The ‘Global Mufti’ Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi 1926-2022
Summary: Sheikh al-Qaradawi has died leaving behind a complex and controversial legacy.
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Morocco: a troubled kingdom
Summary: previously seen as a model of stability and solid economic growth, Morocco is struggling with an economy battered by COVID and the fallout from the war in Ukraine; to further complicate matters the king is in failing health and a succession battle looms.
Oil: winter is coming
Summary: following the agreement to cut output at its September meeting, OPEC+ faces another tricky balancing act on 5 October especially if its aim remains to put a US$100pb ‘floor’ under Brent.
Sisi and the IMF Carousel
Summary: the IMF has made a new loan to Egypt contingent upon fiscal and structural reforms. The problem is those reforms are likely to serve only to drive more and more Egyptians into absolute poverty while further enriching the military elite.
The MbS no show
Summary: there was a flurry of suggestions that the Saudi crown prince would come to London for the Queen’s funeral but in the end he didn’t show up while other senior Gulf dignitaries did.
Lebanon and a run of robberies
Summary: while the governor of the central bank eludes arrest and accountability, desperate Lebanese are resorting to armed ‘robberies’ to get the money that is theirs out of banks refusing to give it to them.
IDPs in Yemen: an untold story
Summary: the war and the humanitarian disaster it has caused have received intermittent coverage but the story of Yemen’s 4.3 million IDPs has been virtually ignored.
Iraq: a Functioning or a Failing State?
Summary: Iraq has still to form a government nearly a year after parliamentary elections. The impasse is indicative of a far bigger malaise: a dysfunctional state whose sovereignty is held hostage to armed groups and sectarian interests.
Captagon in Saudi Arabia
Summary: Captagon use in the kingdom is on the up; critics blame Vision 2030 and anti-Islamic social engineering masterminded by MbS and his right hand man Saud al-Qahtani for causing widespread nihilism among young Saudis, driving up the demand for illicit drugs.
MENA and a rout of the Russians
Summary: as the Russian army continues its chaotic retreat, questions are being asked, opportunities being examined as Putin’s warrior image takes a heavy beating.