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Oil hopes could distract Bahrain from urgent reforms

Location:

BAHRAIN

Hydrocarbons in Bahrain’s economy.

Qatar faces difficult balancing act in ties with Iran

Location:

QATAR

Escalating tensions between the United States and Iran threaten to derail Qatar's delicate geostrategic position as a small, albeit wealthy, fish in a big pond. Qatar has much to…

Israel will leverage East Mediterranean assets

Location:

ISRAEL

The deal -- designed to allow Delek to focus on the larger Leviathan field -- highlights the growing commercial interest in East Mediterranean hydrocarbons. It also underlines the…

Trade will tighten Gulf-South Korea relations

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GULF STATES/SOUTH KOREA

Previously, in December 2023, South Korea signed a landmark free trade agreement (FTA) with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), only the bloc’s second with a major…

Oman's state-society relations may slowly change

Location:

OMAN

Many welcomed the decision, believing it reflected the authorities’ acknowledgement of social realities. The decision also builds on other changes to state-society relations, such…

Middle East powers may ally against Turkey

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MIDDLE EAST

The move reflects Turkey's failure to contain advances by the Moscow-backed Damascus government. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has engaged in multiple military adventures in the…

Tehran and Muscat could deepen economic ties

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IRAN/OMAN

Oman has historically maintained strong business and diplomatic links with Iran, cutting across the anti-Iranian political agenda pressed by Saudi Arabia on the other Gulf…

Turkish foreign policy will seek a power balance

Location:

TURKEY

Turkey’s confrontation with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is a key driver of regional and to some extent international policy. Erdogan’s comfortable victory in the May 2023…

Financing shortfall will push Oman to uneasy austerity

Location:

OMAN

A fiscal crunch exacerbated by the pandemic and associated oil-price crash has forced the authorities to step up long-term ‘Omanisation’ efforts, ultimately taking pressure off…

The Gulf will take on the energy transition challenge

Location:

GULF STATES

The zero-carbon fuel, promoted as a way to assist a global energy transition away from oil and gas, is the focus of major planned projects in Oman and Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile…