Russia’s trade and investment into the Middle East is rapidly developing, with relations both through the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League all helping boost bilateral trade by 25% during 2025. Partially driven by the developments along the INSTC, and new regional free trade agreements, we provide analysis of the growing Russia-Middle East economic partnership. Discover trade statistics, investment flows from the GCC, and business opportunities for companies in both regions.
Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has meet with Badr Abdelatty, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs. With bilateral trade growing at 12% per annum, we examine the significant developments being made in bilateral infrastructure, energy, agriculture, finance, tourism and trade between the two countries.
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian Foreign Minister. We discuss the current geopolitical situation as well as the shifting logistics and energy supply chains, bilateral trade between Iran, Russia and the EAEU and underlying reasons for the Iran-United States conflict.
Russia, China and 27 other global south countries have signed up to form the World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization, with a mandate to strengthen international cooperation and global governance in artificial intelligence and share development expertise. We detail the members and examine the stated goals.
Russia and Egypt have agreed on the operational and management partner for the Russian Investment Zone at Port Said. Russia’s Crystal Fund will provide incentives for Russian manufacturers to establish operations in the zone, with the zone itself also tax and other benefits.
Freight trade between Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran along the Western route of the INSTC rose by 50% in June as a result of Iran shifting its supply chains north. This is having a significant impact on new Caspian-Eurasian trade flows.
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We examine the Russian Far East and its increasing infrastructure and trade integration with the rest of Asia, including specific attention to China, India, ASEAN and the Middle East.
Russia’s VTB bank is once again looking at developing operations in Iran as the conflict situation begins to calm down. Bilateral trade exceeded US$5 billion last year and has grown in 2026 despite problems. VTB will be looking to finance part of that trade.
The Iraq Ambassador to Russia, Dr. Abdul-Karim Hashim Mostafa has said it would be a ‘good idea’ for Iraq to join the BRICS, depending on the terms. Such a move would almost certainly face US opposition.
Russia needs to better secure its arbitration reach by both developing Bilateral Investment Treaties with Global South nations, and / or establishing a BRICS arbitration centre. We can expect a flurry of BIT agreements being signed in the coming months.
The Eurasian Development Bank, in which Russia is a major investor, is set to approve 11 new countries as members, mainly from the Middle East. This will help facilitate Middle East sovereign investments into Central Asia.
Is multiculturalism dead – or just moving away from the West to the Global South? The joint Russia-India film ‘Persimmon of my Love’ has been playing to rave reviews on a national release in Russia, while co-BRICS film productions are also underway between Russia and Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran and Indonesia amongst others.
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