The Gulf Nashra Weekly Digest
U.S. Secretary of State Meets Kuwait's Minister of Interior; Comments on Gaza-Israel Peace Agreement; A Book on the Omani Empire.
Media Coverage
Geopolitics
“UAE and Kuwait leaders discuss fraternal ties, regional developments.” Arab News, October 8, 2025.
“They affirmed their countries’ support for all initiatives aimed at securing a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stressing that a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution remains the only path towards lasting stability in the region and the realization of the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people.”
“The Minister of Interior meets with the U.S. Secretary of State and affirms the depth of Kuwaiti–American relations.” Kuna, October 6, 2025.
“The Ministry of Interior stated in a press release that the meeting comes as part of the official visit being conducted by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef, to the United States.”
Market & Economy
“U.S., Saudi Arabia Advance Chips Agreement.” WSJ, October 9, 2025.
“The Saudi Arabia deal still faces hurdles due to concerns about China potentially getting access to the chips and benefiting from U.S. exports. Similar worries have held up the agreement between Nvidia and the U.A.E., frustrating Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.”
Go Deeper: “Delays to Trump’s U.A.E. Chips Deal Frustrate Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.” WSJ, October 2, 2025.
Kuwait: “786 million dinars – total weekly stock market trades.” Aljarida, October 10, 2025.
“Weekly trading data showed that the main market continued to outperform the Premier Market for the second consecutive week, supported by noticeable activity in small- and mid-cap stocks, gaining around 1.1 percent.”
Oman: “‘Nazdaher’: 11 Billion Riyals in Targeted Investments with the Private Sector to Achieve Economic Diversification.” Alroya, October 9, 2025.
“The program emphasized that total targeted investments are expected to reach approximately 11 billion Omani riyals, including 19 investment agreements to establish industrial and plastic production projects valued at $160 million.”
“Saudi Fund for Development Finances Development Projects in Bahrain Worth 11 Billion Riyals.” Albilad, October 8, 2025.
“The statement also noted that trade exchange between the two kingdoms rose from $11.5 billion in 2023 to $12.9 billion by the end of 2024, reflecting a growing and diversified economic partnership.”
Go Deeper: “The Impact of Government Capital Expenditure on Achieving Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 (2010–2023).” Hasan Alsayegh, Linkedin, October 6, 2025.
“Goldman Sachs opens Kuwait office to expand Middle East presence.” Reuters, October 6, 2025.
“The bank said it had been Kuwait’s strategic partner across investment banking, capital markets and asset management for more than 50 years.”
Go Deeper: “HH the Amir receives Goldman Sachs CEO, discusses expanding investment cooperation.” The Kuwait Times, October 6, 2025.
Domestics
Qatar: “Amir issues Amiri decision appointing members of Shura Council.” Gulf Times, October 9, 2025.
“His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani issued on Thursday Amiri Decision No. 42 of 2025 appointing the members of the Shura Council.”
Go Deeper: “Qataris say no to popular elections for legislature.” The Voice of America, November 19, 2024.
Bahrain: “78% of Annual Target Achieved with Employment of 25,000 Bahrainis.” Albilad, October 7, 2025.
“Within the framework of implementing the Labor Market Plan (2023–2026), the memorandum showed that 78% of the annual employment target of 25,000 Bahrainis had been achieved by the end of the third quarter of this year. Of these, 8,000 were newly entering the labor market, achieving 82% of the annual target for new entrants.”
Kuwait: “E-Justice to Accelerate Case Resolution.” Aljarida, October 8, 2025.
“The amendment concerns the summary order system, allowing courts to issue rulings in minor cases fully electronically. The Cabinet affirmed that this ‘amendment paves the way toward a transition to e-justice, ensuring faster case resolution and significantly easing the burden on courts and litigants.’”
Go Deeper: “Kuwait’s courts to go fully digital with Google and Microsoft, nationwide launch within weeks.” The Times of India, Aug 07, 2025.
Saudi Arabia: “Riyadh Air ready for take-off with first flight to London on Oct. 26.” Arab News, October 08, 2025.
“Riyadh Air, the newest national airline for Saudi Arabia, was announced in 2023 and is owned by the Kingdom’s Public Investment Fund..”
“As announced earlier this year, Riyadh Air’s catering will be handled by Saudi company Catrion under a five-year, SR2.3 billion ($610 million) contract, ensuring consistent food and beverage quality across all flights. Menus promise to blend Saudi and international flavors for a premium.”
“Saudi Arabia grants citizenship to Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick.” Zawya, October 9, 2025.
“A royal approval has been issued to grant Saudi citizenship to American businessman Travis Kalanick, the co-founder and former CEO of Uber, as part of the Kingdom’s initiative to attract global talent and expertise.”
Gulf Opinions
This week, Gulf commentators examined Israel and Hamas’s agreement to the “first phase” of the Trump peace deal, offering contrasting interpretations of its meaning and consequences. From Oman, Husain Al Rawi expressed skepticism, arguing that the heavy losses on both sides prove the agreement “came too late.” Hatem Al Taie, editor-in-chief of Al-Roya, took the opposite view, describing the deal as clear evidence that resistance movements remain effective in shaping outcomes on the ground and that Israel was ultimately forced into acceptance, a symbolic “defeat” of its long-standing intransigence. In contrast, Bahrain’s Radhi Al Sammak contended that the accord marks “the end of the Palestinian armed struggle,” suggesting that Hamas’s acceptance of the Trump initiative is an implicit acknowledgment of the futility of violence and “the final fall of its myth.” He emphasized that peaceful means of resistance — political, diplomatic, and civic — remain capable of realizing Palestinian aspirations for self-determination and statehood. Contributing a broader sociopolitical perspective, Kuwait University’s Professor Mohammad Al Rumaihi offered a balanced critique aimed at the Arab public more than the battlefield itself. He argued that emotional analysis and “wishful thinking” have long distorted Arab understanding of the conflict, leading to symbolic glorification of resistance at the expense of rational assessment. His call is for a pragmatic, post-war strategy that transforms crisis into opportunity and unites all Palestinians within a coherent political framework rather than indulging in debates over “who won and who lost.”
In a similarly measured tone, Saudi Arabia’s Dr. Abdulaziz Al Uwaisheg, Assistant Secretary-General for Political and Negotiations Affairs of the GCC, advanced a reasoned assessment of the Gaza peace plan. While many skeptics believe it will “end where it began,” producing no genuine progress toward a Palestinian state — a perception seemingly reinforced by Netanyahu — Al Uwaisheg highlights the emergence of a growing global consensus around the two-state solution, now seen as a “universal formula” embraced by peoples before governments. Even the Trump plan, despite its Gaza-centered and conditional nature, signifies a pivotal shift: for the first time, Washington’s current administration has explicitly recognized the possibility of “Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” a reluctant yet historic step toward reviving the two-state vision. Saudi writer Fahd Al-Shoqiran builds on this reasoning, warning that although the war may have “ended,” it could mark “the birth of tragedy” unless ideological rhetoric yields to political realism, where Palestinian movements integrate into state institutions, pursue local development, and prioritize “the human interest above party or faction.” Finally, echoing this cautious realism, the UAE’s Amal Abdullah stresses that while the mere talk of ending the war is a milestone worth noting, the first phase of Trump’s plan must not obscure the deep challenges ahead, notably the governance of post-war Gaza, the fate of Hamas, and Netanyahu’s “persistent refusal” to endorse an independent Palestinian state.
More Gulf Opinions
“One of the greatest paradoxes of our time is the failure of liberal democracy to achieve its proclaimed goal of welfare—or even satisfaction—for its peoples. This ideal, once championed by the early philosophers and theorists of democracy, has not been realized by capitalist states, which liberalism has plunged into a tunnel of consumerism, the dominance of capital, the erosion of justice, and the concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, deepening poverty and widening the gap between social classes.”
Samira Rajab, Akhbar Alkhaleej, (Bahrain), October 4, 2025.
“This objective aligns with Russia’s broader policy toward the Arab world, as Moscow pursues an approach centered on expanding trade with these countries while maintaining strict neutrality in regional conflicts and emphasizing economic and security partnerships. Such a strategy reflects Russia’s desire to break the diplomatic isolation that Western nations are attempting to impose and to attract Gulf Cooperation Council states as new partners without forcing them into major power confrontations. Moreover, coordination within frameworks like “OPEC+” grants Russia an influential role among oil-producing countries and encourages Arab states to align their production policies to ensure price stability.”
Essa Al Amiri, Al Etihad, (UAE), October 4, 2025.
