Insights

Why the Arab Gulf is rising – and why it matters

By Global Gateway Advisors

May 13, 2025

Whether currently invested in the region or not, the Gulf’s transformation and its growing global impact is one all of us should be learning more about. As President Trump kicks off his Gulf tour today where he has told advisors he wants to sign deals worth more than $1 trillion, we take a deeper look at the region.

Plus: Our Q&A with Rachel Oppenheim, Semafor’s chief revenue officer, on how the outlet is covering business transformation in the region — and everything you need to know about Fortune’s upcoming Most Powerful Women summit in Riyadh.  

The Arab Gulf takes center stage 

In recent years, the security and energy dynamics that traditionally defined U.S.-Gulf relations have evolved into a landscape more accurately defined by the activity of sovereign wealth funds, cooperation across diverse sectors and a rush of media and finance heavyweights establishing regional hubs.

Why it matters: The Gulf’s rise as a financial hub is reshaping global capital flows and creating new opportunities for U.S. businesses. 

Saudi Arabia: As it embarks on its ambitious Vision 2030 journey, the Kingdom has undergone a striking transformation. It recently announced plans to pursue at least $600 billion in new trade and investment with the U.S. over four years, with Trump pushing for that number to exceed $1 trillion. 

  • With Trump focused on business deals during his visit, the CEOs of BlackRock, Citigroup and others will also travel to Riyadh to attend the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum. 
  • Trump will reportedly offer Saudi Arabia a major arms package, hold additional talks on minerals cooperation and civilian nuclear technology and possibly loosen semiconductor export restrictions.
  • This week, Saudi Arabia announced Humain, an AI company with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at its helm, to lead Riyadh’s approach to the technology. 
  • Last week, Salesforce announced plans to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh as part of its $500 million five-year investment to accelerate AI adoption in the kingdom. Salesforce opened its first Middle East office in Dubai last October. Scale AI, an Amazon-backed startup that supports AI product development, is also planning to open an office in Saudi Arabia.

United Arab Emirates: The UAE pledged $1.4 trillion in U.S. investments over the next decade, focused on AI and energy. As of March, this includes a $25 billion partnership between Abu Dhabi’s ADQ and the U.S.-based Energy Capital Partners to power data centers. G42, the Abu Dhabi-backed AI powerhouse, also has plans to expand stateside. 

    • The Trump administration is reportedly considering easing restrictions on Nvidia chip exports to the UAE to support Emirati ambitions in AI. In May, International Holding Company (Abu Dhabi’s largest listed company), Lunate, a UAE-based alternative asset management firm, and BlackRock announced intentions to establish a $1 billion AI reinsurance platform.
    • In April, the energy unit of Mubadala, a UAE sovereign wealth fund, finalized its first-ever investment in a U.S. energy company, while XRG, an $80 billion spinoff of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, is reportedly ramping up plans to invest in U.S. natural gas, low-carbon energy and chemicals.
    • Money is also flowing into less flashy sectors. UAE-based packaging firm Hotpack plans to invest $100 million in a new manufacturing facility in New Jersey.
  • Disney announced this week it plans to open a park and resort on Yas Island in the UAE — just its seventh location worldwide, and its first in the Middle East. 

Qatar: Ahead of Trump’s visit, Qatar is reportedly finalizing a deal to purchase 100 wide-body jets from Boeing. The country, whose royal family may be poised to gift Trump a luxury plane that could eventually serve as Air Force One, has also taken steps to attract venture capital.

GO DEEPER: To read more about the new Gulf-driven financial order and its impact on everything from sports to AI, click here.

Semafor bets big on coverage of the Gulf region

Semafor introduced its third vertical, Semafor Gulf, last September to cover the region’s economic transformation and rising global influence. We spoke with the outlet’s chief revenue officer, Rachel Oppenheim, to learn more about why the region matters and how Semafor is positioning itself within it.

Compass: Why did Semafor focus on launching Semafor Gulf as one of its first international editions?

Oppenheim: From day one, Semafor was built to be a truly global news brand — one that reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of business, politics, and society. The Gulf was a strategic priority for us because it sits at the nexus of those forces and, as we scale our brand of independent, transparent journalism. The region is undergoing a once-in-a-generation transformation — economically, politically, and culturally. With that, we saw an opportunity to meet rising demand for high-integrity, global journalism that’s also locally intelligent.

