Gulf
EXCLUSIVE
Chameleon Diplomacy: Qatar and UAE Compete in the Horn
Qatar and the UAE vie for influence in Somaliland, with commentary from Moustafa Ahmad and Dr Andreas Krieg.
Guest Bylines
Sudan’s Emergence as a New Captagon Hub
Sudan is emerging as a new hub for captagon production, with RSF-linked labs fueling its war economy and Gulf trafficking routes.
BUSINESS
Make Europe Secure Again: Gulf Energy Underwrites Europe’s Transition
UAE LNG deal boosts Germany’s energy security and defence role, marking a new Gulf–Europe compact amid shifting global power.
EUROPE
A New Schengen Gulf Style as EU Puts Up Barriers
Gulf states launch unified visa for seamless travel across six nations, as EU border controls rise even in the Schengen amid migration tensions.
BUSINESS
Oman: Rentier State No More
Oman breaks Gulf tradition with first-ever income tax on top earners, marking a bold step toward post-oil economic transformation.
Popular
National Security Strategy: The Era of Investment Power
Washington has stopped acting like a global policeman and started operating like a hedge fund, trading lectures for massive sovereign wealth deposits.
Moscow’s Calculus: Guns Fall Silent, Commerce Speaks
As Moscow sheds the weight of defunct military pacts, it ruthlessly prioritizes the economic engines that bind it to Europe.
Italy’s UNESCO Victory: Shared Mediterranean Food Gets a National Label
UNESCO has crowned Italian cooking an intangible treasure, but in a shared Mediterranean kitchen it raises a question: how far can one country claim what ends up on the plate?
Transparency or Tyranny? EU Fines X, Musk Calls It Bureaucratic Overreach
EU fines X €120M under Digital Services Act, sparking US-EU clash over tech regulation, sovereignty, and global digital dominance.
Sofia Celebrates Open Borders While Clinging to Its Currency
While Bulgaria finally dismantles physical barriers to Europe, a dilemma rises: the country opens its doors to travellers but locks its wallet against the euro currency.


