Oman Archives

The EU to the Gulf: Let’s do a deal

Podcasts / May 27, 2022 May 27, 2022 / Bahrain, Energy, EU, Europe, Gas, GCC, Green Energy, Kuwait, oil, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

The European Council on Foreign Relations’ Cinzia Bianco joins Arab Digest editor William Law to talk about the partnership deal that the EU is proposing to the Gulf states. Large in ambition and sweeping in scope, it was released in Brussels in mid-May and titled ‘Joint Communication to the European Parliament and Council: a strategic partnership with the Gulf.’ So is the proposal a gamechanger or is it a dustcatcher? Will the Gulf play ball or are there red lines that will stop the initiative in its tracks? Cinzia weighs up the pros and cons and delivers her verdict.

Western hypocrites and MENA potentates

Arab Digest Newsletter / May 10, 2022 May 10, 2022 / #Ukraine, Bahrain, Egypt, Europe, France, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, USA, Yemen

Summary: as the war in Ukraine enters an ever more dangerous phase, MENA states continue to take a fence-sitting posture that keeps their options open and avoids annoying Putin.

Remember those JCPOA revival talks?

Arab Digest Newsletter / April 28, 2022 April 28, 2022 / Bahrain, Iran, Israel, JCPOA, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, USA

Summary: what seemed a certainty has now bogged down and the Vienna talks are at risk of stalemate with America’s Gulf allies finding themselves caught between a rock and a hard place, on the one hand worried that either the US will do a deal that gives away too much and leaves them in the lurch or on the other that a no deal scenario will further heighten their regional insecurity fears.

Western hypocrites and MENA potentates

Podcasts / April 22, 2022 April 22, 2022 / #Ukraine, Bahrain, Egypt, Energy, Gas, Israel, Kuwait, Muslim Brotherhood, oil, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sportswashing, UAE

Arab Digest editor William Law welcomes back Andreas Krieg of the Defence Studies Department, King’s College London and their conversation focusses on the battle that liberal democracy now finds itself engaged in as its MENA partners play the neutral card while quietly backing their ideological ally Putin in his war in Ukraine. It is an existential struggle, one encumbered with a stark hypocrisy.

Putin’s war plays well for MENA authoritarians

Podcasts / April 1, 2022 April 1, 2022 / #bitcoin, #Russia/Ukraine, #Ukraine, Bahrain, Dubai, Egypt, GCC, Kuwait, Oman, Organised crime, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE

Arab Digest editor William Law’s guest this week is the author and MENA analyst Christopher Davidson. Their conversation focusses on how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is proving beneficial for the region’s autocratic leaders and not simply because the price of hydrocarbons has soared. Amongst other windfalls Russia’s oligarchs are finding new homes in the Gulf and bringing their wealth with them.

Net zero chasing in the Gulf

Podcasts / February 11, 2022 February 11, 2022 / Bahrain, Energy, Gas, GCC, Green Energy, Kuwait, oil, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

Arab Digest editor William Law welcomes back author and analyst Jim Krane. Jim is energy research fellow at Rice University’s Baker Institute and an expert on Gulf energy matters. Their conversation focusses on the quest for net zero. Are Gulf hydrocarbons producers serious about hitting their ambitious targets or is this little more than a PR mirage?

The MENA 2022 economic outlook

Arab Digest Newsletter / January 17, 2022 January 17, 2022 / Bahrain, Covid-19, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Tunisia, UAE, Yemen

Summary: this year poses big challenges to the economies of the MENA region, many of which are already in deep trouble while a wealthy few will use their hydrocarbons revenues to ride out whatever rough weather comes their way.

MENA 2021

Podcasts / December 24, 2021 January 13, 2022 / Covid, Egypt, GCC, Iran, Iraq, Israel, JCPOA, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Yemen

Arab Digest editor William Law is joined by the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Cinzia Bianco. Cinzia takes an insightful look at the year just past in the Middle East and North Africa, from coups, to Covid, to MbS and MbZ, to alliances abandoned and new ones forged. And she offers her predictions for 2022.

Introduction of Alcohol in Saudi Arabia

Arab Digest Newsletter / December 23, 2021 December 22, 2021 / Alcohol, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE

Summary: the Saudi regime is signalling the prohibition on alcohol in the Kingdom could soon be relaxed, a huge step for such a conservative society.

The GCC’s economic moves and manoeuvres as Omicron bites

Arab Digest Newsletter / December 20, 2021 December 20, 2021 / Bahrain, GCC, Kuwait, Oman, Omicron, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE

Summary: the GCC states are continuing to push ahead on the economic front while wondering what damage Omicron will inflict.