Middle East – October 24, 2026 -- Spot helium prices have doubled after Iranian strikes hit Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, exposing semiconductor fabs to a materials shortage that extends well beyond oil.

Qatar produced roughly one-third of the world's helium as a byproduct of LNG processing. QatarEnergy has declared force majeure, and repairs are estimated at three to five years.

September 28, 2026 – Kuwait City – -- HONOR grew smartphone shipments 35% year on year in the Middle East during the first half of 2026, even as the overall regional market contracted 13%, according to Omdia data cited by the company. The brand was the only major vendor in the region to post growth in the period, moving into second place in the market after posting 73% growth in the first quarter alone.