The Gulf Nashra Weekly Digest
Qatar to Build an Air Force Facility in Idaho, 2026 FIFA World Cup Competitions, and a Book on Uprisings in Bahrain and Syria.
Media Coverage
Geopolitics
“US announces it will allow Qatar to build an Air Force facility in Idaho.” CNN, October 10, 2025.
“The announcement of the deal comes just weeks after Trump signed an executive order for the US to guarantee the security of Qatar — a significant commitment to a non-NATO, Arab ally.”
Go Deeper: “The US and Qatar: Rebuilding Trust Through Security.” Eagle Intelligence Report, October 14, 2025.
“Saudi Arabia in talks for US defence pact.” Financial Times, October 17, 2025.
“The kingdom hopes a deal can be sealed when its day-to-day leader Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visits the White House next month, amid expectations it will be ‘robust’ and include enhanced military and intelligence co-operation, people familiar with the matter said.”
Go Deeper: “Saudi Arabia in Talks with U.S. for Robust Defense Pact.” Politics Today, October 17, 2025.
“UAE blocks Sudan oil shipments amid diplomatic fallout, global trader caught in crossfire.” Business Insider Africa, October 10, 2025.
“..the UAE has halted all cargo movements to and from Port Sudan since early August, a move that has significantly impacted the flow of South Sudanese crude oil processed in the emirate of Fujairah, one of the world’s busiest marine fuel hubs.”
Go Deeper: “Why Won’t the UAE End the War in Sudan?” Foreign Affairs, October 16, 2025.
Market & Economy
“Saudi Arabia tops GCC projects market in Q3: report.” Arab News, October 12, 2025.
“According to Kamco Invest, this represented 51.3 percent of total GCC awards — just over half of regional activity..”
“Across the region, total GCC contract awards fell 27 percent year on year to $54.8 billion in the third quarter, with nine-month awards down 30.5 percent to $154.4 billion.”
Go Deeper: “GCC Projects Market Update - Q3-2025.” Kamco Invest, October 2025. [PDF].
“IMF ups Saudi Arabia’s 2025 GDP growth forecast to 4% as oil output rises.” Reuters, October 14, 2025.
“In its latest World Economic Outlook, the IMF lifted its forecast for Saudi Arabia’s GDP growth in 2025 to 4%, from 3% it projected in April. Growth in 2026 was revised slightly higher to 4% as well.”
Go Deeper: “Launch of the October 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for the Middle East and Central Asia.” IMF, October 21, 2025. [Forthcoming].
“Qatar to grant property titles and residency visas to foreign investors within days.” Kuwait Times, October 13, 2025.
“Qatar is preparing to offer property title deeds and real estate residency visas to foreign investors within just days of purchasing property valued at a minimum of US$200,000 (around QR730,000). The initiative aims to streamline property ownership and attract more international investment into the country’s expanding real estate market, which recorded strong growth in the second quarter of 2025.”
“Saudi crown prince launches project to add 900,000 praying spaces in Mecca.” Reuters, October 15, 2025.
“The 12-million-square-meter (4.6-square-mile) mixed-use project, called “King Salman Gate,” will improve access to the Grand Mosque, the RUA AlHaram AlMakki Company said, without providing details on how much it would cost or when it would be completed.”
Go Deeper: “HRH Crown Prince announces King Salman Gate project in Makkah.” PIF, October 15, 2025.
“Historic pay hike: Filipino domestic workers in Gulf to get first raise in 20 years.” Gulf News, October 11, 2025.
“After nearly two decades without a salary adjustment, Filipino domestic workers in the Gulf and beyond are set to see a long-awaited wage increase. Starting 22 October 2025, their minimum monthly salary will rise from $400 to $500, according to a directive from the Philippine Ministry of Migrant Workers.”
Go Deeper: “Highlighting the experience of migrant domestic workers in the Arab Gulf region.” Stanford University, January 23, 2023.
Domestics
“Oman Tax Authority clarifies VAT rules for imports from UAE and GCC.” Arab News, October 13, 2025.
“The Tax Authority stated that the clarification aims to streamline VAT procedures, reduce unnecessary tax burdens, and promote smoother trade cooperation between Oman, the UAE, and other GCC states implementing VAT systems.”
“Qatar and Saudi Arabia secure World Cup spots in 4th round of Asian qualifying.” AP News, October 14, 2025.
