Saudi
BUSINESS
Healthy Competition: A New Challenger to the Gulf’s Aviation Titans
Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air is throwing a dose of healthy competition in the Gulf’s aviation “Big Three”: Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad.
EUROPE
Money Makes the World Go Round: What Brussels Can Learn from Trump’s Visit to the GCC
Trump’s Gulf visit shows Europe how to win in trade talks: mix pragmatism, investment pledges, and informal diplomacy.
BUSINESS
AECD Forum Go Ahead Despite Vision 2030 Hiccups
Riyadh hosts 120 mayors at the Arab-European Cities Dialogue Forum, advancing urban innovation despite Saudi project slowdowns.
WORLD
Trump Returns to Gulf for First Foreign Trip
Trump’s 2025 Gulf trip targets $1T in deals with Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar, boosting U.S. jobs and reshaping global diplomacy.
Ukraine War
A Line in the Sand? Saudi Hosts Putin-Trump Showdown
Trump and Putin plan Saudi talks on Ukraine war; Kyiv's role uncertain, raising concerns over the legitimacy of any peace deal.
Popular
Gulf Sports Investments and Regional Security
Qatar's world-famous sports infrastructure sat empty as airspace closures grounded the Finalissima, leaving decades of Gulf investment in suspension.
France: The End of Macron’s Middle Ground
The tallies from the municipal ballots gave the political fringes a triumph that the French establishment had not planned for.
Gulf War Dismantles the West’s Russia Sanctions Regime
The Iran war gave Moscow oil revenues, diplomatic standing, and the quiet satisfaction of watching Washington undo four years of sanctions.
Three Forgotten Islands Could Decide the Strait of Hormuz
Iran warned this week that any attack on its Hormuz islands would turn the Gulf bloody, as the UAE signalled it now sees a chance to reclaim them.
Stuttgart Voters Punish Merz as Energy Prices Surge
In the industrial heart of Germany, rising energy costs and a sudden war have triggered a surprise election win that hints voters are reaching a breaking point.
