Azure Strategy

This week, we unpack the announcement that #Qatar is financing and constructing a military facility in Idaho and what it signals about broader #US-#GCC relations. We also look at Syrian President Al-Sharaa's recent visit to Moscow and where #Russia stands amid President #Trump's #MENA diplomatic push. Subscribe to the Azure Strategy newsletter to have this land in your inbox every Friday.

Azure Strategy's Neil Quilliam will be guest speaker on a Menas Associates webinar on October 29, addressing #Syria's next chapter. The discussion will cover the issues of governance, inclusion and reconstruction. Sign up below to join! https://lnkd.in/efNfn4P8

Our newsletter has landed - Morocco’s #GenZ212 protests resume, keeping the pressure on the government to enact concrete reforms. In Saudi Arabia, a higher 2025 deficit projection coincides with market-opening measures and a Riyadh rent freeze to draw capital. Full Bulletin:

📣 In this week's MENA Bulletin - Developments in Morocco’s Gen Z protests and Saudi economic policy In Morocco, #GenZ212 demonstrations resumed this week. Youth across the country are demanding the government take real action on job creation, public service delivery and living costs, among others. The King’s address to parliament today will help determine whether protests continue to build or dissipate. In Saudi Arabia, authorities undertook liberalisation measures to ease the fiscal burden as the Finance Ministry doubled its 2025 deficit projection. Steps include easing foreign ownership limits to deepen capital markets and a rent freeze in Riyadh. Markets have reacted positively to the measures but it is uncertain whether inflows will materialise at scale. For more on what these developments mean and what comes next, check our website 👇 or subscribe to our MENA Bulletin newsletter ✉️ #Morocco #SaudiArabia #EconomicPolicy #YouthPolicy #Vision2030 https://lnkd.in/eRS54Y-n

Azure Strategy's Neil Quilliam will be guest speaker on a Menas Associates webinar later this month, looking at #Syria's prospects for stability and the return of foreign investment. More below 👇

KRG–Turkiye oil exports resume after 2+ years in a landmark deal, while Trump–Erdogan talks in DC signal growing policy convergence – but defence rifts still loom. Sign up to Azure's MENA Bulletin to read about the week's key developments - and what they mean. 👇

📣 Landmark developments in Iraq–Turkiye energy and US–Turkiye relations This week saw the resumption of oil exports from the KRG to Turkiye after more than two years, in a deal that reasserts Baghdad’s control and offers Erbil much needed economic relief. While hailed as historic, the agreement may face revisions after Iraq’s upcoming elections. At the same time, Trump and Erdogan’s White House meeting signalled a cautious reset in bilateral ties. Energy and trade featured prominently, as well as cooperation on Syria and Gaza, but disputes over the S-400 and F-35s continue to cast a shadow over defence cooperation. Read the MENA Bulletin in full here: 👇 #Turkiye #Iraq #USA #MENA #ForeignPolicy https://lnkd.in/e2X7m3WU

🇾🇪🚨 Houthi Drone Strike on Eilat: Escalation with Strategic Consequences On 24 September, a Houthi-launched explosive drone struck a shopping area in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city and gateway to the Red Sea. The attack injured over 20 civilians, including two seriously, and marked the second strike on Eilat in a week. Despite Iron Dome interceptors being deployed, the drone evaded detection – exposing vulnerabilities in Israel’s southern air defence. This is part of a broader campaign. Since March, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched over 90 ballistic missiles and 40 drones at Israel, targeting not just military assets but critical infrastructure and civilian areas. The Houthis are demonstrating growing proficiency in long-range, precision strikes. Their drones are increasingly able to bypass detection and reach deep into Israeli territory. While the Houthis frame their actions as solidarity with Palestinians, their true motivations lie in asserting regional influence and advancing their goal to maintain and expand control in Yemen. Talk of West Bank annexation will only fuel their narrative further, offering greater justification for escalation - even if their core objectives extend well beyond the Palestinian cause. Israel is likely to respond harshly, with further strikes on Houthi leadership and infrastructure in Yemen. But history suggests these responses will be less effective than Israel would like. The Houthis have proven resilient, ideologically driven, and tactically adaptive. They are unlikely to be deterred. For more on what makes the Houthis a force to be reckoned with, check out this piece ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e5zhST-M #Israel #Yemen #Houthis 

🇾🇪🚨 Houthi Drone Strike on Eilat: Escalation with Strategic Consequences On 24 September, a Houthi-launched explosive drone struck a shopping area in Eilat, Israel’s southernmost city and gateway to the Red Sea. The attack injured over 20 civilians, including two seriously, and marked the second strike on Eilat in a week. Despite Iron Dome interceptors being deployed, the drone evaded detection – exposing vulnerabilities in Israel’s southern air defence. This is part of a broader campaign. Since March, the Iran-backed Houthis have launched over 90 ballistic missiles and 40 drones at Israel, targeting not just military assets but critical infrastructure and civilian areas. The Houthis are demonstrating growing proficiency in long-range, precision strikes. Their drones are increasingly able to bypass detection and reach deep into Israeli territory. While the Houthis frame their actions as solidarity with Palestinians, their true motivations lie in asserting regional influence and advancing their goal to maintain and expand control in Yemen. Talk of West Bank annexation will only fuel their narrative further, offering greater justification for escalation - even if their core objectives extend well beyond the Palestinian cause. Israel is likely to respond harshly, with further strikes on Houthi leadership and infrastructure in Yemen. But history suggests these responses will be less effective than Israel would like. The Houthis have proven resilient, ideologically driven, and tactically adaptive. They are unlikely to be deterred. For more on what makes the Houthis a force to be reckoned with, check out this piece ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e5zhST-M #Israel #Yemen #Houthis 

📣 MENA Strategic Bulletin: Sanctions set to snap back on Iran Barring a last-minute diplomatic breakthrough, this weekend will see the reimposition of UN sanctions on Iran. In this special edition of the Bulletin, we consider the implications, including: 📌 What this means for Iran's economy and stability 📌 How Tehran might respond, including asymmetric tactics in Gulf maritime corridors 📌 Regional risks and implications for defence ties Read this week's Bulletin in full here or on our website 👇 #IranSanctions #MENAGeopolitics #GulfSecurity Website: https://lnkd.in/etN9K5XX