Gulf Region
All countries-
Arabs attend Negev summit
Israel moves centre-stage in the Middle East
A straightforward message emerged from last week’s meeting in the Negev desert of the foreign ministers of four Arab countries, Israel and the United States: Israel is key to the security of Gulf autocracies and continued U.S. engagement in the Middle East. By James M. Dorsey
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Middle East
Ukraine overshadows Ramadan 2022
Ahead of Ramadan, most Middle Eastern countries have eased restrictions to near pre-pandemic times. However, increases in prices and food shortages due to the war in Ukraine are casting new shadows on the Holy Month. Jennifer Holleis reports
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Sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
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Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia
Grand Prix of double standards
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix raises questions as to how seriously Formula 1 really takes its commitment to respecting human rights. The criticism might be loud, but the financial incentives are irresistible. By Andreas Sten-Ziemons
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Ukraine war and the Gulf
UAE – safe haven for sanction-dodging Russians
It's sunny and politically stable, there is little financial transparency and it's easy enough to invest in a business or property and get a residency visa in return, writes Cathrin Schaer
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War in Ukraine
A food crisis in the MENA region?
With Vladimir Putin’s forces gaining ground in Ukraine, a further increase in the price of bread could severely destabilise MENA countries. Rising costs would inevitably challenge states such as Turkey, which imports essential cereal supplies from Russia and Ukraine. The same applies to most economies in the Arab world, such as Egypt – the world’s largest wheat importer – Algeria, and Tunisia
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War in Ukraine
Stress test for the Arab world
It’s unusual for the troubled Middle East to be looking at a war in Europe. And in that unfamiliar situation, Arab nations are jostling to adopt a position on the issue – as was evidenced by the show of spectacular shilly-shallying by the wealthy United Arab Emirates in recent days. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Cairo
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Saudi Arabia's urban development
The Crown Prince's bulldozers
Entire neighbourhoods in the Saudi coastal metropolis of Jeddah are being razed to the ground. Tens of thousands of people are losing their homes. With a marina and Saudi Arabia's first opera house, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman hopes to create a global urban brand worthy of Dubai or Singapore. By Jannis Hagmann
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Climate crisis and over-population
The Arab world has no answers
As challenges such as population growth and the end of the fossil fuel era loom large, not a single Arab regime is in a position to meet them. It is now incumbent upon Europe to encourage a response. Commentary by Rainer Hermann
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UAE foreign policy rethink
Is dialogue replacing proxy politics?
The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy. By Mohammad Barhouma
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Political correctness in the Gulf
Qatar's textbook spring-clean
With World Cup 2022 around the corner, Qatar has embarked on a campaign to clean up its school system. Distracting from grievous shortcomings in other areas by highlighting a willingness to reform on "soft" issues remains a stubborn trend across the Islamic world. By James M. Dorsey
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Arab world
Arab youth: Aspirations for the New Year
Arab youth express their hopes and wishes for the New Year, spanning everything from civil and political rights, to education, to arts and culture. By Rafiah Al Talei