Middle East News & Analysis

Middle East

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.

Featured February 10, 2026

Moscow Looking To Cooperate With Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Techno Valley

A delegation from the Moscow City government has visited Riyadh Techno Valley – a science and technology park in Riyadh operating under King Saud University—as part of the business program of the “INNOPROM. Saudi Arabia” International Industrial Exhibition. They discussed promising areas of cooperation in high-tech industries. Riyadh Techno Valley is a key strategic project […]

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Featured February 8, 2026

Russia’s FESCO Increases Shipping Capacity To Saudi Arabia & UAE By 20%

Russia’s FESCO Transport Group has increased the capacity of the FESCO Indian Line West (FIL-W) container line, connecting Novorossiysk, India, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, by almost 20%, the company has reported. The increase occurred due to the replacement of one vessel serving the line with a far larger vessel. Previously, according to the company’s […]

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February 4, 2026

Russian 2025 Agricultural Exports To Iraq Up 2.2 Times

Russia exported agricultural products to Iraq worth US$178 million in 2025, up 2.2-fold from the previous year, while in physical terms supplies increased 2.1-fold to almost 750,000 tonnes, the Russian Agroexport federal center has said. Wheat made up the largest share in exports at almost 400,000 tonnes. More than 108,000 tonnes of barley were exported […]

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February 2, 2026

Russia’s Iran Alternatives: Middle Eastern Strategic Investments, Trade, & Transport Corridors

As global trade and supply chain routes face tectonic shifts driven by sanctions, war games, war threats, geopolitical realignments, and the fracturing of traditional maritime routes, Russia has embarked on an ambitious recalibration of its external connectivity architecture. This strategy extends beyond the historic east-west axes to embrace the Middle East’s Gulf ports as critical […]

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January 31, 2026

Putin Meets Head Of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council In Moscow

The Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, at the Kremlin on Friday (January 30) in an unannounced high-level meeting.   Larijani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was appointed to his post last August.  He previously visited Moscow in the summer following US airstrikes […]

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January 30, 2026

UAE Wants To Partner With Rosatom In Financing International Nuclear Power Projects

The United Arab Emirates is discussing involvement in the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom’s projects in third countries, including Turkiye, as an investor, according to Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev. He has stated that “We’re actively inviting our UAE partners to our projects in third countries, and they’re displaying an interest in projects in Central […]

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January 30, 2026

Russia Eyes Maritime Security Centre In Oman

Russia’s The Maritime Board Chairman Nikolai Patrushev has visited the Maritime Security Center in Muscat, Oman, and discussed the possibility of cooperation with Russia on security issues within the  center’s remit, according to the Russian Maritime Board. Patrushev discussed with the Omani side the possibility of joint work on issues that are on the radar […]

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January 29, 2026

Russia–Syria Presidential Talks: Analysis

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Ahmed al-Sharaa, at the Kremlin on January 28. The talks focused on political, economic, and military base security cooperation and coordination, as well as expanded collaboration in trade, investment, and post-war reconstruction. Notably, this visit marks President al-Sharaa’s second trip to Russia […]

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January 28, 2026

Russia To Strengthen Defence Ties With China

The Russian and Chinese defense ministers have held a videoconference, with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov saying on Tuesday (January 27) that Russia is ready to strengthen practical cooperation with the Chinese military. Belousov and Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun held talks to deepen practical cooperation in such areas as joint actions and personnel training. […]

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