Essential Middle East Market Analysis Trends in 2026

Israel reacted with alarm to both the U.S. choice to lift sanctions on Syria and President Trump's meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa. Prime Minister Netanyahu supposedly asked President Trump not to lift Syria sanctions in advance of Trump's journey to the region. Moreover, because the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, Israel has been careful of the former jihadist now in control in Damascus.

It has also deployed soldiers in southern Syria, inhabiting an increasing location beyond the demilitarized zone separating the 2 nations. Going forward, Israel will stay careful of the Sharaa federal government and will likely continue to use military pressure on Syria, consisting of an expanded occupation of southern Syria and periodic air campaign.

Israel's openness to the Trump administration's efforts to broker a nonaggression pact in between Israel and Syria stays an open question. Rather, Syria might end up being a locus of local power competitors between Israel and Turkey as both look for to exert their influence over Syria's trajectory. Because the fall of Assad in December 2024, Saudi Arabia has lobbied hard for the United States to lift Syria sanctions, mentioning them as an essential obstacle to the country's restoration.

For MBS, the U.S. choice stood as an important triumph emerging from Trump's journey. Going forward, Saudi Arabia will likely encourage the United States to continue along its course toward normalization with Syria.

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, with no hint of a shift in policy. Going forward, Netanyahu can be anticipated to continue along the very same trajectory in Gaza, especially considering that a significant shift in U.S.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

On the contrary, as the international outcry against Protest's actions in Gaza grows and with an increasing number of U.S. allies moving to declare a Palestinian state, Israel is likely to most likely its position further, bolstered by strengthened prospect of continued U.S. support.

Riyadh immediately rejected Trump's proposition and repeated its refusal to stabilize relations with Israel in the absence of significant progress towards the creation of a Palestinian state. The kingdom has actually also strongly slammed Israel for the lack of appropriate help streaming into Gaza. Following the August 22 scarcity declaration, Saudi Arabia, while not calling out the United States, faulted the Israeli occupation as the cause of the "humanitarian catastrophe" in Gaza.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Its leading function in pressing for a two-state service at the 80th UN General Assembly stands as its most popular effort in this regard. The kingdom will likely continue its behind-the-scenes lobbying of the United States to press Israel to relent on these demands, holding out on any progress toward normalization with Israel in the lack of movement on these concerns.

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Its engagement in the Middle East is forming the shapes of the emerging regional orderwhether by default or style. Particularly, its decisions on Iran, Syria, and Gaza all touch on core challenges in the region and hold the possible to move each in a positive instructions. Peril and deepening conflict stand on the flip side of each opportunity.

As worldwide trade patterns realign, a new investment passage is taking shape, connecting capital from the Gulf to Latin America. Sovereign wealth funds, corporations, and household workplaces from the Gulf Cooperation Council ("") are investing billions across Latin America's energy, agriculture, fintech, and facilities sectors. Trade between Mexico and GCC states rose more than 33% between 2021 and 2022, while non-oil trade with the UAE has nearly folded the previous decade.

3 Service belief reflects this momentum64% of Latin American executives prepare to expand engagement with the Gulf, especially in agriculture, renewable resource, and digital services. 4 Underscoring this momentum, Saudi Arabia recently opened its very first Chamber of Commerce office in Miami, further signaling the growing links in between Gulf capital and the Americas.