The Gulf Nashra Weekly Digest
Gaza Plan and the Gulf, Comments on Sudan's Tragedy, and a Book on The Biggest Company You’ve Never Even Heard Of.
Media Coverage
Geopolitics
“Arab states push back on Tony Blair role in overseeing postwar Gaza.” Financial Times, October 24, 2025.
“The countries with which Trump has been consulting over the future of Gaza include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey and Indonesia.”
“Saudi billions poised for Syria but US sanctions remain a barrier.” Reuters, October 31, 2025.
“Among the companies looking to break into the market are Saudi renewable energy major ACWA Power and state telecoms firm STC, said Abdullah Mando, CEO of the new Saudi-Syrian Business Council. The plan is to start with the basics in Syria’s war-torn economy by rebuilding energy, financial and telecoms infrastructure, he said.”
Go Deeper: “Why is Saudi Arabia Investing in Syria?” New Lines Institute, October 2, 2025.
“HRH the Crown Prince Receives Chinese Vice President.” SPA, October 29, 2025.
“During the meeting, the two sides reviewed relations between the two friendly countries, explored areas of joint cooperation, and discussed ways to strengthen these ties. They also addressed the latest regional and international developments and the efforts of both countries regarding these issues.”
“Trump’s Gaza plan financing in doubt as Gulf states push back.” Israel Hayom, October 26, 2025.
“US President Donald Trump announced that Arab nations pledged “tremendous amounts of money” for Gaza’s $70 billion reconstruction, but Gulf states funding is hesitant. Bloomberg reports Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar seek “political clarity” and guarantees. Conditions include Hamas’s complete disarmament and a Palestinian Authority overhaul.”
“Omani Foreign Minister says Israel, not Iran, is prime source of insecurity in region.” The National, November 1, 2025.
“Mr Al Busaidi said the Gulf should engage Iran as well as Iraq and Yemen – where strong Iranian influence persists – directly to bolster regional security.”
“Gulf states will invest in Lebanon if Hizbollah disarms, says top US diplomat.” Financial Times, November 1, 2025.
“Gulf states are sceptical about investing in Lebanon before Hizbollah disarms but when asked if they would finance the plan, Barrack responded: “Yes.” “They would be willing to invest up to $10bn in the southern operation, including that one,” he added.”
Go Deeper: “The Delicate Dynamics of Hezbollah’s Disarmament.” Arab Center Washington DC, August 27, 2025.
Market & Economy
“Most Gulf markets gain on easing US-China trade woes.” Reuters, October 28, 2025.
“Saudi Arabia’s benchmark index rose 0.5%, led by a 1.7% rise in Saudi National Bank, the country’s biggest lender by assets..”
“Dubai’s main share index added 0.5%, bolstered by a 1.7% rise in blue-chip developer Emaar Properties.”
Go Deeper: “Trade War 2.0: Scenarios for China’s Response and Impacts on Gulf Economies.” Emirates Policy Center, January 3, 2025.
“Dubai’s DP World to invest $5 billion in India’s logistics, port infrastructure.” Khaleej Times, October 31, 2025.
“The company has already invested $3 billion in India over the past three decades.”
“The new investment is set to enhance India’s supply chain efficiency, strengthen multimodal connectivity, and support both exports and domestic trade.”
Go Deeper: “DP World pledges $5 bn infrastructure investment in India.” DP World, October 302025.
“Saudi Economy Grows Most Since Early 2023 on Oil Supply Rise.” Bloomberg, October 30, 2025.
“Saudi Arabian state oil giant Aramco has been pumping more crude as part of supply increases agreed to by OPEC+, a cartel led by the kingdom and Russia. Production of oil, which accounts for almost 50% of Saudi GDP, averaged 9.7 million barrels a day in the third quarter, versus 9.3 million in the previous three-month period, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.”
Go Deeper: “Saudi Third-Quarter Fiscal Gap Widens on Oil Revenue Drop.” Bloomberg, October 30, 2025.
“Indian firm Megha’s unit buys coal plant from Abu Dhabi’s TAQA.” Reuters, October 30, 2025.
“The deal entails MEIL Energy, an unit of Megha, to take control of TAQA Neyveli Power Company, which owns the coal plant.”
“Private Equity Eyes Fundraising Boost With Kuwait Fund’s Return.” Bloomberg, October 31, 2025.
“PIFSS is dipping back into private equity at a delicate moment for the industry, which is contending with sharply lower fundraising as firms struggle to return capital to investors. Despite a pickup in global dealmaking, private equity exits remain sluggish, pushing investors to rely more on secondary markets to offload holdings.”
