Politics

Smoke rises in the distance outside Sderot in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Two Thais have been killed in Israel's most intense fighting in decades.
Middle East crisis

Thailand readies Israel evacuation as 12 nationals killed

PM Srettha condemns Hamas attack, says he ordered air force to get planes ready

9 October 2023
Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets launched from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8.
Middle East crisis

Israel-Gaza conflict: Japanese companies hunker down, seek info

Trading houses Mitsubishi, Mitsui and Sumitomo all have Israeli presence

9 October 2023
Stream article image
Most read in 2023

Israel crisis sparks worry in Asia, from India to Thailand

Hamas attack met with widespread condemnation amid fears of escalation

8 October 2023
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Sept. 11: A "fourth pole" on the geopolitical landscape could be emerging.
Opinion

Working with Gulf states, India can build a new center of power

'IMEC' could point the way forward for emergence of world's 'fourth pole'

28 September 2023
Royal Air Force Typhoons are parked at in Linconshire, U.K. The U.K., Italy and Japan are jointly developing next-generation fighter jets for delivery in 2035.
Defense

U.K. 'exploring' Saudi entry to fighter jet project with Italy and Japan

British GCAP point man urges deal this year to launch 3-way government body

24 September 2023
Police officers try to block an entrance of the government building during a protest against Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, demanding that authorities defend ethnic Armenians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in Yerevan on Sept. 20. (Photolure via AP)
International relations

Azerbaijan claims full control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region

Armenian forces agree to disarm after latest outbreak of decades-old conflict

21 September 2023
The Belt and Road summit in Hong Kong includes booths encouraging activity in the Middle East. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
Belt and Road

Hong Kong uses Belt and Road summit to kindle Middle East ties

Territory follows Beijing in seeking new friends amid chilly relations with West

14 September 2023
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a press conference on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 10.
G20 Summit

Erdogan says isolating Russia will fail, eyes Black Sea grain revival

Turkish president vows 'firm diplomacy' to ensure food supplies for Africa

10 September 2023
U.S. President Joe Biden greets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a July 2022 meeting in Saudi Arabia.
G20 Summit

U.S. seeks India-Middle East transport network deal at G20

Washington envisions railways and sea lanes to counter China's Belt and Road

9 September 2023
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg on Aug. 24: The new membership fits into Teheran's policy of deepening ties with nonwestern nations. (Pool via Reuters)
Opinion

Iran's new club memberships still leave it out in the cold

Accession to BRICS, SCO will reduce isolation but not solve financial challenge

7 September 2023
A Japanese flag is seen at a construction site in Tokyo. Japan will team with Turkey to seek opportunities in post-war Ukraine.
Ukraine war

Japan and Turkey team up for Ukraine reconstruction

Nations to issue joint statement on cooperation

4 September 2023
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy ahead of the Arab League summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on May 19. (Saudi Press Agency/Reuters) 
Comment

How Saudi Arabia's mediation efforts heap pressure on Russia

Riyadh-hosted talks on Ukraine highlight growing clout of major emerging nations

26 August 2023
Women walk on the streets in Tehran as the country's morality police resume hijab patrols on July 18, 2023.
Economy

Iran's new hijab law puts stores, restaurants, e-commerce on edge

Sanctions-hit economy suffers another blow nearly a year after mass protests

17 August 2023
Construction machinery digs in the rubble from buildings demolished by the deadly February earthquakes in Hatay, Turkey, on July 28 (Photo by Sinan Tavsan)
Natural disasters

Turkey set to recycle quake debris covering 'two Manhattans'

Japan-funded project targets some of 200m tonnes of rubble from February disaster

16 August 2023
The majority of Chinese companies attending the fair were producers of items such as vests and helmets. (Photo by Sinan Tavsan)
Defense

Chinese companies flock in record numbers to Turkish defense fair

Opportunities abound in growing Turkish market and surrounding region

1 August 2023
Boys play at a gaming festival in Dubai in 2019: The Middle East gaming market has been experiencing remarkable growth.
Opinion

Japan should look beyond energy in its Middle East outreach

Growth of region's gaming market has created opportunity for Tokyo's soft power

24 July 2023
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin take part in a signing ceremony for an agreement on the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway in Tehran on May 17.
International relations

Iran grows wary of Russia amid Moscow's support for UAE in island spat

Recent friction sparks anger, rare critical public statements from Tehran

23 July 2023
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, right, welcomes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Abu Dhabi on July 19. (Photo courtesy of the Presidency of Republic of Turkey)
International relations

Erdogan ends Gulf tour in UAE with agreements worth $50bn

Deals offer boon to inflation-hit Turkish economy weakened further by quakes

20 July 2023
Steakholder sees similarities between Jewish kosher and Muslim halal dietary requirements. (Photo courtesy of company)
Food & Beverage

Israel's food tech upstarts eye ASEAN's Muslim countries

Indonesia, Malaysia offer halal gateway for Jewish state's companies

19 July 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, center, meets with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, far right, in Doha on July 18.
Energy

Qatar 'prepared' to ensure stable LNG supply, emir tells Japan PM

Kishida seeks to help companies acquire energy interests

19 July 2023
Baykar so far has signed seven export deals for its advanced Akinci armed drone, including with Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy of Baykar Technology)
Defense

Turkey's Baykar signs largest drone deal with Saudi Arabia

Sale of advanced Akinci reflects major thaw between regional powers

18 July 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, left, and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan wear wristbands for the COP28 climate conference at a meeting in Abu Dhabi on July 17.
International relations

Japan seeks UAE investments in chips, batteries via new framework

Tokyo offers support with ammonia tech for gradual decarbonization

18 July 2023
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16.
International relations

Japan and Saudi Arabia agree to launch regular diplomatic dialogue

PM Kishida meets with crown prince on three-day tour of Middle East

17 July 2023
Saudi Aramco aims to produce as much as 11 million tonnes of ammonia a year by 2030.
Energy

Japan to team with Saudi Arabia on joint ammonia production

Leaders set to agree on framework for public-private initiative

16 July 2023
Much of the world's rare-earth metals, which are used in electric vehicles and other products, are currently produced in China.
Materials

Japan and Saudi Arabia seek joint rare-earth investments

Both sides plan to diversify supply chains amid rising EV demand

15 July 2023