🇰🇼🇹🇷 Kuwait and Turkey are quietly moving closer on defense. Earlier this month, Kuwaiti Defense Minister Sheikh Abdullah Ali Al-Salem Al Sabah met senior Turkish officials in Ankara: a visit that may reshape the Gulf's defense procurement map. The latest issue of Defense Weekly give readers exclusive access to the Kuwaiti-Turkish defense file: 🔹 The Letter of Intent and Defense Roadmap 🔹 Turkish companies and their proposed offers 🔹 Kuwaiti assessments of Turkish defense capabilities Read the issue 👇 tacticalreport.com/weekly?ca…

The Quintet-hosted consultations on Sudan, announced by the U.S. Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs on 8 June 2026, aligned with Egypt's broader effort to prevent the RSF from converting territorial control into internationally recognized political authority. Cairo remains committed to a unified Sudan under a single government and a single army, while supporting efforts to weaken the RSF through defections, local agreements, and political realignments. The following note sheds light on: - Egypt's assessment of the Quintet political track, - Egypt's strategy for strengthening Burhan's position, - Egypt's efforts to weaken the RSF through defections and realignments, and - Cairo's management of the UAE dimension. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

⚡ Energy Weekly | Issue #33/21 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia revives the Hejaz Railway: a route beyond Hormuz? 🇦🇪 UAE in Somaliland: building a new export corridor? 🇸🇾 Syria positions itself at the center of regional trade routes 🇦🇪 Inside the UAE's post-OPEC strategy Read it 👇 tacticalreport.com/weekly/64… #Energy #MENA #SaudiArabia #UAE

🌍 Politics Weekly | Issue #33/24 🇸🇦🇮🇷 Saudi talks with Iran on a non-aggression pact, and Trump's caution 🇶🇦 Qatar reactivates mediation: motives, U.S. promises, Iranian guarantees 🇦🇪 MBZ's strategy for grooming CP Khaled for leadership Read it 👇 tacticalreport.com/weekly/64… #Geopolitics #MENA #SaudiArabia #UAE

🛡️ Defense Weekly | Issue #33/24 🇦🇪🇫🇷 UAE-France defense partnership set to expand? 🇪🇬🇬🇧 Egypt's Alexandria Defenders deepens UK ties? 🇸🇦🇪🇸 Saudi Arabia-Navantia naval cooperation 🇦🇪 UAE views on Tiger helicopters Read it 👇 tacticalreport.com/weekly/64… #Defense #MENA #UAE #SaudiArabia

Saudi Arabia is considering the revival of the Hejaz Railway as Riyadh reassesses long-term trade resilience and strategic access beyond traditional maritime routes. Unlock the following note to explore the proposed corridor, key officials involved, Saudi conditions, Riyadh’s vision for a strategic route extending beyond Hormuz, and discussions with Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Oman. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

The recent regional military confrontation provided the UAE with its most important real-world test of integrated air defense systems in years. The experience highlighted strengths across multiple defense layers but also exposed gaps that had received less attention before the conflict. The crisis exposed the UAE air-defense network to a diverse mix of Iranian threats stemming from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and unmanned aerial systems. Reports from Abu Dhabi suggest that these threats did not present the same level of difficulty. Some were considered manageable within existing defense layers, while others exposed challenges in detection, classification, engagement timelines, and interceptor allocation. Unlock the following in-depth report for further insights on: - The Iranian threats generated the greatest concern, - The performance of air defense systems, - The challenges posed by cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and unmanned aerial systems, - The role and effectiveness of electronic warfare and non-kinetic countermeasures, and - Key lessons learned from mixed-wave and saturation attacks. tacticalreport.com/in-depth/…

Growing perceptions across the UAE suggest that UAE President Mohammad Bin Zayed (MBZ) is grooming his son, Crown Prince (CP) of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled, as his eventual successor. The following note sheds light on: - MBZ’s strategy and the challenges it faces, - CP Khaled’s expanding role and influence, - CP Khaled’s relationship with Sheikh Mansour and its implications for the UAE’s future leadership dynamics. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Deputy Secretary of Qatar’s National Security Council, Hamad Khamis Al-Kubaisi, is not a public figure who frequently appears in the media, nor is he commonly associated with major political initiatives or high-profile diplomatic activities. Nevertheless, his position grants him a meaningful presence within Qatar’s national decision-making process. Unlock the following note to learn more about Al-Kubaisi’s: - Role and personality; - Current responsibilities and security portfolio; - Relationship with the senior Qatari leadership figures; - Coordination with government institutions. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

