Diplomacy vs. deadlock: Iran says it will not meet U.S. envoys in Doha and insists the ceasefire terms must be settled first, while Qatar says the U.S. delegation will only engage mediators and technical talks—leaving the Strait of Hormuz reopening and any wider deal uncertain. Port & logistics decarbonisation: Bahrain’s Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) rolled out a new electric reach stacker, cutting up to 12,060 kg of CO₂ monthly while improving cargo flow and reducing downtime. Aviation governance: Gulf Air Group Holding named a new board for Gulf Air and Bahrain Airport Company, reinforcing corporate governance across Bahrain’s aviation ecosystem. Islamic finance capability-building: Cibafi launched the Cibafi Academy, a digital training platform for Islamic finance professionals. Payments innovation in Bahrain: Al Salam Bank became the first globally to implement JP Morgan Payments’ overnight murabaha solution for treasury liquidity optimisation. Industry & skills: Bahrain Polytechnic earned ICAEW Partner in Learning status, and SINNAD joined the Bahrain Association of Banks to strengthen collaboration in digital payments. Business expansion: Maritimo appointed KJM Marine as its exclusive dealer across the GCC and parts of the Middle East/Indian Ocean, including Bahrain. Exhibitions spotlight: Bahrain will host the 93rd UFI Global Congress for the first time (Nov 2–5, 2026), boosting the meetings and incentives sector.