Gulf

Saudi Arabia to invest $5 bn in AI data centre

A Saudi company will invest $5 billion to build an artificial intelligence data centre in the futuristic city of NEOM, state media reported. The agreement, signed between DataVolt and NEOM, would fund the creation of a fully sustainable AI data centre with a 1.5 gigawatt capacity, the official SPA news agency said. The project will be located in ...

Iran Revolutionary Guards Unveil First Drone Carrier in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards unveiled the country's first drone carrier on Thursday in Gulf waters, state media reported. The carrier, called the Martyr Bahman Bagheri, is a commercial vessel that was repurposed as a drone carrier over the past two-and-a-half years, Guards naval commander Alireza Tangsiri said during the unveiling ...

Explaining the Diplomatic Roller-Coaster in Damascus

The diplomatic roller-coaster in Syria’s capital since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime suggests that a strategic shift is underway. This is all the more significant as the Prince of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made an official visit to Damascus on Thursday, where he was received by the interim Syrian president, Ahmad ...

Iran Deploys AI-Equipped missiles During Drills in Gulf

Iran's Revolutionary Guards have deployed missiles featuring artificial intelligence technology during military drills in the Gulf, state media reported Monday. The Guards' naval force "fired Ghaem and Almas missiles equipped with artificial intelligence from advanced Mohajer-6 and Ababil-5 drones", the IRNA state news agency said. The report ...

The Turkish Wolf Expands Its Regional Dominance

Power, capability and determination. These are the words that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan used on Friday, January 10, as he once again warned the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)—a Kurdish-led coalition supported by the West—of military action if they did not hand over their weapons to the new regime in Damascus. Only a month earlier, ...

What Is Left of Hezbollah's Arsenal?

With only two days remaining until the 60-day ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel expires, two questions arise: What is left of the arsenal of the pro-Iranian group, which was supposed to be dismantled during this period? And does Hezbollah still have the capacity to carry out operations against the Israeli Army? What is indisputable is that ...

UAE Announces Reopening of Embassy in Beirut

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Friday that it has reopened its embassy in Lebanon, years after it was closed in solidarity with Saudi Arabia. According to state news agency WAM, the Emirati embassy in Beirut "has officially resumed diplomatic activities." Omar Obaid al-Shamsi, Undersecretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ...

Iranian Revolutionary Guards Stage Military Exercises in Gulf Waters

Iran's Revolutionary Guards conducted naval drills on Friday in the Gulf and strategic Strait of Hormuz as part of a series of nationwide military exercises, state media reported. The drills -- which involved fast boats, shore-to-sea missiles and surface-to-surface missiles -- as featured by state TV, are part of a string of exercises, dubbed ...

Renewed Gulf Support: Kuwait's Foreign Minister in Lebanon to Strengthen Ties

In a bolstered show of Gulf support for Lebanon, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al Yahya embarked on an official visit to Beirut following the recent visit of Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan. Minister Al Yahya arrived in Beirut on Friday morning alongside a delegation. He kickstarted his visit with a meeting at Baabda Palace with ...

MBS Congratulates Trump on His Inauguration and Pledges Massive Investments

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman congratulated Donald Trump on his return to the White House, saying in a call on Thursday that the kingdom would massively expand its investments and trade with the United States. Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler passed on congratulations from his father, King Salman, during the call with Trump, according to a ...

US Calls Houthi Claim of New Attacks ‘Disinformation'

The United States military on Sunday dismissed claims by Houthis that they had attacked an American aircraft carrier, saying Washington would not engage in the Iran-backed group' "disinformation campaign." The denial from US Central Command (CENTCOM) came after the Houthis said they had carried out the attack earlier Sunday and ...

Houthis Warn Of ‘Consequences’ Of Any Attack On Yemen During Gaza Truce

Yemen's Houthi rebels on Sunday warned opposing forces in the Red Sea of the ‘consequences’ of any attack on their country during the truce in the Gaza Strip between Israel and Hamas. The Iranian-backed rebels, who control large swathes of Yemen and the capital Sanaa, also claimed responsibility for an attack on several warships, ...