World Needs More Launchpads. Oman Wants To Help.
October 21st, 2025
Via Rest of World, a look at Oman’s efforts to build a space industry from scratch: Oman’s dream for a spaceport sits in a swath of desert overlooking the Arabian Sea. If all goes according to plan, three separate complexes here will launch everything from small suborbital rockets for scientific experiments to superheavy behemoths into […]
Read more »How The Trumps Won The Gulf
September 4th, 2025
Courtesy of The Financial Times, a report on the first family’s complex, lucrative and growing business interests in the Gulf region: Donald Trump Jr looked completely at ease as he strode across the plush carpet of the Waldorf Astoria in Doha one afternoon this May. Thick hair smoothed back, custard-yellow tie on display, smile flashing, […]
Read more »Oman Sovereign Wealth Fund In Preliminary Pact With Algeria For Investment Fund
May 10th, 2025
Via Reuters, a report on the preliminary pact between Oman’s sovereign wealth and Algeria for a new investment fund: The Oman Investment Authority signed a preliminary agreement with Algeria’s Finance Ministry to establish an investment fund worth 115 million Omani riyals ($298.79 million). The fund announced by the sultanate’s sovereign wealth fund will focus on […]
Read more »Energy, Mining, Telecoms: Gulf Nations Pour Billions Into Africa
January 24th, 2025
Via The Africa Report, a look at the Gulf’s continued strong investment interest in Africa: Gulf countries invested over $100bn in Africa between 2012 and 2022, leveraging the continent’s opportunities to diversify their oil-dependent economies. Nearly half of those investments came from the UAE. Here is a breakdown in infographics. Agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare and […]
Read more »Oman Firm Replaces Sanctioned Alrosa in Angolan Diamond Miner
November 30th, 2024
Via Bloomberg, a report that an Omani firm has acquired shares in an Angolan diamond-mining venture: An Omani state-backed fund has acquired shares in Angola’s Catoca diamond-mining joint venture from Russia’s Alrosa PJSC. Maaden International Investment LLC’s stake purchase was announced by Mineral Resources Minister Diamantino Azevedo on Thursday. Alrosa, which held a 41% interest in the Catoca […]
Read more »Can Oman’s $2.6 Billion ‘Smart City’ Break the Dubai Archetype?
September 27th, 2024
Via Wall Street Journal, a video look at Oman which is investing billions to modernize the city of Muscat as it sheds its reliance on oil. WSJ explores whether it can offer a more practical model for a Middle Eastern city, versus the glitzier approach of its neighbors.
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.