QFLA ADVISORY
News & publications
Published work, kept separate from client work.
Reports, commentary and op-eds by the firm and its affiliated members. Nothing here draws on a client mandate; our published position and our advisory work are deliberately kept apart.
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Featured
Director's Analysis
22 June 2026
Connectivity Without Transformation in the Middle East
Middle Eastern governments have inverted the logic of China's Belt and Road Initiative, building connectivity infrastructure ahead of an integrated manufacturing base rather than after one. The piece argues for industrial development banks, harmonised IP frameworks and coordinated procurement before infrastructure can drive real economic integration.
Islam Alhalawany, the Arab Gulf States Institute
Read the full piece 02
Publications
Reports, commentary and op-eds.
Director's Analysis
22 July 2026
Stable Instability and the Coming US-Gulf Contest Over the Oil Market
Despite the US-Iran ceasefire, the Gulf's underlying tensions remain unresolved. The US has become the world's largest oil exporter, eroding the Gulf's historic market leverage and setting up a coming contest over market share as supply returns and demand stays weak.
Islam Alhalawany, London School of Economics and Political Science
External
Director's Analysis
11 March 2026
Iran's Data Centre Attacks in the Gulf Are Strikes on Confidence
Iranian drone strikes on data centres in the UAE and Bahrain mark a shift from oil infrastructure to the logistics corridors and data centres underpinning the Gulf's post-oil economy, putting the region's AI and investment ambitions at risk.
Islam Alhalawany, South China Morning Post
External
Quoted
3 September 2026
Xi's Egypt Visit Tests Cairo's Balancing Act
Xi Jinping's Egypt visit expanded bilateral ties on trade, renewable energy and AI infrastructure, testing Cairo's balance between Beijing and Washington. Islam Alhalawany was quoted: "Financially stressed Egypt will likely afford the Chinese option in light of the intensifying catch-up race, especially as Beijing bundles digital infrastructure projects with lucrative financing packages."
Middle East Eye
External
Quoted
18 August 2026
Hamas has agreed to disarm. So why is Israel still refusing to leave Gaza?
The piece examines why Israel continues to hold ground in Gaza despite Hamas's agreement to disarm. Islam Alhalawany was quoted: "In the shared interest of preventing full escalation, players like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Egypt are working to re-establish rules of engagement and redlines." On the Strait of Hormuz, he added that regional states are "navigating around trade chokepoints and beginning to localise industrial capacity," a reconfiguration that "will reshape the region's economy for decades to come."
The Indian Express
External
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