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Yemen’s civil war seems all but forgotten on the international stage –overshadowed by fighting in Gaza, upheaval in Syria, Russia’s war in Ukraine and other issues – but it remains a live conflict, with more than 100 battles involving Houthi forces in the first two months of this year alone. In late March, Saudi Arabia will mark a decade since Prince Mohammed Bin Salman launched the air campaign against the Houthis, hoping a quick victory would restore security to its southern border.

While the UAE has  made most headlines, the governments of Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are all trying to tap into the potential for artificial intelligence to improve public sector productivity and services, often with the help of American technology companies.

A decision by the Opec+ bloc to raise production from April has put more downward pressure on crude prices – and hence Saudi and other producer governments’ revenues for the year ahead. Crude prices may struggle to stay above $70/bbl, while Riyadh’s fiscal position is also being tested by Saudi Aramco’s falling profits and dividend payments.

The government has released a significant number of political prisoners over the past few months, causing speculation inside and outside the kingdom about what could be motivating the policy – even while Saudi jails remain full to people who have upset Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s regime and the Presidency of State Security under General Abdelaziz Al-Howairini wields an iron fist, as it has since MBS’ 2017 crackdowns.

Saudi Arabia has hosted a series of talks involving US, Russian and Ukrainian leaders in recent weeks, as it tries to position itself as the mediator of choice to help resolve the conflict in Europe – however, there have been some missteps, with Ukraine’s president postponing a February visit at the last minute after being left out of a US-Russian meeting in the Saudi capital.

A liquidator has been appointed to Italian software company Artis Wrld SRL, which is part-owned by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s brother Prince Turki.

Some $4.5m in a Riyad Bank account belonging to a Prince Faisal Bin Turki – who’s identity remains unclear – has been frozen by a judge at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur over alleged links to funds obtained fraudulently from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

The cabinet has approved a new National Investment Strategy, which includes targets to attract $65bn/yr in foreign direct investment by 2031 and to increase the total value of UAE FDI stock to $600bn.

Investor Prince Khalid Bin Alwaleed is set to join the board of Vesalius Longevity Labs, which is researching the potential for using peptides to increase human’s healthy lifespan.

Backed by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s Misk Foundation, the new Asaan museum will be built at a favoured MBS location, Diriyah, on the edge of Riyadh, under his wife’s guidance.

The Saudi utility developer has acquired $693m-worth of plants in Bahrain and Kuwait from French rival Engie, while also expanding its domestic portfolio in two other deals. 

An International Institute for Strategic Studies report points to a new missile base being developed near Al-Nabhaniyah, north-west of Riyadh, along with construction work at other Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Force sites. China remains a key partner in developing the Saudi missile programme, as it has been over the past four decades.

Prince Sultan Bin Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz has been disqualified from participating in British horse racing until he pays a debt of nearly £322,000 owed to trainer Richard Hannon.

Saudi Arabia’s Acwa Power has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for a 2GW wind project in the North African country.

The initial days of Donald Trump’s second stint in the White House seemed to pick up where his first term left off, with big investments promises by Gulf states to secure the president’s favour. However, deal-making has been quickly overtaken by more strategic concerns and grandiose political posturing, with suggestions the US could force Gaza’s population to move to Jordan, Egypt or even Saudi Arabia, while Trump has renewed his ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on Iran, hinting darkly that Washington could support Israel ‘bombing the hell out of them’.