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The UK signed a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council on May 20, becoming the first G7 country to secure such a deal. Expected to boost the UK economy by £3.7 billion annually, the agreement covers all six GCC member states and marks a major milestone in Gulf-British trade relations, with bilateral trade already worth £54 billion.
Startup investment across MENA surged to $150 million across 27 transactions in April, a 211% jump from March according to Wamda data. The UAE led with $78 million across eight deals, followed by Saudi Arabia and Egypt at $26 million each. Fintech remained the top-funded sector for the fourth consecutive month, securing $89.4 million. However, regional funding remains 42% below the same period in 2025.
INTERPOL coordinated a landmark cybercrime operation across 13 MENA countries resulting in 201 arrests and identification of 382 additional suspects. The operation dismantled phishing-as-a-service networks, seized 53 servers, and identified 3,867 victims. The sweep targeted malware distribution, banking fraud, and online financial scams across the region.
The Gulf's push to become a global AI hub is being tested by the ongoing Middle East conflict, with two Amazon data centers in the UAE targeted and oil prices hovering around $100 a barrel. Some data center investment decisions have been paused as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Analysts note the shift from digital to kinetic threats represents a new risk dimension for the region's tech infrastructure.
Cloudflare's Q1 2026 report reveals a sharp rise in cyber threats targeting the Middle East. Saudi Arabia saw a 36% quarter-over-quarter increase in mitigated traffic, with 172 million cyber threats blocked daily. The EMEA region as a whole experienced a 22% surge in blocked threats, reaching 86.5 billion daily. Consumer goods, finance, and telecoms were among the most targeted verticals.