Covid-19 Archives - Arab Digest

Egypt faces a second wave of Covid-19

13 January 2021William LawArab Digest EmailChina, Covid-19, Egypt, UAE

Covid-19 second wave plunges Egypt’s national health system back into crisis. The regime deploys propaganda and disinformation as it engages in vaccine diplomacy with China.

Iraq’s roadmap to economic reform

11 January 2021William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Iran, Iraq

Iraq’s economy is hurtling down a road to ruin but it is not too late for a change of course.

Yemen: prospects for 2021

22 December 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Saudi Arabia, USA, Yemen

As 2020 draws to a close, there is a flicker of hope that a just-announced unity government and the Biden presidency may signal the beginning of the end of a brutal war that has raged for nearly six years.

Saudi budget sails into the headwinds

21 December 202021 December 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Saudi Arabia

The budget strove for a message of ‘steady as she goes’ but a spectacular fall in Saudi Aramco’s revenues and a Covid-19 surge suggest rough seas ahead.

Survival in Yemen during a worsening crisis

1 December 20201 December 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA, Yemen

Despite urgent need and a looming famine, key funders have cut aid pledges and funding to Yemen dramatically.

Aramco IPO: milestone or millstone?

26 November 202026 November 2020William LawArab Digest EmailAramco IPO, Covid-19, Saudi Arabia, USA

On 5 December 2019, Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering on the Saudi stock exchange Tadawul immediately made it the world’s largest publicly traded company but the IPO has come with a cost that is still to be reckoned with.

Iraq: “the band has stopped playing”

25 November 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Iraq, Jordan, KRG, USA

Frank talk from the Iraqi finance minister is a measure of how close to economic catastrophe the country is.

Covid-19 puts a damper on Riyadh Summit

23 November 202023 November 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Khashoggi, Loujain al-Hathloul, Saudi Arabia, UK, USA, Yemen

Saudi Arabia was hoping that the G20 gathering would help to burnish a brand that has been severely tarnished.

What a second Covid-19 surge means for the Middle East

18 November 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Egypt, GCC, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia, Yemen

As Covid-19 continues its alarming march, the Middle East is facing difficult challenges and hard choices.

Remembrance Day bomb in Saudi Arabia

16 November 202016 November 2020William LawArab Digest EmailCovid-19, Saudi Arabia, USA

A bomb targets foreigners in Jeddah, the first of its kind for years; Islamic institutions are reshuffled as the regime attacks the Muslim Brotherhood. A new court case threatens to damage MbS’ international standing yet again.