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 19, 2025

Russia, Bahrain, To Discuss Double Tax Treaty

The Russian Finance Ministry is to hold negotiations in response to a request from Bahrain to conclude a Double Tax Treaty Agreement (DTA), according to Deputy Finance Minister Alexei Sazanov. Bahrain made the request in June. DTAs are useful when trade, especially in services and investment, is developing between two countries when their respective tax […]

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Featured September 16, 2025

Russia, Iraq Bilateral Relations, Oil & Nuclear Energy: September 2025 Update

Russia’s Security Council Secretary, Sergey Shoigu, has been visiting Baghdad and has been holding meetings with Iraq’s top political and military leadership during his visit to the country. Visits of this type typically involve security issues; however, these can also interface with regional trade and investment projects.  Shoigu said that communications between Moscow and Baghdad […]

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September 12, 2025

Russia, Gulf Cooperation Council Strategic Dialogue: 2025 Update

The 8th joint annual ministerial meeting of Russia-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Strategic Dialogue was held in Sochi on Thursday (September 11). The meeting was co-chaired by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Abdullah Al Yahya, the Foreign Minister of Kuwait, who is currently chair of the GCC. Other participants included Abdullatif Al Zayani, the Foreign […]

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September 10, 2025

Russia Proposes Re-Launch of the Russia-Syria Intergovernmental Commission

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, has proposed to the new Syrian authorities that the Russia-Syrian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation should now be reactivated. He was speaking as part of a Russian delegation with Syrian officials in Damascus. Novak stated that “We propose to resume the work of the intergovernmental commission […]

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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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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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