“Asia was allocated eight automatic places at the 2026 World Cup, and Japan, South Korea, Australia, Iran, Uzbekistan and Jordan qualified from the third round in June.”
“Saudi Arabia introduces new localization policies for tourism sector.” Arab News, October 15, 2025.
“All tourism hospitality facilities are now required to have a Saudi receptionist present during working hours.”
“Tourist facilities must register all employees with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development before they begin work.”
Go Deeper: “Saudization in a “Saudi First” kingdom?” Sage Journal, May 6, 2025.
“’Hijra’ chosen Saudi Arabia’s official entry for Oscars in Best International Feature Film category.” Saudi Gazette, October 15, 2025.
“The Saudi Film Commission (SFC) announced that the feature film ‘Hijra’ has been officially selected to represent Saudi Arabia at the 98th Oscar Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.”
Oman: “MoL issues new regulation to protect domestic workers’ rights.” Muscat Daily, October 12, 2025.
“This new decision replaces Ministerial Decision No. 189/2004 and cancels outdated forms related to the recruitment of non-Omani workers. Employers and workers are granted a three-month grace period to regularize their status in accordance with the updated requirements.”
Go Deeper: “Labor Market Dynamics in Oman.” IMF, January 22, 2025.
“Qatari officials killed in car crash near Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh, embassy says.” NBC News, October 12, 2025.
“The embassy said two others were wounded and were receiving necessary medical treatment at the city’s hospital.”
“It said the injured and the bodies of the deceased would be repatriated later on Sunday to Doha.”
Gulf Opinions
Gulf commentators this week turned their attention to a series of charged football moments: Qatar hosted and defeated the UAE to secure its place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Saudi Arabia advanced after hosting Iraq. At the same time, the UAE’s Football Association representatives were notably absent from the ceremony naming it the Best Asian Federation for 2025, which added another layer to the discussion.
From Qatar, Ali Abdullah hailed his country’s qualification over the UAE as more than a sporting victory, calling it “a testament to discipline, determination, and national unity,” and praising Qatari fans as the true “twelfth player” who turned Doha’s tense qualifier into a collective triumph. Across the border, Emirati voices saw the event differently. Veteran commentator Mohamed Najeeb lamented what he described as an unfair contest, blaming the UAE Football Association for failing to secure home-and-away rights, denouncing crowd provocations, and accusing organizers of allowing political gestures that “soured the atmosphere long before kickoff.” Echoing that frustration, Mohammed Taqi went further, charging that the Asian Football Confederation had “paved the way for Qatar’s qualification and stripped the UAE of its rightful chance.”
From Saudi Arabia, the tone was one of confidence and composure. Jassim Al Jassim, writing in Al Bilad, celebrated the Green Falcons’ qualification as a “historic and well-deserved milestone” achieved through the leadership and vision of King Salman, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Sports Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal. Meanwhile, journalist Mohammed Al Bukairy condemned a lone Saudi fan who had insulted Iraqi supporters, calling it “a foolish individual act that does not reflect our values or sporting spirit,” and thanking the Media Regulatory Authority for swiftly addressing the incident. From Kuwait, Abdul Karim Al Shamali struck a tone of resigned frustration, lamenting that his country’s team was “completely absent from the picture”—neither qualifying nor even appearing in playoff headlines—and wondering, as Qatar and Saudi Arabia advanced, how Kuwait had faded so far from the regional football stage.
Concluding the week’s reflections, Saudi academic Dr. Sultan Alamer observed that a single football match had sparked “a fierce online war touching on sectarian, political, and historical sensitivities,” leading to “boycott calls in Iraq and social-media summons in Saudi Arabia,” and even smaller flare-ups between Qatar and the UAE. He asked, “How should we understand this—mere sports and national rivalry, or a sign of something deeper?”
More Gulf Opinions
“The October 7, 2023 earthquake, and the all-out war that followed, upended this entire regional order. Iran has now lost one of the main pillars of its influence with the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the rise of President Ahmad al-Shar’a’s authority in Damascus, severing the vital artery between Tehran and Hezbollah. The latter, once the most effective arm of the Iranian project, has been drained both militarily and in manpower, losing much of its leadership and field expertise.”
Abdulah Alhashmi, Al Etihad, (UAE), October 18, 2025.
