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Analysis

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A Saudi-UAE Thaw?

The thaw between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is likely designed to project a united front, particularly against the Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 29. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS)

Gulf Oil Exporters to Build Storage in Asia

Gulf national oil companies are looking to increase stockpiles in Asia to meet customer needs, address their energy security concerns, and enable a nimbler response to unexpected market disruptions.

Ben Cahill

9 min read

China’s Cautious but Steady Advance in the Gulf

Beijing keeps treading carefully around conflict in the Middle East while seeking opportunities to deepen ties with key country partners through a longer-term regional engagement strategy.

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping meet in the Oval Office of the White House, September 24, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

AI Is Reshaping the Yemen Battlefield

Artificial intelligence is entering the Yemen conflict through weapons engineering and U.S.-supported targeting operations, extending a regional transformation accelerated by the war with Iran.

A drone is launched in what Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say is an attack on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, at an unknown location in this still image taken from video released August 9. (Houthi Media Centre/Handout via REUTERS)

Signs of Life: Tehran Signals Continuity at Home and Abroad 

The October 2 edition of the Iran Media Review explores Iranian media efforts to demonstrate regime continuity.  

Ali Alfoneh

4 min read

Signs of Life: Tehran Signals Continuity at Home and Abroad 

U.S.-Iran Impasse 

The September 30 edition of the Iran Media Review considers analysis on the underlying impasse between the United States and Iran – that neither side will surrender leverage without reciprocal concessions. 

Ali Alfoneh

9 min read

U.S.-Iran Impasse 

President Pezeshkian at the United Nations

The September 25 edition of the Iran Media Review analyzes Iranian responses to a speech by the Iranian president and a meeting between the Iranian foreign minister and U.S. negotiators on the sidelines of the United Nations.

Ali Alfoneh

6 min read

President Pezeshkian at the United Nations

With Mojtaba in Occultation, Qalibaf and Rezaei Articulate Iran’s Terms

The September 22 edition of the Iran Media Review considers an IRGC-linked newspaper’s suggestion that the supreme leader might remain in hiding and statements by Iranian officials laying out Iran’s terms for negotiations with the United States.

Ali Alfoneh

5 min read

With Mojtaba in Occultation, Qalibaf and Rezaei Articulate Iran’s Terms

Saudi Current Account Back in Deficit in the Second Quarter

The Saudi current account moved back into deficit in the second quarter of 2026, but the external sector position of the kingdom remains very strong.

Tim Callen

3 min read

Saudi Current Account Back in Deficit in the Second Quarter

Saudi Fiscal Deficit To Be Larger Than Budgeted in 2026

The Saudi Ministry of Finance now expects a larger-than-budgeted fiscal deficit in 2026 as expenditure increases to support the economy.

Tim Callen

4 min read

Saudi Fiscal Deficit To Be Larger Than Budgeted in 2026

Saudi Labor Market Holds Firm in Face of Regional Conflict

The regional conflict has so far had a limited impact on the Saudi labor market.

Tim Callen

2 min read

Saudi Labor Market Holds Firm in Face of Regional Conflict

Data Confirms a Large Economic Contraction in Saudi Arabia in the Second Quarter

The Saudi economy contracted sharply in the second quarter of 2026. Any recovery will be slowed by the recent renewal of hostilities in the region.

Tim Callen

2 min read

Data Confirms a Large Economic Contraction in Saudi Arabia in the Second Quarter

A New Generation Is Putting Bahraini Cuisine on the Map

Chefs Suman Ali Sayed and Dona Murad are introducing Bahraini cuisine to eateries abroad, attracting international diners increasingly interested in distinct food cultures and histories.

Shaistha Khan
Shaistha Khan

6 min read

Talli Circle: Traditional Weaving Connects Emirati Women

Talli Circle, a new platform highlighting a traditional Emirati form of weaving, is reconnecting young Emirati women with their culture, heritage, and mothers and grandmothers.

talli Circle community event at Jumeirah Beach Park. (Courtesy of Talli Circle)

Al-Falaj Connects Researchers to the Scattered Archives of Arabia

Saudi author and anthropologist Ghada AlMuhanna Abalkhail launched al-Falaj, an open access digital directory, to help users explore the Arabian Peninsula's visual and documentary heritage.

