Assessments

United Arab Emirates

Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan attends a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, on Nov. 11, 2019. 

Economics

Politics

41-year-old Sheikh Khaled will likely hold increasing weight over the country's policy direction and economic development as he's groomed to replace his father as president in the coming years.

A New Crown Prince Will Be Key in Gauging the UAE's Future

Columns

On Geopolitics

Israel

The director of the Crossroads of Civilizations Museum in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, shows visitors around the facility’s Holocaust Gallery on Jan. 11, 2023.

Social Issues

The many foreigners enrolled in Emirati schools will bring home new ideas about human rights that could eventually inspire political movements in countries like Egypt and Pakistan.

The Global Impact of the UAE Teaching the Holocaust in Schools

United States

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

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

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?

Brazil

Iran

Iraq

Libya

Ukraine

Russia

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre discusses the recent drop in U.S. gas prices during her daily press briefing in Washington D.C. on Aug. 3, 2022. 

Energy

Military & Security

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Risks stemming from the Ukraine crisis, along with developments unrelated to the war, could quickly send prices back above $100 per barrel -- if not much higher.

Global Oil Prices Ease, but for How Long?

Kuwait

Oman

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.-Iran Relations

The UAE's newly-elected president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, looks on during a meeting in Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2022. 

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed "MbZ" Al Nahyan could rule over the country for the next 25 years, giving him plenty of time to impress his vision for the future on both the UAE and the wider region.

The UAE Enters a New Era Under President MbZ

Security

Iran's Arc of Influence

Guidance

Mexico

Yemen

Sri Lanka

An F/A-18E Super Hornet launches May 10, 2019 in the Red Sea from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. A U.S. Navy Red Sea task force will begin operating April 17 in the waters near the Bab el-Mandeb.

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

The Weekly Rundown: G-20 Finance Ministers Meet, a Red Sea Maritime Operation Targets the Houthis

The Yemen Civil War

Forces loyal to Yemen's Houthi rebels take part in a military parade in Sanaa on March 31, 2022. 

Yemen's warring sides have agreed to a two-month truce. But violations, especially around the key city of Marib, have already been reported.

The Hurdles to the Latest Cease-Fire in Yemen

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Uruguay

China

Bahrain

Morocco

Pakistan

The Weekly Rundown: EU and Chinese Officials Talk Trade, Israel Hosts an Abraham Accords Summit

Snapshots

Turkey

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Dubai’s emir during a visit to the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 15, 2022. 

Courting the UAE and Saudi Arabia may yield occasional deals. But without domestic policy changes, Turkey’s financial instability will persist. 

In Search of Economic Relief, Turkey Reaches Out to Regional Rivals 

Turkey's Resurgence

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. 

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

Environment, Science & Technology

The president of the 2023 U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28), UAE industry minister Sultan al-Jaber, called for the phasing out of "fossil fuel emissions," the Financial Times reported on May 2.

UAE: COP28 President Focuses on Reducing Emissions, Not Cutting Fossil Fuels

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 

The United Arab Emirates confirmed its commitment to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of $1 billion of financial support to Pakistan, Dawn reported on April 14. 

Pakistan: UAE Pledges Financial Support, Removing Major Hurdle to IMF Deal

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the United Arab Emirates, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a phone call, and the Israelis said the leaders pledged to hold a "personal meeting in the near future," Reuters reported on April 4.

UAE, Israel: Leaders Maintain Strategic Ties Despite Underlying Tensions

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other OPEC+ oil producers announced a surprise 1.16 million barrel per day (bpd) production cut beginning in May through the end of 2023, Argus Media reported on April 2.

Global: OPEC+ Shocks Markets With Surprise Production Cut

The United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) and British oil and gas company BP plan to form a natural gas joint venture and have made an offer to acquire a 50% stake in Israel's NewMed Energy and take the company private, Bloomberg reported on March 28.

Israel, UAE: ADNOC, BP to Form Joint Venture to Invest in Mediterranean Gas Industry

The head of Iran's National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, met with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Agence France-Presse reported on March 16.

UAE, Iran: High-Level Meeting Shows Continued Iranian Outreach to Gulf Arabs

Iranian national security advisor Ali Shamkhani will visit the United Arab Emirates with a banking and security delegation on March 16, Bloomberg reported March 15. 

Iran, UAE: Iranian National Security Advisor to Meet With UAE Officials in Abu Dhabi 

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

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Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

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The United Arab Emirates is located on the southwestern edge of the Arabian Peninsula. To its west is Saudi Arabia and to its east is Oman. Iran is only a few miles north, across the Persian Gulf. With desert in its west and south, dry mountains in its east and the warm waters of the Persian Gulf to the north, the United Arab Emirates' climate is unable to support agriculture beyond small-scale oases and camel herds. The country is divided into three broad regions: the coastal harbors of the Gulf, bounded by the sandy desert of the Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter; the interior, where settlements cluster around oases; and the northeast, which is broken up by the Al Hajar Mountains.      There are no natural rivers and few timber supplies in the United Arab Emirates, and nearly all the country's drinkable water is trapped beneath oases. In the premodern era, citizens mainly survived off piracy, trade and pearling, and the most powerful settlement was the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah near the Al Hajar Mountains. After the discovery of oil in the 1962, power shifted permanently to the more southern Abu Dhabi, which holds 94 percent of the country's proven oil reserves. These coastal cities are the core of the country. Founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan established the United Arab Emirates &mdash; the Arab world's only successful federation &mdash; in 1971 and ruled until his death in 2004. At that time, his son and current president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan took over power.      The United Arab Emirates seeks to maximize its independence while warding off the influence and control of more powerful regional players Saudi Arabia and Iran. To do this, it has leveraged its energy supply and strategic location to secure alliances with extra-regional powers like the United States. Utilizing its oil receipts, the United Arab Emirates has imported foreign labor from South and East Asia, as well as the Arab world. Combining that labor with global technology, the country has rapidly transformed itself from a desert backwater to a key transport hub, tourist destination and regional military power.  

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Italy

Italy and the United Arab Emirates pledged to strengthen their bilateral relationship, particularly in the areas of energy and defense, and build a strategic partnership during a meeting between Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, Reuters reported March 4.

Italy, UAE: Countries Upgrade Bilateral Relations to Strategic Partnership

SITUATION REPORTS

UAE: COP28 President Focuses on Reducing Emissions, Not Cutting Fossil Fuels

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

Pakistan: UAE Pledges Financial Support, Removing Major Hurdle to IMF Deal

UAE, Israel: Leaders Maintain Strategic Ties Despite Underlying Tensions

Global: OPEC+ Shocks Markets With Surprise Production Cut

Israel, UAE: ADNOC, BP to Form Joint Venture to Invest in Mediterranean Gas Industry

UAE, Iran: High-Level Meeting Shows Continued Iranian Outreach to Gulf Arabs

Iran, UAE: Iranian National Security Advisor to Meet With UAE Officials in Abu Dhabi

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