Lebanon

Saudi Arabia

Economics

Politics

A Saudi official announced that the kingdom would increase economic trade with Lebanon because Lebanese authorities had successfully cracked down on its drug trade, especially of methamphetamines and Captagon, Reuters reported on Nov. 13.

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon: Saudi Arabia To Increase Trade With Lebanon

United States

Israel

Military & Security

The United States advanced the Saudi request to buy up to 48 F-35 fighter jets through the Pentagon, though more steps, like Cabinet approval and U.S. President Donald Trump's own sign-off, await, Reuters reported on Nov. 4.

U.S., Saudi Arabia: U.S. Advances Saudi Arabia's Bid for F-35s

Equatorial Guinea

Gabon

Nigeria

Republic of the Congo

Venezuela

Algeria

Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Libya

United Arab Emirates

Russia

Energy

At their Nov. 2 meeting, the eight OPEC+ countries implementing voluntary production cuts agreed to boost production by 137,000 barrels per day in December -- the third consecutive small production hike of that level -- but plan to pause production hikes from January-March 2026, Reuters reported. 

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

OPEC+ will likely decide to increase its oil production in November by at least 137,000 barrels per day when the group meets on Oct. 5, Bloomberg reported on Sept. 28.

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

Pakistan

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif said the country's nuclear arsenal would be "made available" to Saudi Arabia under their new defense pact, the first confirmation that Pakistan's nuclear weapons would be included as part of the agreement that was signed on Sept. 18.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Pakistan Says Saudi Arabia Is Under Its Nuclear Umbrella

On Sept. 17, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan announced that they had signed a mutual defense pact that considers an attack against one of them to be an attack against both and implies that Saudi Arabia is under Pakistan's nuclear umbrella, AP reported on Sept. 18. 

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan: Governments Sign Mutual Defense Pact

Sudan

Egypt

Sudan's Sovereignty Council, the governing body backed by the Sudanese Armed Forces, or SAF, rejected a Sept. 12 proposal by the United States, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for a three-month humanitarian truce with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, after the RSF launched drone strikes on critical infrastructure in White Nile state, Sudan Tribune reported on Sept. 14.

Sudan: SAF Rejects Truce Proposals From U.S.-Led Quartet

On Sept. 7, OPEC+ agreed to increase its oil production quota by 137,000 barrels per day in October, though it did not publish any guidance on production levels beyond October.

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

Assessments

Chile

Cambodia

Thailand

India

People watch the USS Gravely, a Navy warship, departing the Port of Spain on Oct. 30, 2025. The U.S. warship arrived in Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 26, 2025, for joint exercises near the coast of Venezuela, as Washington ratcheted up pressure on drug traffickers and Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

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

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Saudi Meeting, Military Escalation in the Caribbean

A 3D logo of Vision 2030 from the obverse side of 200 Saudi Riyal banknote. Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

Facing ballooning costs and questionable viability, Saudi Arabia is scaling back giga-projects like Neom, signaling a new market-driven discipline that nonetheless leaves the state as the primary economic driver.

The Mixed Record of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030

Yemen

Yemen's Houthi fighters man machine guns mounted on trucks as they participate in a weaponized protest staged against the United States and Israel on Nov. 6, 2025 in Sanaa, Yemen. 

Global Trade

Israel is expected to soon launch another offensive against Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which will risk reigniting the civil war and exposing Gulf countries and Red Sea shipping to retaliatory attacks.

What a Renewed Israel-Houthi Conflict Would Mean for Yemen and Gulf Security

Entrance signage is seen at OPEC's headquarters in Vienna, Austria, on July 23, 2024.

Riyadh and its Gulf partners will likely prioritize OPEC+ unity and cooperation with Moscow on oil policy over boosting production to offset Russian supply losses from U.S. sanctions, even if it risks irking Washington.

Why Saudi Arabia Won't Backfill Russia's Sanctioned Oil Exports

An aerial photo shows the Saudi capital of Riyadh.

Social Issues

An aspiring middle power, Riyadh must still balance ancient imperatives with modern challenges before it reaches the kind of geopolitical security enjoyed by neighbors like Turkey, Iran and Egypt.

The Modern Geopolitics of Saudi Arabia

Bahrain

Qatar

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks to U.S. and Qatari military personnel at the Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, Qatar, on May 15, 2025.

