Essential Middle East Market Research Insights in 2026

Israel reacted with alarm to both the U.S. decision to lift sanctions on Syria and President Trump's meeting with Ahmed al-Sharaa. Prime Minister Netanyahu supposedly asked President Trump not to raise Syria sanctions in advance of Trump's trip to the region. Because the fall of the Assad routine in December 2024, Israel has been careful of the previous jihadist now in control in Damascus.

It has also released soldiers in southern Syria, occupying an increasing location beyond the demilitarized zone separating the two countries. Going forward, Israel will remain careful of the Sharaa government and will likely continue to use military pressure on Syria, including a broadened profession of southern Syria and periodic air campaign.

Yet, Israel's openness to the Trump administration's efforts to broker a nonaggression pact in between Israel and Syria remains an open concern. Instead, Syria could end up being a locus of local power competitors in between Israel and Turkey as both seek to exert their impact over Syria's trajectory. Because the fall of Assad in December 2024, Saudi Arabia has actually lobbied hard for the United States to lift Syria sanctions, mentioning them as an essential obstacle to the nation's reconstruction.

For MBS, the U.S. decision stood as an important success emerging from Trump's trip. Going forward, Saudi Arabia will likely encourage the United States to continue along its path toward normalization with Syria.

GCC Business Outlook for Strategic Planning

In spite of expanding domestic and international criticism of Israel's approach, the prime minister has actually not fluctuated in his expanding occupation of Gaza in the lack of any U.S. pressure. The prime minister appears to bask in U.S. support, without any hint of a shift in policy. Going forward, Netanyahu can be anticipated to continue along the exact same trajectory in Gaza, especially considering that a dramatic shift in U.S.

On the contrary, as the global outcry against Israel's actions in Gaza grows and with an increasing number of U.S. allies moving to state a Palestinian state, Israel is likely to entrench its position further, boosted by the possibility of continued U.S. assistance. Undoubtedly, the Trump administration announced its decision to reject visas to the Palestinian Authority leadership ahead of the UN General Assembly, relatively in action to installing calls for stating a Palestinian state.

Trump's proposition and restated its refusal to stabilize relations with Israel in the absence of considerable progress towards the production of a Palestinian state. The kingdom has likewise strongly slammed Israel for the lack of adequate help flowing into Gaza.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Its leading function in promoting a two-state service at the 80th UN General Assembly stands as its most popular effort in this regard. The kingdom will likely continue its behind-the-scenes lobbying of the United States to press Israel to relent on these demands, holding out on any development toward normalization with Israel in the absence of movement on these issues.

Leading Operational Change in the 2026 GCC

Its engagement in the Middle East is forming the contours of the emerging regional orderwhether by default or design. Specifically, its choices on Iran, Syria, and Gaza all touch on core difficulties in the region and hold the possible to move each in a favorable direction. Hazard and deepening dispute stand on the flip side of each opportunity.

As global trade patterns realign, a new financial investment corridor is taking shape, linking capital from the Gulf to Latin America. Sovereign wealth funds, conglomerates, and family offices from the Gulf Cooperation Council ("") are investing billions throughout Latin America's energy, farming, fintech, and facilities sectors. Trade in between Mexico and GCC states increased more than 33% between 2021 and 2022, while non-oil trade with the UAE has nearly folded the previous years.

3 Company belief reflects this momentum64% of Latin American executives plan to expand engagement with the Gulf, especially in farming, renewable resource, and digital services. 4 Underscoring this momentum, Saudi Arabia just recently opened its very first Chamber of Commerce workplace in Miami, additional signifying the growing links in between Gulf capital and the Americas.