Nancy Paton, a producer and director based in Abu Dhabi, has been navigating a production industry that underwent significant structural expansion across the Middle East over the past decade, a period she describes as transformative for the region's creative economy. As one of the few women to reach CEO-level leadership in production in the region, Paton's career arc reflects the broader institutional investment Gulf states made in building out screen industries, from infrastructure to co-production frameworks. That progress is now under pressure. The current regional conflict has forced Paton to evacuate, and she warns the war threatens to reverse hard-won gains in a sector that depends heavily on location access, international crew mobility, and foreign co-financing relationships. Production activity in conflict-adjacent markets typically contracts sharply as insurers reprice risk, international partners pull back, and crew availability tightens. The immediate question for the region's screen industry is whether the institutional foundations built over the past decade, funds, studios, regulatory incentives, are durable enough to survive a prolonged disruption.
Venezuela's earthquake death toll has reached 1,430 with the US Geological Survey warning fatalities could top 10,000, placing it among Latin America's deadliest in a century. US military planes are landing in Caracas, Washington is mobilising $150 million in aid, and rescue teams from 17 countries are on the ground.
Iranian armed forces attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, briefly halting traffic through the waterway. The strike threatens a fragile US-Iran arrangement and could push shipping insurance costs and oil prices higher.
The US has struck Iran, with President Trump citing an Iranian attack on a ship in the Strait of Hormuz as justification. The action raises immediate risks for global oil flows through one of the world's most critical shipping chokepoints.
The US struck ten Iranian targets on the second consecutive day of military action, putting a fragile ceasefire under serious pressure. The escalation raises immediate risks for Gulf shipping, global oil supply, and regional stability.