From a commercial standpoint, launching Semafor Gulf was also about engaging a fast-growing, sophisticated audience of business leaders, government stakeholders, and investors who are increasingly shaping global markets. Our model — combining premium editorial with convenings and custom intelligence — resonates in the Gulf, where the appetite for perspectives, analysis and insight is accelerating rapidly.

Compass: Why should business leaders be paying closer attention to the Gulf region?

Oppenheim: The Gulf is no longer just a capital exporter — it’s a capital allocator, innovation hub, and diplomatic power center. Whether you’re in energy, tech, finance or entertainment, the Gulf is shaping global outcomes. Sovereign wealth funds are investing at scale across the global south and in western markets. Governments are deploying policy as strategy — reimagining cities, diversifying economies and building influence through soft power, media and sport.

For business leaders, this is no longer a region to watch from the sidelines. It’s a region to partner with, invest in and understand deeply. Those who do will be better positioned to navigate everything from capital flows and climate policy to geopolitical alignment and the future of global trade. And we hope Semafor Gulf is their go-to news source! 

Compass: What’s the hot topic driving the business dialogue about the Gulf today?

Oppenheim: There are several. First, the scale and speed of economic diversification — especially Saudi’s Vision 2030 — is driving massive investment in infrastructure, tourism, tech and culture. Second, sovereign wealth strategy: how funds like PIF, ADQ, QIA, and Mubadala are deploying capital is reshaping global private markets. Third, energy transition: Gulf nations are balancing net-zero commitments with their role as energy superpowers, leading to a complex but highly strategic positioning on climate and innovation.

There’s also a sharp focus on global influence — whether through high-profile acquisitions in sports and media, or deeper involvement in multilateral institutions and South-South partnerships. For business leaders, understanding how and why the Gulf is making moves across all these fronts is essential to long-term strategic planning.

Event spotlight: Fortune MPW International (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, May 20-21) 

Following Saudi Arabia’s investment in women as part of Vision 2030, women now represent 36% of the workforce (up from 17% in 2017) and own 45% of small and midsize businesses. 

“Saudi Arabia has historically been a restrictive and even suppressive place for women, but recently it has taken a progressive turn,” Fortune editor-in-chief Alyson Shontell said. 

Acknowledging the region’s growing importance, the media organization will host its first international summit, Most Powerful Women International, in Saudi Arabia’s capital next week. 

  • Centered around the theme A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity, participants will explore key forces shaping the global business landscape and discuss how public and private sectors can collaborate to drive innovation and growth.
  • Featured panels include: Inside the AI Revolution: Risk, Rewards and New Ways of Working; The Future of Travel Takes Flight; What’s Driving Global Investment; The Art of Reinvention; Prioritizing Women’s Health; and Media’s Next Chapter: Building Trust and Navigating Disruption. See the full agenda here. 
  • Speakers range from Rashida Jones, former president, MSNBC; H.E. Yuriko Koike, governor, Tokyo; Lisa McGeough, president, CEO and head of banking, HSBC U.S.; Theresa May, former prime minister of the U.K.; to H.H. Princess Noura bint Faisal Al Saud, CEO, Culture House, among others. 
  • Fortune will also host its annual Global Forum in Riyadh later this year.

Other key regional events to watch

  • Bloomberg’s Qatar Economic Forum (Doha, Qatar, May 20-22)  Bloomberg News will gather world leaders and international CEOs to discuss the Gulf’s transformation into a global center of financial power. Speakers include Michael Bloomberg; Mary Callahan Erdoes CEO, Asset & Wealth Management, J.P. Morgan; and Ryan M. Lance, Chairman & CEO, ConocoPhillips.
  • Reuters NEXT Gulf (Abu Dhabi, UAE, Oct. 22) The outlet is expanding its flagship NYC-based event to the Middle East this year, where global and regional leaders from business, government, media, culture, NGOs and academia gather to tackle pressing issues like geopolitics, economy, banking, technology, AI, climate and leadership.
  • Fortune Global Forum 2025 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 26-27) As AI, geopolitical tensions, and shifting demographics converge, Fortune editors selected Riyadh as the backdrop for top executives from the Global 500 and beyond — including Delta, NYSE, Mastercard and JPMorganChase — to explore the forces redefining global business. With capital flowing to the Gulf and the region pivoting from energy to finance, the forum will spotlight new opportunities for public-private collaboration and growth.
  • Future Investment Initiative (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 27-30) Known as “Davos in the Desert,” this annual gathering — hosted by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, a nonprofit backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund — will convene global leaders under the theme The Key to Prosperity: Unlocking New Frontiers of Growth. The agenda will focus on sustainable growth, breakthrough innovation, and shaping capital to empower the next chapter of global development.
  • WSJ Tech Live (Doha, Qatar, Dec. 2-4) The organization’s first-ever Tech Live event in the Middle East brings together leaders who are reshaping the global tech landscape to discuss how AI is transforming economies and society, the shifting landscape of global tech investment and how technology is rapidly changing sports and gaming — from fan engagement to monetization.

