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Al Majalla

Will the GCC train finally leave the station?

From Kuwait to Oman, the Gulf states are building railway links to connect their ports, cities, and industry, but it is a $250bn project that requires political determination. Will it ever happen?

Amer Ziab Al-Tamimi 24 June 2026
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian holding a memorandum of understanding he and US President Donald Trump signed to end the US-Iran war on 17 June, 2026. IRINN Iranian state television/AFP

How a US-Iran deal will impact Gulf relations with Tehran

As a costly war draws to a close, Tehran has the chance to chart a new course in relation to its neighbours, but that requires a change of mindset

Zaid bin Ali al-Fadhil 18 June 2026
Al Majalla

The US war on Iran widened the GCC-Tehran gulf

Differing priorities, values, and interpretations have led to a trust deficiency on both sides of the Gulf for decades, but the US war on Iran brought those festering issues to the fore

Zaid bin Ali al-Fadhil 12 June 2026
This handout satellite image, courtesy of Vantor, shows damage following a drone attack on a high-rise apartment building in Bahrain's capital Manama on 2 March 2026. SATELLITE IMAGE ©2026 VANTOR / AFP

The Gulf and Iran: two models that seem irreconcilable

Tehran prioritises foreign power and influence, whereas the Gulf states prioritise economic development and stability. The presence of foreign bases in the Gulf is just an excuse.

Nawaf al-Yassin 10 June 2026
Jason Lyon

The Iran war is reshaping the China-Gulf economic model

Closing the Strait of Hormuz has shown how the Gulf should shift from an oil-export model to a digital and distribution hub. Will this trigger the long-delayed free trade agreement with China?

Charbel Barakat 23 April 2026
Grace Russell

Gulf states should steer clear of attritional war traps

The US-Israeli war against Iran aims to draw in Gulf states, but history has shown that entering wars is far easier than exiting them. Prudence is needed now more than ever.

Khairuldeen Al Makhzoomi 02 April 2026

Opening a new door: Trump, the Gulf, and ‘America First’

The Gulf states are showing that their security is indivisible and that they will pursue their defence from any that offer it, creating a new 'strategic autonomy' borne of the Trump era.

Abdullah F. Alrebh 11 December 2025
The King Abdullah Financial Centre (KAFD) in Riyadh on December 1, 2024. Reuters

Building the future: Gulf states pave the way to diversification

More than $75bn of construction projects were awarded in Gulf states last year, with much more expected, but the cranes across Riyadh, Muscat, and Dubai are building more than just skylines.

Neil Quilliam 26 July 2025
India and the Gulf States have a thriving economic relationship. Shutterstock

India and the Gulf: ancient trading ties still flourishing today

From dhows carrying spices to tankers carrying oil, trade between South Asia and Arabia has been healthy for hundreds of years, with room to grow further.

Amer Ziab Al-Tamimi 08 July 2025
People visit the Global Logistics Forum in Riyadh on October 13, 2024. Fayez Nureldine / AFP

Can non-oil sectors shape the future of Gulf economies?

Sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare have the potential to continue growing as a share of the Gulf states' overall revenue and to provide employment for the future

Amer Ziab Al-Tamimi 04 May 2025
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Libyan National Army Deputy Commander Saddam Haftar, and Trump advisor Massad Boulos in Washington on 29 June, 2026. @US_SrAdvisorAF/X
Politics

US plan for Libya: unification or management of division?

26 June 2026

A US envoy wants the institutions of western Libya to accommodate the son of an eastern warlord as Libyan president. Is this another doomed effort to unite the feuding factions, or could it work?

Areig Elhag
Dave Murray
Science & Technology

More than a game: a look inside the mind of a football fan

30 June 2026

As the FIFA World Cup 2026 shows, identity, belonging, and tension combine to make football fandom unlike any other sport. So, what is going on in fans' brains?

Alaa Emara
A fighter loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan holds up a weapon backdropped by the minaret of a mosque, during a graduation ceremony in the southeastern Gedaref state on 27 May 2024. AFP
Politics

The quiet push to finally end Sudan's civil war

29 June 2026

External actors and some domestic parties are believed to be working behind the scenes towards a settlement. Why now?

Shawgi Abdelazim
Chinese President Xi Jinping stands in the centre of the hall during the China-Africa forum at the Great Hall of the People in central Beijing, on 5 September 2024.
 AFP
Business & Economy

China doubles down on Africa with its zero-tariff policy

01 July 2026

Beijing's duty-free access for African exports promises mutual economic gains, but more importantly, it deepens its strategic influence across the continent

Rabia Abdul Salam
Eduardo Ramon
Politics

Why siccing Syria's army on Hezbollah is so dangerous

28 June 2026

If Trump's idea is implemented, it would all but certainly further undermine regional stability and US interests in the Middle East

David Schenker

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OPINIONS

Shaibani in Beirut: political reassurance and deferred questions

Alia Mansour
Alia Mansour

How El Niño is heightening economic risk in the Gulf

Abdulfattah Khattab
Abdulfattah Khattab

New blood: why progressive New York Democrats won big

Tarek Rashed
Tarek Rashed

China's increasingly effective spy tactics raise alarm in the West

Marco Mossad
Marco Mossad
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