“Riyadh Season is not merely an entertainment event; it is a comprehensive national platform that reflects the Kingdom’s ambition to become a global center for culture, economy, and creativity. It stands as a living example of the Saudi people’s ability to unite authenticity with modernity, joy with productivity, making Riyadh Season a symbol of renewal and an ongoing celebration of the spirit of life.”
Rana Issa, Al Bilad, (Bahrain), October 18, 2025.
“Industrialized countries—especially those that have made significant economic progress—now face serious challenges, as their economies rely heavily on a technically skilled labor force. A dangerous bottleneck has emerged, linked to one of the main elements of the industrial sector: human capital. This shortage coincides with a noticeable rise in the aging of their societies, to the extent that aging has become a defining characteristic of these nations.The reality is that declining birth rates in advanced countries have become a vital issue, with social and economic implications.”
Mubarak Ibrahim Al Kuwari, Al Raya, (Qatar), October 17, 2025.
“Saudi Arabia’s hosting of Expo 2030 is not merely an international event, but a strategic platform for building the future. The Kingdom will benefit across economic, tourism, technological, cultural, and diplomatic dimensions, strengthening its position as a rising regional and global power. It is a historic moment that crowns the nation’s transformation efforts and proves to the world that Saudi Arabia is capable of leading global dialogues on change and innovation.”
Majed Aljuraywi, Al Watan, (Saudi Arabia), October 15, 2025.
“Who will begin the reconstruction of Gaza—and before all else, the resettlement and housing of refugees who have lost their homes? What is the timeline, the plan for rebuilding, and who will oversee this new war of reconstruction? One war has ended, but new wars and power struggles are set to begin. Disputes over the terms of the agreement will erupt, and before the train of recovery and stability can run smoothly on its tracks, new crises will arise—and new conflicts will explode.”
Nayef Al Adwani, Al Seyassah, (Kuwait), October 14, 2025.
“Those governments have produced an arrogant man who speaks of ‘Greater Israel’: Benjamin Netanyahu, who, in my view, has reached the end of his political life with the war’s conclusion and has become a burden on the West, the United States, and even on the Israelis themselves—especially after manipulating the emotions of the families of captives and causing the deaths of some through his insistence on continued aerial bombardment of Gaza’s neighborhoods.”
Awadh Baquwire, Oman Daily, (Oman), October 14, 2025.
Picks
Book: Al-Rashdi, Aisha Hadi, “Uprisings in Bahrain and Syria: Sectarian Identity and State Formation.” Routledge, February 3, 2026.
Analysis: “Why Won’t the UAE End the War in Sudan?” Mutasim Ali, Foreign Affairs, October 16, 2025.
Analysis: “Oman’s Hydrogen Horizon: Linking Local Industry to Global Decarbonization.” John Calabrese, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 15, 2025.
Analysis: “No Real Alternative: Why the Gulf Will Rely on the U.S.” James Jeffrey and Elizabeth Dent, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, October 2025.
Analysis: “How does the Riyadh rental market compare to AlKhobar & Jeddah?” Meshal Alkhowaiter, Saudi Labor Pulse, October 13, 2025.
Analysis: “Bahrain Economic Development Board: Private wealth is coming to the Gulf. Here’s why.” Dalal Buhejji, World Economic Forum, August 14, 2025.
Analysis: “Israel’s Attack on Qatar and the Failure of GCC Defense Cooperation.” Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Arab Center in Washington, October 14, 2025.
Analysis: “The most competitive cities in the GCC in 2025.” Yasmine Ghozzi, Oxford Economics, September 3, 2025.
Analysis: “The UAE Adapts to Changes in the Global Trading System.” Robert Mogielnicki, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 16, 2025.
Research: Obumneme Nwafor and Mohammed Al Hooti “Machine Learning Risk Intelligence for Green Hydrogen Investment: Insights for Duqm R3 Auction.” Cornell University, July 21, 2025 [PDF].
Podcast: “AB Majlis podcast: Why the Gulf moves faster – and how AI makes infrastructure essential, according to Cisco.” with David Meads, AB Majlis, September 29, 2025.
Podcast: “How Diriyah is Shaping Saudi Arabia’s Cultural Future | Kiran Haslam, CMO Diriyah.” The Mo Show, October 7, 2025.