By Muhammad Mamman
Major Gulf economies including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar are discussing the possibility of withdrawing from some contracts with the United States and cancelling future investment commitments as the economic toll of the Iran war deepens, according to a report by the Financial Times. 
Officials familiar with the discussions said the oil-rich states are reviewing overseas financial commitments and evaluating whether they could invoke force majeure clauses in existing agreements to ease mounting fiscal pressures linked to the ongoing regional conflict. 
The war, which has disrupted shipping routes and energy production across the Middle East, has strained government budgets in the Gulf by reducing revenues from energy exports, tourism and aviation while sharply increasing defence spending. 
A Gulf official told the Financial Times that several countries have already begun internal reviews of their global financial obligations, including investments pledged to foreign governments and companies, sports sponsorship deals and long-term commercial contracts. The official did not specify which of the four states had initiated the discussions but said the review could extend to future commitments to the United States. 
The potential shift comes as the conflict involving the United States and Iran continues to destabilise the region, with attacks on energy infrastructure and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz driving volatility in global oil and gas markets. 
Analysts say any large-scale withdrawal or slowdown in Gulf investment could have significant implications for the global economy, given that the sovereign wealth funds of these states collectively control trillions of dollars in overseas assets and have historically been among the largest investors in the United States. 
However, officials stressed that the discussions remain preliminary and are primarily aimed at protecting domestic finances if the war and its economic consequences continue to escalate.
The review reflects growing concern among Gulf governments about being drawn deeper into a conflict that threatens regional stability, global energy markets and the long-term economic diversification strategies many of the states have pursued in recent years. 