“Freedom, for the Western citizen, is something breathed from childhood—practiced as naturally as breathing itself. In contrast, the Arab citizen, unfortunately, lives in fear of many things, as fear in our region has become an inherited condition that we can no longer easily escape. Most of us, if not all, have been deeply pained by the scenes of suffering, displacement, poverty, humiliation, and loss that reach us every minute from Gaza, witnessing the crimes of the Zionists on its soil. We have confined ourselves to grief, our tears falling and our voices rising in curses against Netanyahu and his regime. It is a silent pain that has swept across the Arab world—while in the West, that same pain has cried out loudly for justice.”
Iqbal Al Ahmed, Al Qabas, (Kuwait), October 7, 2025.
“Most proposed climate solutions focus on replacing hydrocarbon energy with renewable energy, without genuinely addressing the root causes of the crisis or improving efficiency and fairness in the transition. The issue is not merely substituting one source for another, but rather building a balanced and equitable system without excluding one sector in favor of another ‘for reasons of hidden intent.’ The question remains open: are Gulf investments in renewable energy, hydrogen, and digital technologies driven by a well-studied strategic vision, or are they a response to international pressures that may not align with their national interests and natural wealth?”
Hassan Al Rashed, Al Sharq, (Qatar), October 9, 2025.
“The first word is Saudi, and the second is pedia, derived from the word Encyclopedia. ‘Saudipedia provides neutral, encyclopedic content that reflects a realistic image of Saudi Arabia and focuses on all cultural, social, economic, political, geographical, and historical aspects within the Kingdom. It defines itself as an authentic source that regional, Arab, and international media platforms can rely on.’ This is how Saudipedia is described on its professionally designed website, built with academic, journalistic, and methodological precision to stand as a new creative milestone in Saudi Arabia’s media and reference landscape.”
Abdullah Alamri, Al Riyadh, (Saudi Arabia), October 11, 2025.
Picks
Book: Roberts, Nicholas, “A Sea of Wealth: The Omani Empire and the Making of an Oceanic Marketplace” University of California, August 2025.
Analysis: “Gulf SMEs and the Post-Oil Economy: Lessons from the Mittelstand Model.” Frédéric Schneider, Middle East Council on Global Affairs, September 18, 2025.
Analysis: “Twin Engines of Environmental Transition: How the Gulf and Africa Can Reshape the Global Energy Order.” Jamila Mourabit, Gulf International Forum, September 30, 2025.
Analysis: “Hong Kong’s new pivot: From Western gateway to Middle Eastern bridge.” John Calabrese, Think China, October 10, 2025.
Analysis: “Trading amid turbulence: the GCC states’ networked approach to geo-economic resilience.” Hasan Alhasan, IISS, September 30, 2025.
Analysis: “From Oil To Opportunity: How Saudi Arabia Is Redefining Its Economy.” S&P Global, October 8, 2025.
Analysis: “Don’t believe the hype: The modest reality of the Saudi-Pakistani defense pact.” Middle East Institute, Gregory Gause, October 8, 2025.
Analysis: “The MENA Power Transformation: Meeting Unprecedented Demand.” Kate Dourian, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 8, 2025.
Analysis: “Saudi Arabia in Africa: Sound Economic and Geopolitical Strategy, or Resource Exploitation?” Hesham Alghannam, Carnegie, September 16, 2025.
Analysis: “Why is Saudi Arabia Investing in Syria?” Henry Rogers, New Lines Institute, October 2, 2025.
Analysis: “Can Iraq and Kuwait transform the Khor Abdullah waterway dispute into a regional diplomacy model?” Rami Alkhafaji and Safwan Al-Amin, Atlantic Council, October 6, 2025.
Research: Mesbah Sharaf, Abdelhalem Shahen, Radi Issa “Rethinking Growth in the Gulf: The Role of Renewable Energy, Electricity Use, and Economic Openness in Oil-Rich Economies.” Sustainability, October 10, 2025.
Research: Jalal Qanas, Yan Ru, Veli Safak “The Foreign Direct Investment and Trade Connection Between China and the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries.” Alternatives, October 3, 2025. [PDF].
Podcast: “Is Kuwait Falling Behind the Gulf?” Issam Altawari, Majlis & Market, October 1, 2025.
Podcast: “How Diriyah is Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Future” Kiran Haslam, The Mo Show, October 7, 2025.
Podcast: “What’s Next for GCC Bonds & Sukuk?” Hassan Jivraj hosts Abdul Kadir Hussain, Majlis & Market, October 8, 2025.