Saudi Arabia
Syria's Labby raises $10mn from Gulf investors in first foreign tech deal
Syrian super app Labby has raised $10mn from UAE and Saudi investors, in what officials call the first direct foreign investment in a Syrian technology startup. The ride-hailing and delivery platform was announced at a signing ceremony in Damascus.
Ukraine's Caspian Sea strikes merge the Iran and Ukraine wars
“Zelensky bombed the Iranian vessel on the Caspian for the same reason his people paid Loomer to come to Kyiv and interview him: a PR campaign to try to win over Trump.”
Kuwait signs $16bn pipeline deal with Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR despite Iran attacks
Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) said on July 25 that its subsidiary Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has signed a $16bn lease-and-leaseback agreement covering its entire crude oil pipeline network with a consortium of Blackstone, Brookfield and KKR, in wh
Brent tops $100/bbl as Middle East tensions build, ING says gold struggles for safe-haven bid
Oil prices surged this week, with ICE Brent breaking above $100/bbl for the first time since May, as escalation in the Persian Gulf and fears of a widening conflict put a significant amount of supply at risk, ING said
Vance, Caine warn Trump against Iran escalation as US pauses air strikes
The US military had not announced new air strikes on Iran as of July 26, the first pause since Washington's bombing campaign began nearly two weeks earlier, after Vice President JD Vance and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.
Iran war closes Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb simultaneously for first time ever
For the first time since records began, both of the Middle East's great oil chokepoints are shut at once for the first time ever. The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since February 28, and now Bab al-Mandeb Strait is also shut.
Yemenis vow to extend Saudi blockade to Jeddah, Yanbu
A senior Houthi adviser said the movement's naval blockade of Saudi Arabia will expand from Jizan to Jeddah and Yanbu, the Red Sea terminal Riyadh has used to bypass the closed Strait of Hormuz, after Trump threatened military retaliation.
EU condemns Yemeni attack on Saudi tanker in Red Sea
A fire broke out aboard the Saudi tanker Encelia after it was struck by a projectile 70 nautical miles southwest of Al Shuqaiq. The Houthis claim attacks on two vessels for breaching their blockade. All crew are reported safe.
Trump says Saudi nuclear deal bars enrichment, ties it to Abraham Accords
Trump says Saudi Arabia will not enrich uranium under the nuclear deal signed this week and must join the Abraham Accords, contradicting reports that the agreement permits domestic enrichment.
Iraq's PM arrives in Tehran for high-level bilateral talks
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi arrived in Tehran on July 23 for an official visit to discuss bilateral cooperation, energy and regional developments.
US, Saudi Arabia to sign civil nuclear deal opening door to uranium enrichment
The US is set to sign a 30-year civil nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia that could open the door to uranium enrichment in the kingdom, drawing opposition from US lawmakers and Israel over fears it could enable a path to nuclear weapons.
Iraq's al-Zaidi to visit Tehran with offer to host Iran-US talks
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi is set to visit Tehran late this week with an offer to host direct or indirect talks between Washington and Tehran, in a bid to stop the latest US-Iran confrontation widening into a regional war.
Saudi Arabia launches one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa
Saudi Arabia has launched a one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa allowing pilgrims up to 90 cumulative days in the kingdom, part of a Vision 2030 push to ease pilgrimage travel and lift visitor numbers.
Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan propose 10-day truce between Iran and US
Regional mediators including Qatar, Egypt and Pakistan have proposed a ten-day truce between Iran and the US covering a ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, as both sides weigh the offer.
Iran hits targets in three Gulf countries and Jordan as seventh night amid American strikes
Iran struck US military targets in four countries, hitting a fuel pier in Kuwait and an air base in Bahrain, as a seventh night of American strikes on Iran's Gulf coast cut water supplies and destroyed bridges.
Iran claims strikes on US aircraft in Jordan, radar sites in Oman, as Chabahar tower destroyed
Iran's Revolutionary Guard says it destroyed US aircraft at bases in Jordan and radar sites in Oman, as a US strike levelled the control tower at Chabahar port. The claims on US losses remain unverified.
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UAE clarifies rules for five-year multiple-entry tourist visa
Dubai's residency directorate has clarified terms for the UAE's five-year multiple-entry tourist visa, allowing stays of up to 180 days a year with no sponsor, as the emirate's population growth slows from 6% to a projected 1%.
Hormuz stays closed until US accepts Iranian rule of the strait, Iran's army says
Iran's army says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until Washington accepts Iranian legal authority over the waterway, confirming strikes on shipping and warning Gulf neighbours that hosting US forces will not go unanswered.
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Iran claims strikes on weapons depots in Bahrain, drones in Kuwait
Iran's IRGC says it struck weapons depots at Bahrain's Sheikh Isa base and drones at Kuwait's Ali Al Salem base under Operation Nasr 2, retaliation it says will continue while US strikes persist.
Tankers stack up off Fujairah as Hormuz becomes contested chokepoint
Ship-tracking data shows tankers clustering at anchorages off Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Sohar rather than transiting the Strait of Hormuz, as a US cargo levy, Iranian tolls and mining claims turn the waterway into a contested chokepoint.