[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
Saudi and UAE oil ministers defend Opec response to falling prices The Emirati and Saudi oil ministers affirm that their countries are committed to maintaining current levels of oil production.
Egypt`s Sisi meets Qatari envoy, signaling possible détente A news report on the Qatari-Egyptian rapprochement.
Gulf States and Qatar Gloss Over Differences, but Split Still Hampers Them David Kirkpatrick examines relations among the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Kuwait to host 18th meeting of GCC environment ministers Kuwait will host the eighteenth meeting of environment ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Raytheon’s $50m will help start UMass Lowell campus in Kuwait Raytheon Company, a US military contractor, announces that it will build a campus in Kuwait for the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Reports and Opinions
Saudi security forces kill four militants in restive east Saudi security forces kill four men suspected of killing a soldier in al-Awamiyya, in the Eastern Province.
Saudi Arabian security man shot dead in Riyadh: police A gunman holding three workers as hostages kills a member of the security forces in Riyadh.
Kuwait court jails 3 Daesh supporters A Kuwaiti court sentences three men accused of supporting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to jail.
Saudi Arabia ranks sixth on list of `dirty money` exporters More than thirty billion dollars in illicit funds were flown out of Saudi Arabia in 2012.
Repression in Bahrain
Bomb explodes in Bahrain village A bomb blast in Bani Jamra leaves three policemen wounded.
Bahrain land deals highlight alchemy of making money from sand Cynthia O’Murchu and Simeon Kerr write on Bahrain Bay and the issues of public and royal land ownership.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemeni PM Bahah`s cabinet wins parliamentary approval: sources The Yemeni parliament approves the new government.
Yemeni premier suggests he could resign as Houthis tighten grip Khaled Bahah says that his government could resign, expressing impatience after Houthis raided state institutions in Sanaa.
Yemen Houthis fight for control of Arhab A news report on Houthi efforts to control Arhab, home to al-Islah Party.
Houthis block Yemen army chief, accuse president of corruption Houthis prevent the new army chief from entering the defense ministry, and accuse the president of corruption.
Suicide bombers kill at least seven in Yemen port: sources Suicide attackers set off two car bombs targeting a building belonging to the Houthis in al-Hodeida.
Yemen suicide blast kills dozens including 15 schoolchildren Twenty-five people die in a suicide car bomb attack in the town of Rada.
Shia Houthis targeted in Yemen unrest A series of attacks targets al-Houthis in Arhab, killing at least sixteen rebels.
Yemen: Whose Law? Peter Salisbury writes on the family members of victims of drone strikes, who assert that justice has not been done yet.
Yemeni women fear Houthis are restricting freedoms Yara Bayoumy writes on Yemeni women’s fear that the Houthis will restrict freedoms.
Aid worker in Yemen: `Kidnapping is seen as a very easy way to make money` Katherine Purvis interviews Jon Cunliffe on the challenges facing International Medical Corps in Yemen.
Media
Saudi billionaire to launch Arabic satellite news channel Alarab Prince Alwaleed bin asserts that Alarab News Channel, which will be launched in two months, will “break the mould” set by Al Jazeera and Sky News Arabia.
Al Houthi rebels take over state-run Yemen newspaper The Houthis storm the building of Yemen’s main state newspaper.
Human Rights
Oman: Rights Routinely Trampled Human Rights Watch deplores the Omani authorities’ harassment of human rights defenders.
NGOs Express Concern that Bahrain Anti-Terrorism Amendment Permits Human Rights Violations Bahrain Center for Human Rights, along with two other organizations, express concern over Bahrain’s anti-terrorism law.
Arabic
الفحولة وآل سعود... والشرف المراق على جوانبه الدم
Jafar al-Bakli writes on the questions of honor, masculinity, and the obsession with sex among the Saudi ruling family.
الرياض: مقتل شرطي في اشتباك مع محتجز رهائن
A gunman who took three workers as hostages kills one policeman and wounds another in Riyadh.
"الأمن" السعودي يقتل 4 أشخاص في العوامية
Saudi security forces kill four people in al-Awamiya.
السعودية انتقمت من القطيف... وحمت بن لادن
Maryam Abdullah documents the ongoing persecution of political protests in the Eastern Province.
حزب صالح يمنع الثقة البرلمانية عن حكومة بحاح
The former Yemeni president’s party refuses to approve the new government.
اليمن: البرلمان يمنح الثقة بالإجماع لحكومة بحاح
The Yemeni parliament approves the new government after an earlier failed attempt.
اليمن: قتلى وجرحى في هجومين استهدفا الحوثيين
Suicide attackers set off two car bombs targeting a building belonging to the Houthis in al-Hodeida.
الحوثي «يصفع» هادي: مظلة للفاسدين ويتبع للخارج
The leader of the Houthis accuses the Yemeni president of supporting corruption.
اليمن: الحوثيون يسيطرون على ميناء الحديدة الإستراتيجي
The Houthis manage to control the strategic port of al-Hodeida in Yemen.
العبادي في الإمارات لتعزيز الانفتاح الإقــليمي
The Iraqi prime minister pays a visit to the United Arab Emirates in an attempt to improve Iraq’s regional relations.
العبادي يزور الكويت: مبادرة لإنشاء صندوق إعادة الإعمار
The Iraqi prime minister meets with the Kuwaiti emir.
وزير النفط الكويتي: قرار "أوبك" صحيح ولا داعي لتغييره
The Kuwaiti minister of oil asserts that the fall in the prices of oil does not require any change in the policy of OPEC.
انهيار أسعار النفط يكشف عن «حب مزيف» بين الرياض والجزائر
Adam al-Sabari examines Algerian-Saudi relations in light of the drop in oil prices.
النعيمي: لا مؤامرة سعودية لخفض أسعار النفط
The Saudi minister of oil says that there is no Saudi conspiracy to lower the prices of oil.
قمة مصرية ــ قطرية الخميس المقبل
Ahmed Jamal al-Din examines the Egyptian-Qatari rapprochement, which is brokered by Saudi Arabia.