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 September 9, 2025

The BRICS Virtual Summit: A Dry Run For The UN General Assembly: Text & Analysis

The BRICS nations convened an emergency virtual summit yesterday (September 8), hosted by Brazilian President Lula da Silva, to discuss the situation concerning the United States imposition of trade tariffs on multiple countries including BRICS members. The meeting lasted about 90 minutes. All ten full BRICS members were present, represented by Brazilian President Lula Da […]

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Featured September 4, 2025

Russia’s VTB Bank To Open Branch In Iran

Russia’s VTB has secured the principal approval of the Central Bank of Iran to open a branch in the country and will offer customers international settlements in national currencies as part of its servicing foreign commerce, according to Olga Basha, a VTB board member. She was speaking at the Eastern Economic Forum currently taking place […]

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September 3, 2025

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Reorganises: New Political Map

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) members have voted to reorganise the status of the three non-full member categories of “Dialogue Partners,” “Observers,” and “Permanent Guests” into one single category: “SCO Partners.” The move simplifies categories and makes the group easier to administer. This means that Afghanistan, Mongolia and Turkmenistan all become partners, as does the […]

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August 26, 2025

Iran To Become Regional Gas Transit Hub For Russian LNG

Iran and Russia have been jointly developing a strategy to position Iran as a strategic gas transit hub, potential that began following bilateral discussions and the 2024 signing of an agreement for Russia to supply up to 300 million cubic meters of gas to Iran daily. That supply chain will begin later this year. Stanislav […]

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August 25, 2025

Russia To Print New Syrian Banknotes

Russia has been given the contract to print the banknotes for Syria’s redesigned and revalued currency, with Damascus to give the severely devalued Syrian pound a makeover and remove two zeroes from the currency in order to ease transactions and restore confidence. The Syrian pound has lost over 99% of its value since 2011, falling […]

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August 24, 2025

Russia, Iran INSTC Trade Volumes Could Reach 15 Million Tonnes By 2028/29

The Iranian Ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, has said that the cargo transit by the eastern branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) may reach its potential capacity of 15 million tonnes in three to four years. He was speaking at the Caspian Media Forum 2025 in Astrakhan. Jalali stated that “The eastern branch […]

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August 24, 2025

Russia Delivers First Refrigerated Meat To Oman

Russia’s FESCO Transport Group has delivered the first refrigerated container with Russian food products from Novorossiysk to the port of Sohar (Oman). The container was loaded with frozen meat semi-finished products weighing 25.5 tonnes, and was delivered by road from the suppliers  warehouse in Bryansk to Novorossiysk Port. It was then placed on a FESCO […]

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August 19, 2025

Russian Sunflower Oil Exports To Turkiye Increase 17% in 7M 2025

Russian exports of sunflower oil to Turkiye increased 17% in volume terms, reaching over 560,000 tonnes worth US$640 million in January-July 2025, according to the Russian Agroexport Federal Centre. Turkiye ranks second among the top importers of Russian sunflower oil. The top three buyers also include Iran in first place and India in third. Russia […]

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August 16, 2025

Russia Conducting Work on Iran’s Rasht-Astara Railway

Russia is carrying out survey work for the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway on land plots already purchased by the Iranian government, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk has stated. The purchase of the remaining land was the subject of negotiations during the meeting between Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and Iranian First Vice President Mohammad […]

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