Gulf

1. Saudi’s first Houthi fatality
2. US envoy to Saudi hurdles
3. Iran steps up cyberattacks
4. Dubai invests in roads and…
5. …Gulf pushes on ports

Eyes on New York for the UN General Assembly.

Saudi Arabia closer to coveted F-35s

The escalating fight with Yemen’s Houthis claimed its first fatality in Saudi Arabia. One person was killed and others injured in Taif, in the southwest, during the interception of a drone. The kingdom blamed the death of the Yemeni citizen on an attack launched by Iran-backed Houthis. While Riyadh is responding with its own strikes in Yemen, a broader coalition hasn’t emerged to confront the Houthis. More weapons are, however, expected from the US, and President Donald Trump is expected to meet with senior Gulf officials to discuss the war at the UN General Assembly in New York next week.

Saudi Arabia is also closer to getting America’s most advanced fighter jets: The State Department approved the proposed $24.3 billion sale of 48 Lockheed Martin F-35s to the kingdom. The sale must still undergo congressional review, where it will likely face opposition. This month, the Trump administration announced a separate conventional arms sale to Saudi Arabia.

Uncertain path for Trump’s Saudi pick

US President Donald Trump’s pick for ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Rep. Wesley Hunt, is staring down a potentially difficult confirmation fight because of a tight Senate calendar and skepticism among Republicans, Semafor reported. Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis said he would likely block Hunt’s nomination as part of any large, en bloc package, while Sen. John Cornyn, who fought a bitter Senate primary against Hunt, called him “an interesting choice in many, many ways.” Hunt, a former diplomatic liaison officer in the kingdom, also has a potential vulnerability in his own record: In a Dec. 2025 video about his time in Riyadh, he said: “The jihad never ends. We are the infidel.” His nomination could nonetheless be a welcome signal to Riyadh as it faces increased military pressure from Iran-backed forces.

— Lauren Morganbesser and Eleanor Mueller

Iran-linked cyberattacks surge

The UAE is increasingly in the crosshairs of Iran-linked cybercriminals. There was a spike in malicious activity during the peak of the regional conflict: Cyberattacks targeted critical infrastructure like electricity, water, and the financial sector, the chairman of the UAE Cyber Security Council told CNN. The cybersecurity chief attributed the bulk of attacks to Iran, adding the activities are often funded by traceable cryptocurrencies. Despite the sheer number of attempted hacks or scams during the war, he put the total cost of individual attacks or breaches affecting private-sector victims in the UAE at a relatively scant $4.4 million.

Israel is the country most targeted by cyber threats, according to security firm CloudSEK, followed by Türkiye, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia. The figures are threat-intelligence indicators rather than confirmed, successful attacks. So far, the vast majority of attacks in the UAE have been thwarted. As many as 640,000 attempted cyberattacks were identified in a single day this week, according to the UAE Cyber Security Council.

— Kelsey Warner

An 80km fix for Dubai traffic

Dubai’s commuters are getting an 80 kilometer escape from the 5 pm gridlock, in another signal the war isn’t denting the emirate government’s long-term outlook. Dubai approved a fourth highway connecting Sharjah to Abu Dhabi. The 12-lane corridor will cut journey times by up to 60%.

Each of Dubai’s main highways has been built farther from the shore than the last, and the Fourth Corridor runs deepest inland, linking the future airport and train line. The project joins a wartime building spree that includes the roughly $35 billion Al Maktoum airport, villas on the long-dormant Palm Jebel Ali, and Emaar teasing a 200 billion dirham ($54 billion) “city within a city” as the emirate builds for the future, even as many pundits write its obituary.

— Manal Albarakati

Saudi ports have their moment

Saudi Arabia has poured more than 5.5 billion riyals ($1.46 billion) into its ports since the war began. The effects are most visible in Jeddah, where much of the Gulf’s cargo has been rerouted since the Strait of Hormuz closed. Before the war, around 2,500 trucks a day entered Jeddah Islamic Port; now that number exceeds 10,000.

More than 30 new vessels from lines including Maersk and MSC call there, serving markets across the kingdom and the Gulf. Dubai port operator DP World runs the main container terminal in Jeddah and completed an $800 million expansion last year. With its home port of Jebel Ali, the Gulf’s biggest, running at a tenth of its normal volumes, the company is recouping some of what the closed strait has cost it on the Red Sea.

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• Sept. 19: Asian Games open in Nagoya, Japan.
• Sept. 20: Qatar Economic Forum holds a special edition in New York, with the prime minister and energy minister speaking.
• Sept. 22: Trump reportedly meets Gulf leaders or foreign ministers to talk postwar Iran strategy in New York.
• Sept. 22-28: Heads of state and top officials to address the UN General Assembly.
• Sept. 23: Saudi National Day (Read Semafor columnist Camilla Wright’s take on Saudi nationalism and the myths that underpin identity.)