Blog Post

The PIF’s latest strategy contains some portfolio restructuring but mostly familiar elements – and future adjustments are expected.

Rather than pursuing the next iconic tower or artificial island, the UAE’s urban development model is shifting toward systems that are less visible but more essential.

Newly announced joint ventures to build rare earth refineries in Saudi Arabia are part of a larger strategy to capitalize on Western markets’ need for rare earth elements.

NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield helped secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, but diplomatic fractures and naval constraints mean its success is unlikely to be repeated in the Strait of Hormuz.

As the UAE navigates a more volatile regional environment, the next phase of its space effort will hinge on how quickly it can scale its commercial ecosystem and deepen international integration.

With the Iran war, large AI projects now sit inside a regional battlespace. The next phase of Gulf AI strategy will need to focus on resilience, continuity, and trusted infrastructure, not only capital and scale.

For now, China is a stuck actor – drifting until external conditions force a decision or create a window of opportunity.

With the Strait of Hormuz closed and alternative export routes infeasible in the short term, a comprehensive agreement with Erbil can help Baghdad address its critical lack of oil export capability.