Middle East

Fortune Gulf Brief is Fortune's weekly Tuesday newsletter covering business, investment, and economic trends across the Middle East, written by Fortune writer Melissa Hancock. It delivers expert analysis on the deals, leaders, and policies shaping the GCC region for global executives. Sign up here.

Jeff Zucker is banking on the UAE to help build his new $8 billion entertainment empire

Jeff Zucker is banking on the UAE to help build his new $8 billion entertainment empire

The $8B Banijay-All3Media merger has created a global media and entertainment powerhouse—and Jeff Zucker believes the Gulf has a starring role to play.

By Melissa HancockJuly 28, 2026

‘The UAE has been a fantastic investor’: Jeff Zucker hails UAE partnership after Banijay merger

‘The UAE has been a fantastic investor’: Jeff Zucker hails UAE partnership after Banijay merger

By Melissa HancockJuly 28, 2026

Record heat gives way to global winter gas shortage fears as Iran war rages on

Record heat gives way to global winter gas shortage fears as Iran war rages on

By Jordan BlumJuly 28, 2026

Mideast oil may soon have no way out amid ‘everything everywhere all at once’ wars, but the crisis in refined products is even worse

Mideast oil may soon have no way out amid ‘everything everywhere all at once’ wars, but the crisis in refined products is even worse

By Jason MaJuly 26, 2026

Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea could signal a new battlefront as U.S. seeks to form ‘a ring of economic and military pressure’

Ukraine’s attack on an Iranian ship in the Caspian Sea could signal a new battlefront as U.S. seeks to form ‘a ring of economic and military pressure’

By Jason MaJuly 26, 2026

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of air strikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

Trump pulls back after Iran crosses his red line as U.S. military breaks two-week streak of air strikes amid talks for potential Hormuz deal

By Jason MaJuly 25, 2026

Latest stories from Fortune

Photo of Zelenskyy before the funeral service

Trump, Zelenskyy discuss expanding Ukraine’s Patriot missile production in closed meeting ahead of Lindsey Graham’s funeral

By The Associated Press and Seung Min KimJuly 28, 2026

Photo of former CEO David Wenig

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026

TSMC and Tencent break into the top 100 of the Fortune Global 500 list, as Asia rides the AI boom

TSMC and Tencent break into the top 100 of the Fortune Global 500 list, as Asia rides the AI boom

By Angelica AngJuly 28, 2026

Photo of Trump

Netanyahu and Zelenskyy meet Trump at the White House as Washington honors Lindsey Graham

By The Associated PressJuly 28, 2026

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says AI is killing tasks not jobs—and the white-collar bloodbath narrative gets the future of work ‘exactly backwards’

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says AI is killing tasks not jobs—and the white-collar bloodbath narrative gets the future of work ‘exactly backwards’

By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 28, 2026

Coinbase and Robinhood are locked in a heated battle ahead of Q2 earnings—but only one is being called the industry’s ‘first hyperscaler’

Coinbase and Robinhood are locked in a heated battle ahead of Q2 earnings—but only one is being called the industry’s ‘first hyperscaler’

By Jeff John RobertsJuly 28, 2026

Photo of Trump and Xi Jinping

Trump administration weighs spending nearly half a billion to counter China’s global influence after DOGE cuts halted some initiatives

By The Associated Press and Matthew LeeJuly 28, 2026

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) on July 24, 2026 in New York.

‘A lot of panic around the AI investment’: How a chip slump is driving the Nasdaq toward correction

By Eva RoytburgJuly 28, 2026

More Middle East

Money talks—as the Iran war continues, options for the Strait of Hormuz are coalescing around one solution— tolls

Money talks—as the Iran war continues, options for the Strait of Hormuz are coalescing around one solution— tolls

By Melissa HancockJuly 21, 2026

Shipping transits slow to a trickle as Strait of Hormuz faces “worst-case scenario”

Shipping transits slow to a trickle as Strait of Hormuz faces “worst-case scenario”

By Melissa HancockJuly 21, 2026

Markets brace for return to all-out war in Iran amid rising U.S. death toll, while former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next

Markets brace for return to all-out war in Iran amid rising U.S. death toll, while former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next

By Jason MaJuly 19, 2026

U.S. military announces the death of another service member, blaming the ‘controlled detonation’ of a downed Iranian drone in Iraq

U.S. military announces the death of another service member, blaming the ‘controlled detonation’ of a downed Iranian drone in Iraq

By Jon Gambrell, Sam Metz, Ben Finley and The Associated PressJuly 19, 2026

The world is looking ahead toward a post-Iran oil market that offsets most Hormuz volumes in a few years as ships reject a U.S.-backed alternate route

The world is looking ahead toward a post-Iran oil market that offsets most Hormuz volumes in a few years as ships reject a U.S.-backed alternate route

By Jason MaJuly 19, 2026

Iran claims U.S. hit its nuclear site — satellite images show mostly dirt. But return to all-out war is nearly inevitable

Iran claims U.S. hit its nuclear site — satellite images show mostly dirt. But return to all-out war is nearly inevitable

By Jon Gambrell, Sam Metz and The Associated PressJuly 19, 2026

Iran just crossed Trump’s red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight

Iran just crossed Trump’s red line for resuming all-out war as fighting continues to escalate with no end in sight

By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026

U.S. military launches new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran for attack on Jordan that killed American troops

