Key senator to stop blocking US arms sales to Persian Gulf Source: AP

The United States is poised to let Persian Gulf nations resume buying American-made lethal weapons after a key U.S. senator said he would stop blocking the sales, even though the Qatar diplomatic crisis that prompted the freeze is no closer to being resolved. Last year, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker said he was putting a "blanket hold" on sales to Gulf Cooperation Council countries, aiming to put pressure on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and others to resolve their dispute.

House Panel OKs Bill to Sanction Financial Backers of Hamas

The Republican-led House panel delivered a blunt bipartisan warning to Qatar on Wednesday, backing legislation that would slap sanctions on any countries or individuals providing financial and material support to the Islamic militant group Hamas. The Foreign Affairs Committee passed the bill by voice vote, setting the stage for the full House to consider the measure.

DUBAI: Bell gains European certification for 505 Jet Ranger X

Bell Helicopter has finally secured long-overdue European certification for its 505 Jet Ranger X, with deliveries scheduled to begin in the region in early 2018. The 505 originally gained approval from lead agency Transport Canada in late 2016, with the US Federal Aviation Administration following suit in June this year.

Qatar diplomatic crisis engulfs US military base

Qatar's emir is persona non grata to four U.S.-allied Arab states that accuse his wealthy Gulf nation of sponsoring extremists, but he recently received a warm welcome at the sprawling military base his troops share with thousands of American soldiers. Qatar's al-Udeid Air Base, a crucial staging ground for U.S. operations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, is one of several American military outposts across the Gulf that are intended to serve as a bulwark against Iran, but now put Washington in a delicate balancing act.

How Saudi Arabia and allies strong-armed Qatar, blindsided U.S.

DUBAI, June 7 One of the first signs of the crisis in which three Gulf states and Egypt have cut ties with Qatar came in a phone call from an anxious government adviser to a Reuters journalist early on May 24. In the 6.00 a.m. call, he denied Qatar's emir made comments reported by the state-run news agency criticising hostility to Iran, sympathising with three Islamist groups, accusing Saudi Arabia of adopting an extremist ideology that fosters terrorism and suggesting Donald Trump may not last long as U.S. president. The adviser repeated a statement released hours earlier which said the news agency had been hacked, seeming unaware that Reuters had already reported the denial.

Donald Trump Jr., Dubai business partner discuss a new ideasa

Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Dubai and met a billionaire business partner in the city-state, discussing "new ideas" as the Emirati's real estate firm still lists possible plans for future joint projects while Trump's father is in the White House. The Trump Organization has said it won't make new foreign deals while Donald Trump serves as America's 45th president.

Italians probe Emirati for alleged insider trading in UniCredit

Italian prosecutors are investigating a former Emirati sovereign wealth fund official over allegations of insider trading in UniCredit shares in 2010 as the fallout from the Malaysian 1MDB scandal spreads through Abu Dhabi's overseas investment portfolio. Prosecutors in Milan placed Khadem al-Qubaisi, the jailed former managing director of Abu Dhabi's International Petroleum Investment Company , under investigation "several months ago," said a person briefed on the probe.

Saudi Arabia Says Some Oil Producers Reach Deal to Extend Cuts

Gulf Arab oil producers have reached an agreement about a possible extension of output cuts beyond June to reduce stockpiles of crude, Oman's oil minister said. His Saudi Arabian counterpart confirmed that producers arrived at an initial deal on prolonging the cuts.

US Bans Passengers Of Middle Eastern Airlines From Bringing Electronics On Planes

The ban , which includes laptops, tablets, and video games, but does not include smartphones or medical devices, is effective for Royal Jordanian flights servicing New York, Chicago, Detroit, and Montreal. One official told NBC News that the message the airline sent was not an entirely accurate description of the forthcoming policy, to be announced Tuesday.

McCain makes secret trip to Syria to meet with US troops

In this Wednesday Feb. 22, 2017, photo released by Emirates News Agency, WAM, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, right, meets with John McCain, Senator of the United States of America and Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee at Al Shati Palace, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

UAE arms show comes as Yemen war, suspicions of Iran linger

Fighter jets screaming overhead and theatrical explosions marked the opening of an arms show Sunday in Abu Dhabi, as a bullet-scarred Emirati armored personnel carrier served as a reminder of the country's ongoing military campaign in Yemen. The Emirates announced over $1.2 billion in arms deals at the opening of the biennial International Defense Exhibition and Conference, known by the acronym IDEX.