GCC

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump’s announcement Thursday that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) would recognize Israel was presented by the White House as a diplomatic achievement. The problem is that it achieved nothing, at least with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The step was, however, politically and economically expedient for the signing parties. The […]

China

The rise of the Middle Kingdom in the Middle East: Iran, Gulf Oil and China:

Middle East Monitor

By Arhama Siddiqa | – ( Middle East Monitor) – China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) stands as the most prominent example of the pivotal shift in Chinese foreign policy from Deng Xiaoping’s “bide and hide” philosophy to the current ambitious endeavours. The BRI is a titanic project focused on increasing connectivity by opening up […]

Bahrain

Gulf Arab Women were Finally making Progress, but will the Covid-19 Crash and Austerity set them Back?

The Conversation

By Humaira Hansrod | – Citizens of Saudi Arabia are having to get used to something that has long been an unpleasant fact of life in most parts of the world. On July 1, the kingdom tripled the VAT levied on consumer goods and services from 5% to 15%. There were reports of frantic stockpiling […]

Arab World

Gulf Security in the Age of Covid-19: Webinar, Qatar University

Juan Cole

Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University Panel on Gulf Security in the Age of Covid-19

Bahrain

With Oil Prices in Freefall, Coronavirus Reveals Weaknesses of Saudis, Arab Gulf States

Middle East Monitor

By Marwan Kabalan | – ( Middle East Monitor) – The coronavirus outbreak has put the Arab Gulf States under the spotlight and exposed their structural weaknesses. It has also suggested that security, which is often the focus because of geopolitical regional rivalry, especially with Iran, distracts from other equally important threats. While it is […]

GCC

Gulf Arab Women Are entering the Public Sphere, but must Navigate between Modernity and a Changing Society

The Conversation

By Alainna Liloia | – Arab women, long relegated to the private sphere by law and social custom, are gaining new access to public life. All countries of the Arab Gulf now have workforce “nationalization policies” that aim to reduce dependency on migrant labor by getting more women into the workforce. Saudi Arabia set a […]

Children

The War on Children in Yemen: UNICEF

contributors

Middle East Monitor | – – Millions of children are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance in Yemen, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said in a press conference Sunday in Jordan’s capital Amman. “More than 11 million Yemeni children are today in acute need of humanitarian assistance. This number makes […]

GCC

Kuwait, Terrified of Gulf Depression, Frantically Mediating Saudi-Qatar Crisis

contributors

Nicolai Due-Gundersen | (The Conversation) | – – A blockade against Qatar by its Gulf neighbours is now in its fifth month. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates severed socio-economic ties with Qatar as punishment for its alleged support of terrorism and interference in their affairs. As well as hurting Qatar’s economy, […]

Arab World

Is the Gulf Crisis bringing Iraq back into Arab World?

contributors

Mustafa Habib | Baghdad | ( Niqash.org ) | – – Countries like Saudi Arabia are showing new willingness to open diplomatic channels with Iraq. Motivations include a military they now respect, opportunities for reconstruction and countering Iranian influence. Iraqi diplomats have had a busy month. There have been dozens of officials from Arab countries […]