Governments are responding with reforms in private‑sector growth, social protection, and women’s workforce inclusion. Harnessing AI and digital infrastructure can turn demographic pressure into opportunity, aligning with Gen Z’s demand for broad‑based, sustainable economic transformation.
Browsing: Middle East
Protests over inflation and currency collapse have spread across Iran, leading to clashes. President Trump has threatened U.S. intervention if protesters are violently suppressed, raising regional tensions.
“Until regional states acknowledge their limitations and negotiate a regional arrangement they can all tolerate, the Middle East will remain trapped in recurring tensions… Stability is possible if regional powers acknowledge their structural limitations and recognize their mutual constraints.”
Lebanon is at a dangerous crossroads, pressured by the U.S. to disarm Hezbollah and negotiate with Israel. Amidst constant ceasefire violations and disparaging American rhetoric, the state struggles to assert sovereignty without triggering a domestic conflict that could shatter its fragile sectarian balance
Saudi Crown Prince’s visit seeks a key U.S. defense pact and AI tech. A grand Israel deal is stalled by Gaza, as Riyadh pursues pragmatic regional diplomacy to power its ambitious transformation.
A fragile Gaza truce offers hope, but it teeters on unresolved core issues: disarming Hamas, Israeli withdrawal, and Gaza’s future governance. The path forward remains dangerously uncertain.
When Iran was struck, its so-called “Axis of Upheaval” partners offered little more than rhetoric. Russia, stretched thin in Ukraine, provided “best wishes.” China prioritized its own economic interests. North Korea saw an unregulated opportunity. The crisis revealed these are not allies, but transactional partners—a dynamic that may empower Pyongyang as the new wildcard.
Russia’s friendship with Iran has limits. When crisis hit, Moscow offered rhetoric, not real support, revealing a partnership of convenience, not commitment.
Qatar leveraged the 2017 blockade by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to intensify lobbying, defend Al Udeid Air Base, secure arms sales, preserve its major non-NATO ally status, and strengthen military cooperation, successfully defeating congressional efforts that threatened U.S.–Qatar defense relations.
Trump’s 2025 strategy prioritises Gulf ties and transactional interests, reducing US commitments while reshaping Middle East responsibilities.