The response to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s announcement that West Bank settlements are not illegal ran from positive to damning with notable delays and silences.
Author: William Law
High stakes over a small village in North Syria
Posted onWhile a broader ceasefire generally holds, the battle for a small village in North Syria has important implications for the Syrian regime, the Kurds, Putin and Erdogan.
Learning lessons from a failed Arab Spring
Posted onAs authorities struggle to contain protest in countries across MENA, demonstrators are showing that they have learned from the failures of the Arab Spring A new generation of protesters has taken to the streets in the Middle East and it is clear as they march and shout their defiance that lessons have been learned from the 2011 Arab Spring. Rather than an emphasis on democracy and freedom, the focus is on attacking corrupt, incompetent governments, failing economies and political and business elites that benefit themselves at the expense of their …
The Trump peace plan: petering out?
Posted onJason Greenblatt leaves the Trump team but describes the peace plan as “one that can actually be achieved”. It’s not easy to see how or when that might happen.
A view from Bahrain
Posted onWhile the government continues to repress human rights and the political opposition, it has taken several steps to ease tensions.
Yemen: many questions remain in the wake of the Riyadh Agreement
Posted onThe agreement signed between the Southern Yemeni separatists and the Saudi supported Hadi government leaves many questions unanswered.
UAE launches a defence industry conglomerate
Posted onThe UAE has launched a major initiative jumping ahead of Saudi Arabia to consolidate and build up a local defence industry.
Saudi Aramco: Yield is the key
Posted onSaudi Aramco’s IPO faces significant hurdles related to valuation, oil price and yield.
Saudi Aramco IPO launched
Posted onLimited IPO of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest energy company, raises more questions than it answers. After several false starts and nearly four years on from when the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman first went public with his plan to sell off a portion of the energy giant Saudi Aramco in an initial public offering (IPO), the sale of up to 3% of the company has received the go ahead. Shares will be listed domestically on the local Tadawul exchange with wealthy Saudi families being encouraged to invest. Many questions remain, …