The U.S. president's pledge to defend Qatar may deter future Israeli attacks, but it is unlikely to deter Iranian aggression or allay Gulf states' greater concerns about Washington's commitment to their security.

Trump's Security Guarantees for Qatar Unlikely To Offer Enough Reassurance

Oman

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani chairing a preparatory meeting in Doha on Sept. 14, 2025, ahead of an Arab Islamic summit.

Israel-Hamas Conflict

The Sept. 9 strike on Qatar has amplified doubts among Gulf states about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees and Washington's ability to restrain its regional allies.

Israeli Strike on Qatar Prompts GCC States To Question Future of Regional Security

Turkey

A picture taken from a distance shows the damaged building (L) in the Qatari compound housing members of Hamas' political bureau on Sept. 10, 2025. Israel targeted the building the previous day in a strike in Qatar's capital, Doha. 

Israel's Sept. 9 airstrikes in Qatar will likely harden the stances of Iranian-backed groups, keep normalization with Saudi Arabia off the table and drive more assertive postures from other regional states.

The Regional Implications of Israel's Strikes in Qatar

Snapshots

Saudi Mining and Industry Minister Bandar Al-Khorayef addresses the Future Mineral Forum in Riyadh on Jan. 10, 2024. 

Despite recent deals, the kingdom's mining sector will struggle to secure the level of investment needed to accomplish its Vision 2030 goals, though certain minerals adjacent to oil production, like lithium, are poised for greater growth.

The Challenges and Opportunities in Saudi Arabia's Mining Sector

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim al-Budaiwi and the foreign ministers from the six GCC countries (Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates) pose for a group photo during the GCC foreign minister meeting in Kuwait City on June 2, 2025.

Despite global economic uncertainty and oil price volatility, Gulf Arab states are expected to sustain solid economic growth, driven by strong fundamentals, substantial buffers and ongoing diversification efforts.

Solid Fundamentals Shield GCC Economies From Global Volatility

Media

Podcasts

How have Gulf Arab states' positions on the Israel-Iran conflict evolved?

Essential Geopolitics: The Future of Gulf-Iranian Relations

Columns

On Geopolitics

Vehicles drive along a main thoroughfare past a billboard that reads in Farsi and Hebrew: "A severe blow... The vile and villainous Zionist regime (Israel) has made a grave mistake,” in central Tehran on June 24, 2025. 

The war has weakened Iran, but has also shifted regional perceptions of Israel as a destabilizing force, prompting Gulf states to reassess alliances, Turkey to emerge as a rival, and raising the risk of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Assessing the Regional Impact of the Israel-Iran War, Part 2

Comprising a majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is surrounded by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.  The kingdom's main geographic challenges are controlling its sparsely populated territory and maintaining shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.    Surrounded by vast deserts, the central Najd plateau is the core of Saudi Arabia and is home to the country's capital, Riyadh. Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, are protected by mountains in the west and flanked by the Red Sea. The security of these cities is a key to the monarchy's legitimacy.    The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I set the stage for the House of Saud to unify the territory that became Saudi Arabia in 1932. Oil and natural gas have been the country's main exports and source of wealth since their discovery in 1938.     A restive Eastern Province holds a majority of the kingdom's reserves and makes the country vulnerable to invasion from the north or the Persian Gulf. Cross border tribal ties also expose the kingdom to unrest in the south on the border with Yemen.    A scarcity of fresh water and a small population density limit Saudi Arabia's defensive capabilities. Since the vast majority of Saudi oil exports pass via the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, the kingdom has historically relied on a foreign power to balance regional rival, Iran and keep the Strait open.    As global oil consumption continues to rise, Saudi Arabia will continue to play a dominant role in the Middle East despite its geographic challenges.

SITUATION REPORTS

Saudi Arabia, Lebanon: Saudi Arabia To Increase Trade With Lebanon

U.S., Saudi Arabia: U.S. Advances Saudi Arabia's Bid for F-35s

OPEC+: Bloc To Halt Production Hikes in Early 2026 Amid Oil Glut, Russian Sanctions Concerns

Global: OPEC+ Likely To Approve Another Production Hike at Next Meeting

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Pakistan Says Saudi Arabia Is Under Its Nuclear Umbrella

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan: Governments Sign Mutual Defense Pact

Sudan: SAF Rejects Truce Proposals From U.S.-Led Quartet

OPEC+: Bloc To Lift Oil Production Further in October

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