“Exclusive: Saudi Arabia plans to refocus $925 billion fund after gigaproject delays, source says.” Reuters, October 29, 2025.
“PIF’s annual average return between 2017 and 2024 was 7.2%, its most recent annual report shows, down from an average of 8.7% at the end of 2023 as it booked impairments on projects.”
“In the last year PIF has also signalled plans to scale back international investments as its gigaprojects stalled. Al-Rumayyan a year ago said the fund was aiming to bring international investments down to between 18% and 20% of its total portfolio from 30%.”
“Saudi Arabia to Update Foreign Stock Ownership Limits Next Year.” Bloomberg, October 30, 2025.
“A board member at the regulator had previously said majority foreign ownership could come into effect by the end of the year. Saudi Arabia’s benchmark stock index has rallied 12% since the middle of September, partly driven by optimism around the plan. The gauge on Thursday reversed its gains and closed 0.8% lower, its first loss in four days.”
Go Deeper: “Saudis to Free Stocks From Local Grip in Major Equity Push.” Bloomberg, September 23, 2025.
Gulf Opinions
This week’s Gulf commentators centered on the escalating tragedy in Sudan, examining both its political roots and humanitarian consequences. From the United Arab Emirates — a nation itself criticized for alleged involvement in the conflict — Ahmed Mohammed Al Shehhi argues that the catastrophe in El Fasher stems from ideological extremism and the Muslim Brotherhood’s lust for power, which he says “fuels division and exploits human suffering.” He defends the UAE’s record, stressing that Abu Dhabi consistently calls for peace, supports humanitarian relief, and backs international efforts to end the war, while accusing the Brotherhood of spreading lies and distorting the UAE’s image through propaganda. Echoing Al Shehhi’s view, Abdullah Al Otaibi traces Sudan’s collapse to the Brotherhood’s decades-long domination under Omar al-Bashir and his mentor Hassan al-Turabi — “three barren decades” that left the army steeped in Islamist ideology. When Bashir fell, he notes, “many of the army’s leaders belonged to the Brotherhood’s thought,” a legacy that ignited today’s chaos. Saudi writer Ahmed Al Dhafeeri places primary blame on RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (“Hemedti”), describing his once-military force as “a machine of destruction tearing the country apart.” Yet he insists that “the killer and the killed are all Sudanese… torn apart by narrow ambitions,” warning that any victory built on “the ruins of cities and the cries of mothers” is an illusion, and that only peace, coexistence, and reconciliation can restore Sudan’s future.
In contrast, Omani writer Asmaa Hijazi shifts attention from political blame to the unfolding humanitarian disaster, describing a “complete media blackout” as the RSF’s siege of El Fasher traps hundreds of thousands — “half of them children” — amid hunger, shelling, and disease. Her compatriot Awadh bin Saeed Baquwair expands this lens, questioning the RSF’s motives and the broader failure of military regimes in the Arab world, arguing that Sudan’s war now serves “external interests” while Arab and Islamic institutions remain passive. From Qatar, Ibtisam Al Saad echoes the same humanitarian urgency: she holds the RSF chiefly responsible for reigniting Sudan’s chaos but warns that blame alone is futile in the face of such immense suffering. “Sudan,” she writes, “has become a battlefield where we no longer know who fights whom,” as famine and death engulf El Fasher while “the world weeps for an animal but stays silent before thousands of dying civilians.” Finally, Saudi columnist Wafaa Al Rashid draws a haunting parallel between “the cries of El Fasher’s children and the groans of Gaza’s mothers,” condemning what she calls “selective humanity measured by skin color and geography.” She warns that Sudan is “being slaughtered twice — once by weapons and once by silence,” urging Arab and Islamic voices to awaken before moral collapse becomes as complete as the physical destruction consuming Sudan.
More Gulf Opinions
“Although these developments do not constitute a change in prevailing policies, they nonetheless represent significant shifts that could have major implications for the future direction of U.S. policy on several important fronts. They mark a revolution in the rules of the economic game — most notably, the growing influence of youth in the United States and a move away from what were once considered unshakable constants, such as absolute capitalism, unwavering support for Israel, and hostility toward regimes that diverge from the American model.”
Nasser bin Juma Al Zadjali, Annahar, (Kuwait), November 3, 2025.