The UAE is expanding its Somaliland strategy beyond renewable energy projects, using infrastructure investments to reinforce its commercial position along the Horn of Africa. Unlock the following note to explore Emirati plans around Berbera, future energy and fuel infrastructure projects, and the growing regional concerns surrounding Abu Dhabi’s expanding role in Somaliland. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Saudi Arabia and Sudan are preparing to launch the Joint Strategic Cooperation Council, reflecting the growing political partnership and institutional coordination between the two countries. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) has pushed to launch the Council, following an understanding with Sudan’s de facto leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Unlock the full note to get an insight on: - The figures set to take part of the Council’s operations; - The cooperation prospects under discussion especially on a defense level; and - The plans to move forward. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

The Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense (UAE-AFAD), Major General Rashid Mohammad Al-Shamsi, is reportedly reviewing the operational lessons emerging from France's use of Tiger helicopters in the counter-drone mission during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The assessment examines the platform's performance, the supporting air-defense architecture, and the potential relevance of the concept to the UAE's existing Apache fleet. The following note sheds light on: - Operational assessment of the Helicopter, - Questions about the engagement results, - The French proposal, and - The UAE position. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

CALIDUS has emerged as one of the UAE’s most important indigenous defense manufacturers and aerospace developers. Established to support the UAE’s long-term objective of building sovereign defense-industrial capabilities, the company has evolved from an aircraft development firm into a broader defense technology and manufacturing group. Today, CALIDUS is increasingly positioned as a national platform for aircraft development, weapons integration, counter-drone technologies, simulation, and future unmanned systems programs. Its growing relevance reflects a wider shift in UAE defense policy away from dependence on imported platforms and toward domestic design, integration, testing, and sustainment capabilities. As a result, CALIDUS is becoming an increasingly important partner for the UAE Armed Forces, particularly the Joint Aviation Command (JAC). Unlock the following In-depth report for further insights on: - Strategic positioning within the UAE defense sector, - Leadership and defense-industrial influence, - Military programs and operational relevance, - Future growth and capability-development plans, - International partnerships and export strategy, and - Regional expansion and market opportunities. tacticalreport.com/in-depth/…

U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed pressure to expand the Abraham Accords, naming Qatar among the states he wants to see normalize relations with Israel. Qatar’s position is particularly important given its mediation role in Gaza, its channels with Israel and Hamas, and its stated linkage between normalization and Palestinian statehood. Unlock the following note to dive into: - U.S. and Israel’s approaches to Doha; - Qatar’s regional channels and Saudi Arabia’s central role; - Qatar’s conditions for future consideration. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Barzan Holdings continues to advance artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives in line with Doha’s broader defense-industrial vision. Unlock this note to explore Barzan Holdings’: - AI development and sovereign defense integration; - High-level oversight and ministry-driven requirements; - Prime contractors and capability alignment; and - Targeted software firms and regional partnership tracks. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman (MBS) seeks to control the Gulf’s strategic security course, aiming to reduce future risks to the region’s economy and emerge as the most influential figure among Middle East leaders following the end of the Iran War. Unlock the following note to explore MBS’s vision for GCC security after the Iran War’s end, as well as his approach towards Pakistan, Iran, and U.S. President Donald Trump. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

The Houthis in Yemen declared a complete ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, therefore considering all Israeli movements there to be legitimate military targets. Unlock the full note to explore the reason behind the Houthi intervention in the renewed Iran-Israel showdown, its limits, and ongoing Houthi-Iranian coordination. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Saudi Arabia is emerging from the Hormuz disruption with greater confidence in its export resilience and long-term supply position. Unlock the following note to explore Riyadh’s assessment of the disruption, Aramco’s operational adjustments, efforts to reassure Asian buyers, and the Kingdom’s evolving view of Hormuz-related risks and opportunities. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

The General Authority for Defense Development (GADD) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Raytheon Saudi Arabia during the Jisr 3 forum, in May 2026. Unlock the full note to get an insight into the MoU’s focus on: - Air-defense validation; - Controlled academic participation; and - Localization through test ownership. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Ali Al-Thawadi, Qatar's Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office for Strategic Affairs and his nation’s representative on Gaza’s Executive Board, took part in the call between Donald Trump and Middle Eastern regional leaders on 23/5/2026, underscoring his rising role as one of Qatar’s key strategic operators on Gaza and regional diplomacy Unlock the following note to explore Al-Thawadi’s: - Personality and role within Qatar’s leadership; - High level connections; - Relationship with Trump. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…

Barzan Holdings and ASELSAN established the BARQ joint venture (JV) in 2018 to support defense-industrial cooperation between Qatar and Turkey, with a focus on localizing selected technologies and building defense electronics capabilities in Qatar. Unlock the full note for more on the BARQ joint venture’s updated status on technology transfer and sovereignty sustainment; transfer lines; and ASELSAN’s role as a regional sustainment and adaptation platform. tacticalreport.com/daily/645…