Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Pakistan

Economics

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Dec. 3 reached a consensus on investment terms concerning a potential free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, Arab News Pakistan reported on Dec. 4.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Turkey

Military & Security

Politics

 A leaked recording of the head of Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, demonstrated intent to kill Hamas leaders around the world after the war, Times of Israel reported Dec. 4. 

Israel: Leaked Recording Shows Israeli Intent to Hunt Down Hamas Leaders

United States

The United States, Qatar, Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas are reportedly close to a possible deal under which Hamas would release Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and the two sides would implement a five-day cease-fire, The Times of Israel reported on Nov. 20.

Israel, Gaza: Amid Cease-Fire Rumors, Israel Greenlights Operations in Southern Gaza

Iran

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the United States and Qatar agreed to block Iran from accessing the $6 billion in Iranian assets moved from South Korea to Qatar as a part of the September U.S.-Iran prisoner swap, CNBC reported on Oct. 12.

Iran: U.S., Qatar Agree to Freeze Iran's $6 Billion in Funds Released in September

Social Issues

Saudi Arabia's Tourism Authority updated a FAQ (frequently asked question) on its website asking whether LGBTQ+ visitors are welcome to visit the country by replying, "Everyone is welcome to visit our country," Al-Monitor reported on May 1.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Tourism to 'Welcome' LGBTQ+ Tourists 

Qatar and Bahrain will resume diplomatic ties after almost six years, The Bahrain News Agency and Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on April 13.

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

China

Energy

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) will take a 5% stake in Qatar's North Field East liquified natural gas (LNG) project, Bloomberg reported on April 12.

Qatar, China: Sinopec Seals Stake in Qatar's North Field

Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Qatar during the World Cup and met Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, AP reported Dec. 5.

Qatar, UAE: Emirati President Visits Doha in Sign of Stable Relations

Assessments

Egypt

Iraq

Jordan

Lebanon

Morocco

Syria

Tunisia

Yemen

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

Iran’s foreign minister (right) poses for a picture with his Saudi counterpart on June 17, 2023, in Tehran.

The detentes that have emerged between long-standing rivals have made the region more peaceful, but old wounds could still reopen.

In the Middle East, Shared Interests Are Turning Former Foes Into Friends -- For Now

Snapshots

Afghanistan

Qatar's then deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani (center), speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in Washington D.C. on Feb. 10, 2023. 

The meeting suggests the Taliban may be willing to compromise on some issues, but such talks are unlikely to yield significant change in Afghanistan anytime soon. 

What to Make of the Rare Meeting Between the Taliban’s Leader and Qatar's Prime Minister

Columns

On Geopolitics

Europe

Journalists surround one of the lawyers (front) representing former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, who has been charged in a corruption investigation involving Qatar, at a courthouse in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 22, 2022.

The recent ''Qatargate'' scandal involving EU lawmakers reflects a pattern of statecraft that increasingly risks backfiring on Arab Gulf states, as their strategic value to the U.S. and Europe wanes.

Understanding Arab Gulf States' Influence Campaigns in the West

Media

Podcasts

The recent Qatar-Europe influence scandal has a long history and implements common practices.

Essential Geopolitics: The Influence-Peddling Saga of Qatar and Europe

A construction site of a stadium being built for the 2022 World Cup is seen on March 30, 2019, in Doha, Qatar. 

The high sunk cost of this year's games in Doha is fueling questions about the long-term economic sustainability of such massive infrastructure projects in the Arab Gulf.

Will the World Cup Be the Grand Finale of Qatar's Megaprojects Era?

Iranian-made satellite carriers (left) and missiles (right) are displayed in front of the Holy Defense Museum in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 20, 2020.

The integrated air and missile defense system laid out in the proposed DEFEND Act could entice Saudi Arabia to deepen normalization with Israel.

U.S. Lawmakers Unveil a Plan to Shield Middle East Allies From Iranian Aggression

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hold a joint press conference on the Afghanistan crisis in the Qatari capital of Doha on Sept. 7, 2021. 

Security

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

By enhancing its ties with the world’s largest military, Doha’s recognition as a major U.S. partner will help shield it from Saudi or Emirati pressure. 

What to Make of Qatar’s Designation as a U.S. Non-NATO Ally

The emblem for the 2022 World Cup games is displayed on a museum building in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 3, 2019.

The Yemen Civil War

With its physical security now less guaranteed than nearby Qatar's, the UAE will enact more social liberalization policies to remain a top destination for travel and investment. 

Houthi Attacks in the UAE Will Boost Qatar’s Business Appeal

Guidance

France

Ukraine

Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2019 in Brasilia, Brazil. Putin will meet Xi in Beijing during Putin's trip to attend the Feb. 4 opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, where he will update Xi on the current state of talks regarding Russia's demands for security guarantees from the West. 

U.S.-China Relations

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin and Xi Meet Amid Ukraine Tensions, OPEC+ Holds Steady

Journalists watch Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center right) welcome Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (center left) on a screen ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in the Saudi city of al-Ula on Jan. 5, 2021. 

The Saudi Survival Strategy

Developments like a more aggressive Iran or a resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood could still see Riyadh retake an aggressive stance against Doha.

The Threats to Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Post-Blockade Detente

Vietnam

Germany

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden on June 16, 2021, at a summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva. U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely participate in a video call early next week amid rising tensions in eastern Ukraine.

COVID-19

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Biden and Putin Hold a Video Conference, Germany Has a New Chancellor

Qatar occupies the Qatar Peninsula, a thumb of land jutting into the middle of the Persian Gulf. It has one land border with Saudi Arabia, but shares waters with Bahrain, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. It has no surface rivers or lakes, and its water supply is buried beneath the sandy desert that is practically the country’s only topographical feature. It lacks forests and, prior to the modern era, could not develop an indigenous agricultural sector.    This makes the country uniquely dependent on the outside world for survival. Qatar possesses proven 885.3 trillion feet of natural gas reserves just beneath the waves of the Gulf in a field it shares with Iran, and it makes Qatar the third-largest holder of light natural gas in the world and the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Since it began exporting LNG, Qatar has become the richest country on Earth per capita. The exports pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz or are sent through an undersea pipeline to the United Arab Emirates.     After Qatar ceased being a British protectorate in 1971, its royal family declined an offer to join the federation of the United Arab Emirates and chose to chart an independent course. Qatar joined the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional bloc, in 1981, and although it was officially neutral in the Iran-Iraq War, Qatar joined the coalition to evict Iraq from Kuwait in 1991. In 1996, Qatar began hosting U.S. troops at its Al Udeid air base and opened the offices of the state-sponsored Al Jazeera media outlet. In 2010, it was awarded the rights to the 2022 World Cup.    Its geopolitical position makes Qatar uniquely reliant on open trade for prosperity and outside powers for security. It must have reliable trade routes to export its LNG, and it requires outside sponsors to prevent Saudi Arabia or Iran from gaining too much influence over it. For now, it relies on the United States to provide both. That alliance allows Qatar to maintain a precarious balance against geographically advantaged neighbors.

SITUATION REPORTS

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Israel: Leaked Recording Shows Israeli Intent to Hunt Down Hamas Leaders

Israel, Gaza: Amid Cease-Fire Rumors, Israel Greenlights Operations in Southern Gaza

Iran: U.S., Qatar Agree to Freeze Iran's $6 Billion in Funds Released in September

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Tourism to 'Welcome' LGBTQ+ Tourists

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

Qatar, China: Sinopec Seals Stake in Qatar's North Field

Qatar, UAE: Emirati President Visits Doha in Sign of Stable Relations

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