Summary: a black comedic classic by one of Egypt’s greatest writers, a brilliant new analysis of Yemen, a breath taking generational novel from Kuwait, a deep dive into security in the Gulf monarchies, essays from Arab LGBTQ+ writers and how MbZ built himself and his closest family members into a regional powerhouse.
Summary: ISIS strikes in Syria, MbS leaves Paris smiling, a “bad bill” comes before the UK parliament, the cycle of violence in the Occupied West Bank intensifies and a great chef passes away in Lebanon.
Summary: despite what was, by all accounts, a challenging discussion at the OPEC+ table last weekend, Saudi Arabia appears to have engineered a pragmatic outcome consistent with its drive to stabilise the oil price.
Summary: despite what was, by all accounts, a challenging discussion at the OPEC+ table last weekend, Saudi Arabia appears to have engineered a pragmatic outcome consistent with its drive to stabilise the oil price.
Summary: the Syrian president who has conducted a ruthless and bloody war now appears poised to be welcomed back into the Arab fold by fellow dictators and authoritarian ruling families.
Summary: the Gulf states are seeing Washington through far different eyes than Washington is seeing them. America is playing from an old playbook, without realising that the game has changed and nowhere is this more clearly highlighted than by Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Summary: the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut production was a jab in the eye to the West but one that has been a long time coming.
Summary: with the protest movement virtually silenced, the opposition either in jail or in exile, Bahrain’s ruling family is moving forward, building on higher oil prices and financial support from its GCC neighbours to meet at least some of the concerns of its citizens.
Summary: the recent visit has less to do with commercial arrangements than with Abu Dhabi’s desire to shore up support for the Abraham Accords and find a way out of the Yemen quagmire using Oman as an interlocutor.
Summary: an end to the blockade of Qatar last year has, on the surface, eased tensions between Abu Dhabi and Doha but look a little deeper and the animosity remains.
