Gulf States Archive

On Dec. 7, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Qatar for a short yet very profitable visit. It took place in the wake of Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s own trip to Paris in September. During his eight-hour stay in Doha, Macron visited al-Udeid Air Base—the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East—where France also has a contingent of soldiers. He was then received at Sheikh Tamim’s administrative office, the Emiri Diwan, to discuss several matters of bilateral interest, as well as the diplomatic standoff in the Gulf, before flying back to Paris. Macron and Sheikh […]

After more than three years in the doldrums, the economy of the United Arab Emirates is headed for a recovery. Spurred on in part by the highest oil prices since December 2014, the UAE has also taken strides to implement important, if long overdue, structural reforms aimed at liberalizing and diversifying its economy. One expected boost to revenue in 2018 will come from a 5-percent value-added tax that was rolled out Jan. 1. While all six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council initially intended to adopt the VAT initiative together, only the UAE and Saudi Arabia moved forward at the […]