MENA Brief | June 19: GCC central banks hold interest rates steady, Diriyah House launched in London
As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington,...
Geostrategy
Gulf states on Iran’s doorstep scramble for end of war
Doha, Qatar -- As Iran and Israel trade strikes and the US weighs joining in, wealthy Gulf states on the...
Geostrategy
Geostrategy
Iran suspects Israel and US behind fuel cyber attack
An Iranian general has said Israel and the United States were likely to have been behind a cyber attack that...
- Tuesday's cyber attack caused traffic jams on major arteries in Tehran, where long queues at petrol stations disrupted the flow of traffic.
- The oil ministry later took service stations offline so that petrol could be distributed manually, according to the authorities.
Geostrategy
Dubai discusses cooperation with Egypt
Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum met Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly at Expo 2020 Dubai.
- Dubai and Egypt discussed cooperation and boosting bilateral ties
- This, even as Egypt celebrated its National Day at its Expo 2020 pavilion
Geostrategy
Taliban supreme leader makes first public appearance
Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada addressed supporters in the southern city of Kandahar, officials announced Sunday, his first public appearance...
- His low profile has fed speculation about his role in the new Taliban government -- and even rumors of his death
- There was tight security at the event and no photographs or video have emerged
Investigation
Iran intensifies cyber espionage in Middle East
Cyberattacks by Iranian spies have become more sophisticated and have intensified against Arab countries, say industry experts.
- Iranian espionage targeted aerospace and telecommunications companies in the Middle East, the US, Russia, and Europe
- Cybereason identified 10 companies impacted during their three-month investigation
Geostrategy
Israel firm, clients hit by hackers linked to Iran
A hacking group known as Black Shadow claimed responsibility for the attack.
- The cyberattack hit several websites, with none of the sites available to users by midday Saturday
- They included Israeli public transport companies Dan and Kavim, a children's museum, and public radio's online blog
Geostrategy
Roundup: Four Gulf states pull diplomats from Beirut
This is bad news for Lebanon, which had been counting on financial assistance from the Gulf to rescue its economy....
- The row has already seen Saudi Arabia ban the imports of Lebanese goods and Kuwait and Bahrain expel Lebanese envoys
- It is a blow to a country already in the grip of crippling political and economic crises
Geostrategy
Kuwait expels Lebanon envoy, recalls own ambassador
Kuwait has recalled its ambassador from Beirut and has given the Lebanese envoy 48 hours to leave the emirate, the...
- Saudi Arabia and Bahrain made similar moves on Friday after Lebanon's Information Minister George Kordahi criticized the war in Yemen
- Kordahi said in a television interview that Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels were "defending themselves... against an external aggression"
Geostrategy
Climate, economy, vaccines key focus of G20 talks
Leaders of the world's most advanced nations are hoping to hammer out a way forward on climate change and vaccine...
- In their first in-person gathering since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the relaunch of the global economy will also be front and center on the two-day agenda
- The stakes are high, with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warning G20 leaders to show "more ambition and more action"
Geostrategy
Arab League rues decline in Lebanese-Gulf ties
The Arab League has expressed strong disappointment at a decline in relations between Lebanon and Gulf states, after an adverse...
- The Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit has appealed to Gulf countries "to reflect on the measures proposed to be taken
- The statement came a day after Saudi Arabia ordered the Lebanese ambassador to the kingdom to leave within 48 hours
Geostrategy
Sudan braces for protests against military coup
Sudanese anti-coup protesters plan to flood the streets Saturday to demonstrate against a military takeover that has derailed the country's...
- Street protests that erupted against the coup were countered by a security response that has left at least nine demonstrators dead and wounded around 170
- Organisers on Saturday hope to stage a "million-strong" march against the military's power grab
Most Read
Revenue from Saudi cinema may exceed $1bn by 2030KSA, UAE play well as e-gaming trends across GCCExclusive: Middle East’s retail sector rides on AR and hybrid shopping to become $600bn digital economyTECOM Group profit soars 13%UAE startups eye Saudi Arabia for growth, expansionSaudi Arabia leads GCC AI healthcare raceDisparity remains as Saudis, Emiratis see wealth gains
MENA Brief | June 19: GCC central banks hold interest rates steady, Diriyah House launched in London
As most currencies in the region are pegged to the US dollar, monetary policy follows the decisions taken in Washington,...
Geostrategy
Company News
Latest News
Welcoming 2024: A year of hope, healing, and unity
"Hopefully, 2024 will be a year in which we overcome the troubled period that started with the coup attempt, grew...
Opinion
Maersk halts ships’ transit via Red Sea strait for 48 hours
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK - Shipping giant Maersk said on Sunday it was suspending the passage of vessels through a key Red Sea...
Geostrategy
Israeli strike kills former Palestinian minister, Gaza death toll 21,822
Youssef Salama, the 68-year-old former minister of religious affairs in the Palestinian Authority, was killed in a strike on the...
Geostrategy
Most Read
Geostrategy
North Korea to launch three more spy satellites next year
"The task of launching three additional reconnaissance satellites in 2024 was declared" as one of the key policy decisions for...
- Pyongyang successfully put a military spy satellite into orbit last month and has since claimed it was providing images of major US and South Korean military sites
- Inter-Korean relations are in poor state as Seoul and Washington ramped up defense cooperation this year after record-breaking series of weapons tests by Pyongyang
Geostrategy
Erdogan plays down row over Saudi-hosted Super cup
Friday night's Turkish Super Cup between Galatasaray and Fenerbahce had been due to be played in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But...
- Turkish President Erdogan said turning sports into a political issue "is wrong"
- Both teams wanted to warm up in shirts featuring the image of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
Geostrategy
Russia vows revenge as 21 die in Ukrainian attack
The Belgorod attack came a day after Ukraine said a barrage of Russian missile strikes on several cities killed at...
- The authorities in Russia said the death toll included at least three children
- The attack came a day after Ukraine said Russian missile strikes killed at least 40 people