Results

Plant-Based Dining Across the Smaller Gulf: Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman

A vegan bakery in Janabiyah, a Four Seasons tasting menu backed by a Saudi prince, and Muscat's coconut-bowl breakfast spot: the region's quieter vegan scene.

May 27, 2026

The Exchange Stopped Being Between Two Countries and Started Landing in Four Others

American strikes on Revolutionary Guard sites drew missile and drone retaliation aimed at American assets in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait and Iraq. Iranian officials report at least eleven dead, including five at a wedding in the south.

Sep 2, 2026

The UK-GCC Trade Deal Is Moving From Headline to Business Checklist

The concluded UK-GCC free-trade agreement could reshape services, procurement and investment, but companies should focus on implementation details rather than celebratory totals.

Aug 3, 2026

Gulf Builders Keep Awarding Work While the Risk Premium Rises

Shipping, insurance and construction costs are all higher because of the Iran conflict. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are pressing ahead with project awards anyway, and the reasoning is deliberate.

Aug 4, 2026

Sports

The Asian Games Open in Nagoya on Saturday: 15,000 Athletes, 43 Sports, 469 Golds, and a Route to Los Angeles 2028

The second-largest multi-sport event on Earth returns to Japan for the first time since Hiroshima in 1994. The ceremony is at Paloma Mizuho Stadium at six on Saturday evening. What is new, where the swimming is, and why the Gulf's squads matter this time.

Sep 15, 2026

The US Sank Five Iranian Tankers, Iran Fired Twenty Missiles at a Base in Jordan, and Oil Closed Above a Hundred Dollars

CENTCOM named the five crude carriers it disabled after two missile attacks on one of its warships. Iran answered at Al-Azraq, where Jordan says it intercepted eighteen of twenty missiles, and claimed strikes on ten ships. Brent closed at 101 dollars.

Sep 10, 2026

Summer 2026 Travel: The World Cup and a Turbulent Region Collide

A World Cup spanning three countries and closed Middle East airspace are both reshaping summer routes and fares. Here is what is actually happening.

Jul 10, 2026

Recipes

Middle Eastern Rice Dishes, and How Each One Is Actually Built

Kabsa, machboos, maqluba, mujadara, freekeh. They look similar on a platter and are constructed by completely different methods. A guide to which is which and when to cook it.

Aug 14, 2026

One Visa, One Fee, Six Countries: the Gulf's Schengen Moment Is Reportedly Piloting This Year

A unified GCC tourist visa has been discussed for years and is now said to be entering a pilot phase, at an estimated 100 to 150 dollars for 30 to 90 days. The economics of it are more interesting than the convenience.

Aug 21, 2026

The Gulf Was Forecast a Terrible Year. Brent Is at 84 Dollars

Early in the conflict the projections ran to 150 dollar oil and contracting Gulf economies. Halfway through August the numbers are less dramatic and more interesting than either the panic or the relief.

Aug 16, 2026

Recipes

Mandi, Kabsa and Machboos Are Not the Same Dish, and the Difference Is Mostly the Oven

One is cooked in a pit with the meat hanging above the rice. One is built on a tomato and spice base. One is the same dish under a different name across four countries. The word mandi comes from the Arabic for dew.

Aug 21, 2026

Fashion

Modest fashion's global moment and the GCC's role in it

Once niche, modest fashion is now a USD 295 billion market, and the GCC's influence is reshaping global style. Major luxury brands are paying attention.

Jul 30, 2024

Iran Says It Will Declare a Restricted Zone Beyond Hormuz, Names Oman as Corridor Partner, and Jizan Is Hit Again

Mohsen Rezaei says any ship entering a zone that starts at the American blockade line will be put on an Iranian sanctions list. The same day Aramco's Jizan refinery took a second strike in a month, Brent passed 97 dollars, and flydubai cut its schedule.

Sep 8, 2026

Why Gulf Diners Are Eating Differently This Year

Boycotts, tighter budgets and a longer war are reshaping where GCC consumers eat, and Western fast food chains are the ones feeling it hardest.

Sep 10, 2024

Recipes

Luqaimat: Crisp Emirati Dumplings Under Cold Date Syrup

A yeasted batter fried into shatter-crisp spheres, then drenched while still hot. The trick nobody mentions is the temperature of the syrup, and it decides everything.

Jul 31, 2026

Is the Gulf at Risk From Earthquakes? A Straight Answer

The honest answer is low but not zero, and it is not evenly spread. Tremors felt in Dubai towers usually come from Iran. The region's own exposure sits in Oman, the eastern UAE and the Red Sea coast.

Aug 12, 2026

Why the Gulf Economy Held When the Region Didn't

A war that closed the Strait of Hormuz and hit every GCC state should have broken the region's economics. Reserves and diversification kept it standing.

Jul 16, 2026

Gulf Aviation Is Heading for a $4.3 Billion Loss, and the Airspace Advisory Still Runs to 31 August

Middle East carriers earned 7.2 billion dollars in 2025 and are forecast to lose 4.3 billion this year. Emirates is flying at three quarters of capacity, jet fuel is up nearly half, and European regulators still advise avoiding four countries' airspace.

Aug 22, 2026

Lifestyle

Earthquake Safety, Compared: What the Gulf, the US and Europe Actually Tell You to Do

Drop, Cover, Hold On is the near-universal instruction, and the exceptions matter. Here is the official guidance from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States and Europe, and where it diverges.

Aug 12, 2026