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 November 17, 2025

Oman Makes Tracks To Join INSTC; Russia Views Overland Reach To Afghanistan and Shipping To Africa

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Marat Khusnullin, has been attending the Russia-Oman business forum held in Muscat and has provided updates on Oman becoming an additional destination on the southern part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). He stated that “We have a very interesting project with Oman in port infrastructure development. The connection between […]

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November 10, 2025

Tatarstan To Develop New Kama River Port To Integrate With INSTC

The Nizhnekamsk district in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan is to develop and launch quay infrastructure of a new Kama River port next year, which will become part of a logistics complex linking to the INSTC corridor. This will open up the region to be part of the North-South Corridor and improve trade links with […]

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November 2, 2025

Nizhny Novgorod Targets Port & SEZ Developments To Integrate Into The North-South Transport Corridor

The government’s interdepartmental working group on the creation and development of Russian Special Economic Zones (SEZ) has approved expanding the Kulibin SEZ in the Nizhny Novgorod Region, with a river port and new production facilities being planned, according to the regional government.  The Kulibin SEZ currently has a site in Dzerzhinsk, while the additional 117.7-hectare […]

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November 2, 2025

International Operator To Develop Middle Volga–Caspian–Persian Gulf Logistics

The “Middle Volga-Caspian International Logistics Forum” has been held in Ulyanovsk, attended by delegations from Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Iraq, and Iran, an important event to discuss operations along the Middle and Southern Corridor aspect of the International North-South Transport Corridor. There are now plans to create a single logistics operator to develop the Middle Volga–Caspian–Persian […]

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November 1, 2025

Russia, Jordan Visa-Free Exemptions Effective From December 13

The agreement between Russia and Jordan mutually waiving visa requirements for citizens of the two countries is to come into effect from December 13, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated. Russian citizens will be able to travel to and stay in Jordan without having to apply for visas for 30 days, provided that they do […]

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October 25, 2025

Russia Resumes Grain Exports To Jordan, Eyes Corn Market

Russia is restoring barley supplies to Jordan and could expand grain exports through increased corn shipments, according to Ruslan Khasanov, a director at the Russian Federal Center for Assessing the Safety and Quality of Agricultural Products (TsOK APK).  Around 50,000 tonnes of barley have been exported to Jordan since the start of the 2025 season […]

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October 23, 2025

US Sanctions On Rosneft & Lukoil: Economic Impact Analysis

The US administration has placed full sanctions on Russia’s Rosneft and Lukoil, and threatened secondary sanctions on companies that service them. These companies handle about 50% of all Russia oil production and exports. We look at the likely impact of these moves. Freezing of all Rosneft and Lukoil assets in the United States Neither have […]

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October 23, 2025

Russia, Yemen Bilateral Relations: October 2025 Update

The Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, has met with Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, the Chairman of the Presidential Council of Yemen, and the head of the Southern Transitional Council, in Moscow.  The two sides discussed a broad range of issues concerning trade and economic cooperation. Novak stated that “Russia and the Republic of Yemen are connected […]

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October 17, 2025

Russia-Morocco Bilateral Relations: October 2025 Update

The Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, has held discussions in Moscow with Nasser Bourita, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Morocco. They had also met last month in New York. Lavrov had this to say: “We reiterated mutual firm commitment to continuing joint work aimed at further strengthening the traditionally friendly and […]

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October 16, 2025

Russia-Syria Bilateral Relations—October 2025 Update

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, has been holding talks in the Kremlin with Ahmed al-Sharaa, the President of Syria, who is in Russia on a working visit. While Russia was close to the previous Assad regime, relations between Moscow and Damascus have always been friendly, Putin told al-Sharaa. He said that in its relations with […]

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