025, when Hamas conditionally accepted the Trump peace plan, agreeing to release Israeli hostages in exchange for an immediate ceasefire and further consultations on its terms. Gulf commentators have yet to reach a clear stance on whether to praise or condemn this step, even as their governments officially welcomed the agreement.
More Gulf Opinions
“The fleet, which set out for purely humanitarian reasons—carrying food, medicine, and a moral message to besieged Gaza—was subject to an armed interception in international waters; its cargo was seized, its activists assaulted, and hundreds detained, among them seven Kuwaitis who had joined this humanitarian effort with awareness and responsibility.”
“The international community, which claims to protect the global order, reveals at this moment a shocking double standard: it condemns piracy anywhere else in the world, yet remains silent in the face of Zionist piracy.”
Abdul Hamid Al Shaiji, Al Qabas, (Kuwait), October 2, 2025.
“Saudi Arabia is not content merely to build traditional cinemas; it is investing in smart infrastructure, from studios equipped with sound-isolated filming areas to training programs that prepare the next generation of filmmakers and creative talent to employ artificial intelligence. This fusion of technology and local talent demonstrates a strategic vision aimed at transforming film into a sustainable economic sector that enhances Saudi Arabia’s position in the global market. In conclusion, Saudi Arabia’s film economy is not merely an entertainment industry; it is an integrated national project that combines culture, innovation, and economic investment.”
Mohammed Al Bishsi, Al Eqtisadiah, (Saudi Arabia), October 2, 2025.
“The economic case for Chinese firms acquiring stakes in Saudi petrochemical companies is very strong in terms of financial returns, industrial security, and geopolitical alliances, but the success of this equation depends on Saudi policy striking a balance between attracting foreign investment and preserving its economic sovereignty. Thus, the entry of Chinese companies can be viewed not merely as a financial investment but as part of a long-term strategic partnership that redraws the map of the region’s petrochemicals sector.”
Abdullah Al Qahtani, Al Jazirah, (Saudi Arabia), October 2, 2025.
“The Gulf countries are no longer merely a primary source of energy; they have become a growing global investment power thanks to their natural resources, legislative reforms, and long-term economic vision. With continued efforts to diversify economies and develop financial markets, the region appears well positioned to become one of the pillars of the global financial and investment system in the coming decades.”
Adnan Ahmed Yousef, Akhbar Alkhaleej, (Bahrain), October 1, 2025.
“What is happening today is not merely a passing disagreement, but a sign of a deeper malfunction in the institutions of American governance. The shutdown, whether it begins now or is postponed, confirms that the political division in Washington is no longer a normal democratic debate but a direct threat to the discipline and stability of the state — and a message that American democracy suffers an internal crisis of confidence before it can be presented as a model to the world.”
Nawaf Al Thani, Al Raya, (Qatar), October 1, 2025.
“Colombian President Gustavo Petro — a non-Muslim and non-Arab — made clear that humanity is not tied to religion or race, and that human dignity is too high and too important to be met with silence because of extreme religious or political motives. In his historic speech, the Colombian president launched a fierce attack on the United States for its unconditional support of the criminal Zionist entity in these massacres and acts of genocide.”
Khaled Al Marhon, Oman Daily, (Oman), September 30, 2025.
Picks
Book: R. Stephenson, Lindsey, “Belonging on Both Shores Mobility, Migration, and the Bordering of the Persian Gulf.” Stanford University Press, January 2026.
Analysis: “September 9 attacks: Is a paradigm shift in Gulf security underway? Sinem Cengiz.” Gulf Studies Center, September 2025 [PDF].
Analysis: “India-US Rift Boosts the Gulf’s Oil Leverag.” John Calabrese, The Diplomat, September 10, 2025
Analysis: “Suppressed History: The Problem of Archives and Official Writings in the Gulf.” Abdulrahman Alebrahim, Jadaliyya, September 23, 2025.
Analysis: “Between Arab Solidarity and the Abraham Accords: Bahrain at the UNSC.” Mahdi Ghuloom, Observer Research Foundation, September 19, 2025.
Analysis: “US Military Bases in the Gulf: Better Upset than Sorry? Maryam Al Kuwari, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, September 15, 2025. [PDF].
Research: Máté Szalai“Intervention through Elite Competition: Interpreting the Gulf States’ Engagement with Iraq, 2003–23.” Journal of Arabian Studies, September 23, 2025.
Research: Ron Matthews,Hafeez Iskandar Bin Romainor &Irfan Ansari “Saudi Arabia’s defence industrial transition: from vision to reality?” Defence and Peace Economics, September 19, 2025.
Research: Randa Diab-Bahman, Dalal Marafie “Sustainability Development: Social Implications in a Transitive Economy.”World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, September 10, 2025. [PDF].
Podcast: “ Storytelling: A Common Thread of Humanity with Fatima Al-Banawi.” The Mo Show, October 1, 2025. [English].
Podcast: “The Hard Life of Saudis Before the Unification of the Country,” with Abdullah bin Marjah Al-Bougam, Tha Qaal podcast, September 30, 2025.
Podcast: “War and Peace in the Middle East: A View from Qatar.” Brian Katulis hosts Majed Al-Ansari, Middle East Institute, September 25, 2025.