To keep up with what’s ahead, visit Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

Media news + moves

What we’re reading and watching:

  • In an AI era, journalists still matter: As PR firms navigate AI disruption, they’re finding that traditional journalism — not social media — has far greater influence on how chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini describe brands. “Earned media and owned content are the primary drivers of how GenAI platforms recommend and describe brands and products. It’s not even close,” said Brian Buchwald, global head of product, data, and AI strategy at Edelman.
  • The Substack “Trump bump”: The platform surpassed five million paid subscribers in March, gaining one million new subscribers between November and March. Over 50,000 publishers earn revenue on Substack, with the top 10 generating a combined total of over $40 million annually.
  • Case in point: New York Magazine is for the first time publishing one of its newsletters — Dinner Party — on the platform, alongside its regular subscriber distribution.
  • The Guardian accelerates its cross-pond expansion: Following a 25% revenue jump and record $44 million in U.S. reader contributions, the outlet is adding a dozen-plus editorial roles, launching its first U.S. daily news podcast, and expanding soccer coverage ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
  • $7.3 billion: Podcasting generated that much in sales last year — more than double most estimates, according to research firm Owl & Co.
  • Podcasts get the Oscar treatment. With that kind of revenue, it’s no surprise that the Golden Globes plans to introduce a Best Podcast award in 2026, with six finalists selected from the 25 most popular podcast series.
  • The struggle to save media ads: Amid increasing polarization and economic uncertainty, news outlets have struggled to convince advertisers that their content is safe. To address this, Stagwell, a publicly traded ad holding group, will host a new event, “NewsFronts,” highlighting advertising opportunities within news content. Participating publishers include The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Reuters.
  • A new Brew vertical: Biweekly Revenue Brew promises everything from “game-changing tech to cutting-edge GTM strategies.” 
  • Yahoo Finance launches a new podcast: “The Big Idea with Elizabeth Gore” aims to remove barriers for entrepreneurs and spot opportunities for anyone looking to become their own boss, offering real stories and actionable insights for small business owners.
  • “Learning to Lead”: A new newsletter by Fortune’s Orianna Rosa Royle features interviews with high-profile executives, as well as career tips and strategies from the Fortune success desk.
  • Business Insider launched a weekly tech newsletter: Tech Memo, “where Big Tech secrets go public,” is led by global technology editor Alistair Barr.
  • Comcast names cable spinoff Versant: Highlighting versatility and subject expertise, it will oversee brands like USA, MSNBC and CNBC with a focus on digital growth and strategic acquisitions.

Media moves:

  • Leena Rao was promoted to U.S. tech executive editor at Business Insider.
  • Deepa Seetharaman, a tech reporter at The Wall Street Journal, is leaving the publication.
  • Samantha Murphy Kelly and Chris Welch joined the consumer tech team at Bloomberg.
  • Manal Albarakati joined Semafor as a Saudi Arabia reporter.
  • John Ruwitch joined NPR’s Business Desk as a tech correspondent. 
  • Ryan Barwick was hired as an M&A reporter at Axios.
  • The Atlantic hired Jamie Thompson and Josh Tyrangiel as staff writers. 
  • Nate Wolf is joining the Barron’s trending news team.
  • Deborah Solomon now heads The New York Times’ expanded U.S. economy team, covering both New York and Washington, D.C.
  • Reporter Chloe Berger has left Fortune.
  • Therese Poletti has left MarketWatch and is now freelancing.
  • Ingrid Lunden is no longer at TechCrunch.
  • Choire Sicha, who wrote New York Magazines “Dinner Party” newsletter (yes, the one that just launched on Substack last week) announced he is leaving the outlet to join CNN as senior vice president of features editorial.