Middle East: Strategy

The United Arab Emirates has become one of the leading jurisdictions for investment funds structuring across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. Much of this growth has been driven by the development of two internationally recognised financial centres, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), both of which provide dedicated regulatory frameworks for licensed fund managers, asset managers and investment platforms.

Middle Eastern sovereign capital has dominated global energy markets for decades through low-cost LNG assets, but unprecedented disruptions in 2026 have fundamentally altered the risk landscape.

When looking at a new market, one question tends to come up early: What happens if the state needs the land or the project?

National oil companies across the Gulf Cooperation Council face a critical strategic decision as their giant legacy fields enter decline. Should they replicate expensive greenfield operating models, or design new frameworks specifically built for mature assets? This analysis examines three distinct operating model archetypes and reveals how GCC NOCs can achieve both low production costs and lean G&A through deliberate functional decomposition.

Middle Eastern sovereign capital has dominated global energy markets for decades through low-cost LNG assets, but unprecedented disruptions in 2026 have fundamentally altered the risk landscape.

The concept of dual licensing has emerged as a transformative development in the UAE’s business ecosystem, giving companies the strategic flexibility to operate across both free zones and the mainland under a more integrated structure.

National oil companies across the Gulf Cooperation Council face a critical strategic decision as their giant legacy fields enter decline. Should they replicate expensive greenfield operating models, or design new frameworks specifically built for mature assets? This analysis examines three distinct operating model archetypes and reveals how GCC NOCs can achieve both low production costs and lean G&A through deliberate functional decomposition.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry (“MoCI“) has commenced a phased update of the commercial activity classifications recorded for existing companies in Qatar. The initiative, which took effect on June 1, 2026, forms part of the MoCI’s efforts to align Qatar’s commercial registration framework with the Unified Economic Guide for the Classification of Economic Activities adopted across the Gulf Cooperation Council (“GCC“) member states.

In this episode of Voices for Change, Rima Hadid, general counsel of Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), talks to A&O Shearman senior manager, Justin Farrance...

Middle Eastern M&A activity demonstrated notable resilience through the first half of 2026 despite the U.S./Iran conflict, with deal values holding steady at USD45.4 billion across 516 transactions. While consumer-facing sectors like retail, hospitality and tourism experienced selective slowdowns, strategic buyers and sovereign investors maintained robust activity, particularly in defense technology.

After 1,000 days since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack, Israel has demonstrated unmatched military capability across Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, achieving tactical victories including the elimination of enemy leadership and degradation of militant infrastructure. Yet despite this operational dominance, Israel has failed to convert battlefield success into durable political settlements, leaving Hamas undefeated as a governing force, Hizballah unresolved despite a buffer zone, and Iran's regime intact after leade

The United Arab Emirates' departure from OPEC in April 2026 represents the most significant defection in the oil cartel's 66-year history. What drove this founding-era member to abandon nearly six decades of coordinated production policy, and how will this decision reshape global energy markets as the UAE pursues an independent production strategy unconstrained by quota limitations?