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The UAE’s latest Cepa agreement is another step in Abu Dhabi’s plans to build its global profile by negotiating bilateral trade deals.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s favoured Public Investment Fund has been among the most prominent clients of US lobbying and legal firms over the past year, as Saudi Arabia seeks to strengthen its relations with Washington and support its subsidiaries’ investments in the American market.

In a reordering of some of UAE national security advisor Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan’s extensive commercial interests, the new 2PointZero holding company will take control of shares in firms including venture capital investor Chimera Investments, minerals investor International Resources Holding and cryptocurrency ‘miner’ Citadel Technologies.

The Saudi offer of long-term tax incentive comes just before new rules are introduced in January stipulating that international companies must base their regional headquarters in the kingdom if they want to compete for government contracts. Saudi Arabia has made the most high-profile recent moves to attract foreign investment, but even the more conservative Kuwait and ‘revolutionary’ Iran are easing terms for incomers.

Oman’s Crown Prince Theyazin Bin Haitham had words of praise for President Vladimir Putin and one of Russia’s most senior bankers, Andrei Kostin, while in Moscow to attend an investment forum in early December. The visit to Russia, followed by a trip to Abu Dhabi a few days later to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, suggests the Omani crown prince may be seeking to build up his international profile.

Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said has returned from back-to-back state visits to Asian powerhouses Singapore and India, in which boosting business was very high on the agenda.

Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has set up the Dubai Investment Fund, chaired by deputy ruler Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Al-Maktoum, to hold the emirate government’s stakes in operators including utility Dewa and road toll operator Salik. DIF will take its place alongside other Dubai Inc entities including Investment Corporation of Dubai, Dubai Holding and Dubai World.

Red Sea attacks: Houthi forces launched missile and drone attacks against three commercial ships and a United States Navy vessel in the southern Red Sea on 3 December. The first attack targeted Bahamas-flagged bulk cargo ship Unity Explorer at 9:15 am Sanaa time, but the missile missed. Later in the day Unity Explorer was hit by another missile, causing minor damage.

By forcing a Saudi Aramco-backed venture capital fund to divest its stake in a Silicon Valley AI start-up the United States has signalled its increased scrutiny of Gulf investment in sensitive technologies.

Saudi-headquartered multilateral the Arab Petroleum Investments Corporation (Apicorp) unveiled a new identity, rebranding as The Arab Energy Fund, during the COP28 climate talks on 4 December.

Risk grades: Abu Dhabi A1, Dubai A2. RAK’s Russian links: A delegation from the Ural region of Russia visited Ras Al-Khaimah in early November, comprising business owners involved in real estate, engineering services, IT development, food production and investment.

Climate goals: Ahead of the COP28 climate talks in Dubai, the UAE has set out a national action plan to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 – while also remaining a world-leading oil producer.

Kuwait recorded a KD6.5bn ($21bn) surplus for fiscal year ending 31 March 2023, its first annual surplus since 2014/15.

A joint venture between United States-based investment firm RedBird Capital and Abu Dhabi’s International Media Investments (IMI) has launched a bid to acquire a pillar of the United Kingdom’s Conservative establishment, the Telegraph Media Group (TMG), which includes The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers, and weekly political magazine the Spectator, in a debt-for-equity deal.