Sharifah Alhinai

11 min read

This photograph was taken inside Jabal Al Qarah, situated between the villages of Al Tuwaythir and Al Qarah in Al Ahsa governorate on May 31, 1924. (Swiss geologist Arnold Heim via ETH Zurich)

Hind Al Mulla Is Taking Home Bakery Global

After building highly successful restaurants in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Emirati pastry chef Hind Al Mulla plans to take the Home Bakery group global while providing a platform for other Emirati entrepreneurs.

Abdulla Almarzooqi

14 min read

Home Bakery’s flagship branch in Al Wasl, Dubai. (Courtesy of Hind Almulla)

A New Gulf Partnership

In May, President Donald J. Trump embarked on a trip to the Gulf that signals a new era in U.S.-Gulf relations. AGSI's A New Gulf Partnership series explores the ways U.S. strategic relations with these countries are evolving and offers policy recommendations for the U.S. administration to maximize political and economic influence.

President Donald J. Trump is welcomed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 13. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

Energy and Climate Initiative

AGSIW’s Energy and Climate Initiative explores Gulf energy and climate policies, technological advances, and pressing political, social, and environmental issues ahead of COP28.

'Cop28 UAE' logo is displayed on the screen during the opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week under the theme of 'United on Climate Action Toward COP28,' in Abu Dhabi, UAE, January 16. (REUTERS/Rula Rouhana)

U.S. Presidential Election

AGSIW’s U.S. Presidential Election series explores Gulf perspectives on the 2024 election and considers how the election results may shape the future of U.S. engagement in the Gulf region.

Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris take part in a presidential debate hosted by ABC in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., September 10, 2024 in a combination of file photographs. REUTERS/Brian Snyder - RC22Y9AP0PX3

Trees of the Gulf

This series looks at the vital role certain trees play in the region's collective memory, survival, and plans for the future.

A worker collects dates from a palm tree during Unaizah Season for Dates, capital of Al-Qassim region, Saudi Arabia August 15, 2020. (REUTERS /Ahmed Yosri)

All Analysis

CLEAR ALL

A Saudi-UAE Thaw?

The thaw between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is likely designed to project a united front, particularly against the Houthis in Yemen.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets UAE Vice President and Deputy Prime Minister Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, September 29. (Saudi Press Agency/Handout via REUTERS)

Gulf Oil Exporters to Build Storage in Asia

Gulf national oil companies are looking to increase stockpiles in Asia to meet customer needs, address their energy security concerns, and enable a nimbler response to unexpected market disruptions.

Ben Cahill

9 min read

China’s Cautious but Steady Advance in the Gulf

Beijing keeps treading carefully around conflict in the Middle East while seeking opportunities to deepen ties with key country partners through a longer-term regional engagement strategy.

President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping meet in the Oval Office of the White House, September 24, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

AI Is Reshaping the Yemen Battlefield

Artificial intelligence is entering the Yemen conflict through weapons engineering and U.S.-supported targeting operations, extending a regional transformation accelerated by the war with Iran.

A drone is launched in what Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis say is an attack on the Red Sea port city of Mokha, Yemen, at an unknown location in this still image taken from video released August 9. (Houthi Media Centre/Handout via REUTERS)

With U.S. Withdrawal, Can Iraq Exert Control Over the PMF?

As U.S.-led coalition forces withdraw from Iraq, Baghdad is confronting the political bargains that allow armed factions to defy the state.

Yerevan Saeed
Yerevan Saeed

8 min read

Members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces attend a commemoration ceremony marking the second anniversary of the killing of Iranian military commander and head of the Quds Forces Major General Qassim Suleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis near Baghdad International Airport, January 2, 2022. (DPA/PICTURE ALLIANCE)

Gaming in the Gulf

The Esports World Cup’s staging in Paris showcased Saudi Arabia’s global gaming ambitions, and the booming sector is also helping to narrow the regional gender gap in technology and entertainment.

Team Falcon play in the Esports World Cup, Paris, France (Courtesy of Esports World Cup)