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, 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.
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.
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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.
Russia is bringing in new cryptocurrency laws from July 1 which have the potential to revolutionise Eurasian and global trade finance and especially with China, India, ASEAN and the Middle East. We examine the laws in detail and analyse what they mean in the next generation of international financial flows.
The Russian and Turkish Foreign MInisters have been holding extensive talks in Moscow. We deep dive what was discussed, and the evolution of bilateral relations into a strategic alliance between the Caucasus and the Middle East with significant implications for Eurasia. This is essential reading for anyone involved in the Black Sea and regional trade and investment.
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