“One of the key takeaways from the conference is that investing in the future does not mean venturing into the unknown, but rather conducting a precise reading of transformations and building economic resilience. In this context, Saudi Arabia has succeeded in presenting itself as a strong global model capable of combining economic ambition with fiscal discipline, and openness to the world with the preservation of hard-earned gains. Ultimately, the Future Investment Initiative has ceased to be merely an annual event; it has become a global economic platform that places the human being at the heart of the development equation and lays the foundation for a new era of cross-continental partnerships.”
Dr. Shujaa Albogmi, Al Yaum, (Saudi Arabia), November 2, 2025.
“A simple question arises: who is behind this misery that has driven millions from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to migrate to Europe? Is it not the Western colonialism that impoverished these countries? Is it not the same colonialism that plundered the wealth of the Global South and the Middle Eastern nations once dominated by Britain, France, and Italy? Who entrenched dictatorship in these regions if not the Western-backed governments? Who left behind the mindset of subjugation that still shapes our politics today? The West suffers from a historical amnesia.”
“Colonialism spread awareness without realizing it, awakened the sense of patriotism without knowing, and—unknowingly—planted the spirit of sacrifice in the peoples it colonized. This is the irony of history: today Europe is suffering from what its own hands have reaped over all those years.”
Abdulaziz Al Khater, Al Raya, (Qatar), November 2, 2025.
“The UN Security Council’s recognition of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty represents a triumph for Morocco’s calm diplomacy and balanced vision pursued over the years. It also places other parties before new responsibilities: either to accept dialogue within this new reality or remain outside the course of history that is moving toward stability. Morocco has proven that defending the homeland is not achieved by arms alone, but through reason, determination, and the ability to earn the world’s respect. Today, with the United Nations’ stance made clear, what was once a dream has become a solid political reality, affirming the Moroccan identity of the Sahara as an irreversible fact. What has been achieved is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new era of construction, development, and integration.”
Abdullah Alhashmi, Al Etihad, (UAE), November 2, 2025.
“In addition to the ongoing statements by the embattled and criminal Israeli prime minister, as well as his defense minister and chief of staff, declaring that the war has not ended—in clear contradiction to what President Trump and senior U.S. officials announced—Netanyahu went even further when he stated that ‘Tel Aviv does not seek anyone’s approval to launch attacks in Gaza,’ blatantly disregarding the ceasefire agreement and the commitments made by Trump and the guarantor mediators.”
Khaled Al Marhon, Al Roya, (Oman), October 29, 2025.
Picks
Book: Davidson, Christopher M., “Abu Dhabi’s IHC: The Biggest Company You’ve Never Even Heard Of.” Hurst, October 17, 2025.
Analysis: “Gulf Diplomacy Eases Afghanistan-Pakistan Tensions.” Giorgio Cafiero, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 27, 2025.
Analysis: “Making another ‘desert bloom’: Israel’s water tech seeps into the Gulf.” The Cradle, October 28, 2025.
Analysis: “Insuring ESG: Why the Gulf’s Financial Future Depends on Risk Pricing.” Christopher Gooding, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 31, 2025.
Analysis: ““Third Places” and entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia.” Meshal Alkhowaiter, Saudi Labor Pulse, October 31, 2025.
Analysis: “What was the RBI’s Gulf Rupee?” Mind Over Markets, August 19, 2025.
Analysis: “Vision 2030 Reforms and Economic Outcomes in Saudi Arabia.” Tim Callen, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 30, 2025.
Analysis: “How the UAE is trying to control the narrative on genocide in Sudan.” Mohamed Suliman, Analyst News, October 22, 2025.
Analysis: “Middle East FX, October 31st, 2025,” Denis Collot, MENA MarketLab, October 31, 2025.
Analysis: “Gulf Industrial Policy in a Changing Global Economy.” Robert Beschel, Justin Dargin, Paul Dyer, Andrew Letzkus, Middle East Council on Global Affairs, October 2025.
Analysis: “Renewed Indications of U.S.-Gulf AI Alignment.” Robert Mogielnicki, Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, October 28, 2025.
Research: “The Gulf’s evolving security mosaic: balancing the manifest retrenchment and latent influence of the United States.” David B Roberts, International Affairs, October 6, 2025.
Research: “Authority and Accountability: Policy Innovation through Evaluation Institutionalization in Gulf States.” Anis Ben Brik, Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, September 10, 2025.
Interview: “Special Conversation: H.E. Yasir Al-Rumayyan — PIF, Aramco & FII Institute.” FII Institute, October 29, 2025.
Podcast: “Saudi Arabia and Pakistan: Military Defense or a Message of Deterrence.” with Ali Awwad Asseri, Socrates Podcast, October 28, 2025.” [English Subtitle].