U.S. military launches new airstrikes to ‘swiftly punish’ Iran for attack on Jordan that killed American troops

By Jon Gambrell, Toqa Ezzidin, Konstantin Toropin and The Associated PressJuly 18, 2026

Amid the Gulf’s increasingly competitive landscape, Bahrain is carving out a distinct investment strategy

Amid the Gulf’s increasingly competitive landscape, Bahrain is carving out a distinct investment strategy

By Melissa HancockJuly 14, 2026

Bahrain EDB bids to win investors despite mounting headwinds

Bahrain EDB bids to win investors despite mounting headwinds

By Melissa HancockJuly 14, 2026

Trump takes a page from Iran’s playbook on the Strait of Hormuz, leveraging U.S. influence over the contested chokepoint to generate revenue

Trump takes a page from Iran’s playbook on the Strait of Hormuz, leveraging U.S. influence over the contested chokepoint to generate revenue

By Jason MaJuly 13, 2026

The ‘facade’ of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire crumbles after largest round of fighting in months — ‘an undeclared naval war can escalate’

The ‘facade’ of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire crumbles after largest round of fighting in months — ‘an undeclared naval war can escalate’

By Jason MaJuly 12, 2026

The U.S. and Iran can’t agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament

The U.S. and Iran can’t agree on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The solution could be straight out of the Old Testament

By Jason MaJuly 11, 2026

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

Top Iranian officials admitted to the supreme leader that the U.S. naval blockade was crushing the economy, report says, as Trump eyes reimposing it

By Jason MaJuly 10, 2026

OPEC+ to pump more oil as market fears shift from shortage to glut

OPEC+ to pump more oil as market fears shift from shortage to glut

By Melissa HancockJuly 7, 2026

From missiles to malware: Why the Gulf is stepping up its operational resilience

From missiles to malware: Why the Gulf is stepping up its operational resilience

By Melissa HancockJuly 7, 2026

Mark Zandi, Moody's chief economist.

‘It’s fair to ask whether it was worth it’: The Iran war has cost Americans $1,000 per household—and that’s a conservative estimate, Mark Zandi says

By Tristan BoveJuly 1, 2026

DHL plane being refuelled at airport by man in high-vis jacket

The Iran conflict saw jet fuel prices soar—when you use 1.88 million tonnes a year, how you respond really matters (just ask DHL)

By Sam ForsdickJuly 1, 2026

Gulf bond markets extend their rally despite uncertain outlook

Gulf bond markets extend their rally despite uncertain outlook

By Melissa HancockJune 30, 2026

GCC debt markets have rallied since the ceasefire, but tight liquidity remains a key hurdle

GCC debt markets have rallied since the ceasefire, but tight liquidity remains a key hurdle

By Melissa HancockJune 30, 2026

U.S. official says $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets will be released, while Oman discusses possible Hormuz service fees with Tehran

U.S. official says $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets will be released, while Oman discusses possible Hormuz service fees with Tehran

By Jon Gambrell, Josh Boak and The Associated PressJune 29, 2026

Photo: Kevin Warsh

President Trump will not get what he wants from Kevin Warsh, a source tells us, as inflation will force the Fed upwards

By Jim EdwardsJune 29, 2026

Markets feel relief as the U.S. and Iran agree to a ceasefire on their earlier ‘ceasefire’ that was looking at lot like a war over Hormuz

Markets feel relief as the U.S. and Iran agree to a ceasefire on their earlier ‘ceasefire’ that was looking at lot like a war over Hormuz

By Jason MaJune 28, 2026

Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a ‘shadow war’ over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire

Iran is forcing the U.S. into an escalation trap as a ‘shadow war’ over the Strait of Hormuz heats up that could kill the tenuous ceasefire

By Jason MaJune 28, 2026

Iran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. airstrikes and threatens a ‘complete halt’ in peace talks as fighting over Hormuz continues

Iran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait in response to U.S. airstrikes and threatens a ‘complete halt’ in peace talks as fighting over Hormuz continues

By Jon Gambrell, Melanie Lidman and The Associated PressJune 28, 2026

Forget the ceasefire — The U.S. and Iran are still locked in combat over the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran tries to shut down a competing route

Forget the ceasefire — The U.S. and Iran are still locked in combat over the Strait of Hormuz as Tehran tries to shut down a competing route

By Jason MaJune 27, 2026

U.S. aircraft attack Iran in response to drone strike on cargo ship that Tehran called ‘ceasefire management’ as both sides wrestle for Hormuz control

U.S. aircraft attack Iran in response to drone strike on cargo ship that Tehran called ‘ceasefire management’ as both sides wrestle for Hormuz control

By Collin Binkley, Jon Gambrell and The Associated PressJune 26, 2026

A man pumps his car with gas.

U.S. companies swallowed the oil shock. They’re not sure they can do it again

By Sasha RogelbergJune 25, 2026

The Iran war is accelerating the EV transition faster than any climate policy ever did—but it’s still just not that much

The Iran war is accelerating the EV transition faster than any climate policy ever did—but it’s still just not that much

By Catherina GioinoJune 25, 2026

Trump’s Iran war provoked the Senate enough to get it to symbolically vote to curb his war powers for the first time

Trump’s Iran war provoked the Senate enough to get it to symbolically vote to curb his war powers for the first time

By The Associated PressJune 24, 2026

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