GULF COUNTRIES
Analyst
Justin Alexander
Former Economic Advisor, Qatar Finance MinistryDatabanks
Recent Country Insights
GULF WEEKLY: Qatari LNG damaged, Brent rises above $110, Saudi Red Sea exports pick up
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 20 Mar 2026
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Brent rose above $110 after Israel bombed an Iranian gas field and Iran hit the Qatari side of the field. * Qatar says 17% of its LNG will be offline for 3-5 years and its expansion could be delayed by a year. * There was...
Webinar replay - Oil Markets 2026+: Geopolitical Risks and Supply Dynamics Beyond the Glut
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 20 Mar 2026
As geopolitics overshadow supply in Venezuela, Iran, Russia and Kazakhstan, OPEC+ looks towards its second decade amidst an oil glut. What key local developments should market participants focus on to make sense of the oil market outlook in 2026 and beyond? Could Kazakhstan's chronic overprod...
Iran War Day 19: Israel strikes Iran’s gas and Iran retaliates against Qatar and UAE energy sites
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 19 Mar 2026
Highlights Israel struck South Pars, the world’s largest gas field (shared with Qatar). Iran retaliated by firing missiles at Qatar’s Ras Laffan, damaging the Pearl GTL plant. Gas and oil fields in the UAE were also damaged. Brent crude surged to $112. Israel killed Iran’s Intelligence Minister. ...
Iran War Days 17–18: Israel kills Larijani; allies reject Hormuz mission; top US official resigns
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 17 Mar 2026
Highlights Update for March 16-17. Israel killed Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s de facto leaders. EU foreign ministers and others rejected Trump’s demand for a naval coalition to secure Hormuz. The most senior US counterterrorism official resigned, calling the war unjustified. Iran struck a gas fiel...
Iran War Days 15–16: US strikes Kharg and Iran widens GCC targeting
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 16 Mar 2026
Highlights The US struck military targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub. Iran said if the oil facilities were attacked, then it would target the regional oil facilities of US-allied companies; it also threatened UAE ports and residential locations in Qatar and Dubai, where it claimed US ...
GULF WEEKLY: Iranian strikes kill in four Gulf states, Brent at $100 despite IEA release, East-West Pipeline nears 7m b/d, Qatalum continues operations
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 13 Mar 2026
A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Iran’s attacks on the GCC continued this week, but the cadence seems to have slowed somewhat. * There were fatalities from strikes in Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. * Sites hit included the Ruwais refinery (Abu D...
Iran War Days 11–12: Iran fires on ships as IEA agrees on oil reserve release
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 11 Mar 2026
Highlights Iran struck two oil tankers near Iraq and three cargo ships near Hormuz, and concerns grew about mines in the Strait. ADNOC shut the 922k b/d Ruwais refinery after a drone strike, and drones hit fuel tanks at Oman’s Salalah port. Aramco said it will soon ramp up the East-West Pipeline ...
Iran war fiscal impact model: Kuwait and Qatar hit hardest, Bahrain may need support
GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 11 Mar 2026
This report includes a simple model (which clients can manipulate) to estimate the possible fiscal impact of the war. Kuwait and Qatar face the largest fiscal hits due to their near-total reliance on Hormuz-dependent exports, but both have deep reserve buffers. Kuwait will soon need to shut down ...
Iran War Day 10: Oil whipsaws on shifting US signals
GULF COUNTRIES · In Brief · 09 Mar 2026
Highlights The US sent conflicting signals on the war's timeline. Brent crude briefly hit $119 before retreating sharply after Trump's comments and G7 reserve-release talk, dropping below $90. Iran's new Supreme Leader adviser Kamal Kharazi told CNN there is "no room for diplomacy" and that Tehra...