Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (31 January - 14 February 2021)

Women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul poses at home after her release from a Saudi prison. Photograph: Family of Saudi Activist Loujain via Reuters Women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul poses at home after her release from a Saudi prison. Photograph: Family of Saudi Activist Loujain via Reuters

Arabian Peninsula Media Roundup (31 January - 14 February 2021)

By : Arabian Peninsula Page Media Roundup Editors

[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 to ap@jadaliyya.com.]

Regional and International Relations


Oman content with current Israel relationship, foreign minister says
– Oman is satisfied with its current relationship with Israel, Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said on 11 Feb. Oman, he added, was committed to peace between Israel and the Palestinians based on a two-state solution.

Qatar pledges $360 million in aid to Hamas-ruled Gaza – The Qatari government on 31 Jan said it would provide $360 million in assistance for the Gaza Strip during the coming year, renewing a program that has helped reduce fighting between Israel and the territory’s militant Hamas rulers. Qatar has been providing $20 million to Gaza each month since 2018. The Qatari aid has provided some relief to the local economy and is seen as a factor in preventing lingering tensions between Israel and Hamas from spilling over into renewed fighting.

UN court says it doesn’t have jurisdiction in Qatar-UAE case – The International Court of Justice said on 4 Feb that it does not have jurisdiction to rule in a case brought by Qatar against the UAEalleging “discrimination against Qatar and Qatari citizens” linked to a boycott by four Arab nations. The decision brings to an end the case filed by Qatar in 2018. The UN court’s rulings are final and legally binding. The end of the case comes just weeks after the end of the boycott.

Minister says Qatar working for a return to Iran nuclear accord – Qatar is working to de-escalate tension in the region by advocating for a return to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.

Qatar envoy: Lebanese leaders must form government to get aid – Qatar told Lebanese leaders on 9 Feb they need to form a new government before they can get aid to pull the country from economic crisis. Foreign donors have made clear they will not bail out the heavily indebted state without key reforms. Still, Lebanon’s wrangling politicians have failed to agree a new government, drawing rebuke from donors and warnings of “a social catastrophe” from UN agencies.

Biden ends U.S. support for Saudi Arabia in Yemen, says war 'has to end' – President Joe Biden on 4 Feb declared a halt to US support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, demanding that the war “has to end.” Biden also named Timothy Lenderking as the US special envoy for Yemen in a bid to step up American diplomacy.

IOC urges US government to help curb Saudi broadcast piracy – Qatar-owned sports broadcasts, the International Olympic Committee has urged the US government to keep the country on its watch list for intellectual property protection.

Saudi Arabia says Biden's speech reiterates U.S. commitment to work with allies – Saudi Arabia said President Joe Biden’s speech reiterated US commitment to work with “friends and allies” to resolves conflicts. The kingdom is looking forward to working with the US administration to end conflicts and face challenges, Saudi minister of state for foreign affairs Adel Al-Jubeir said.

Ardern orders inquiry into Air New Zealand's work for Saudi Arabia navy – Engineers for the New Zealand’s national carrier, which is majority-owned by the government, worked on engines and a power turbine for the Royal Saudi Navy. Prime minister Jacinda Ardern has asked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to investigate after it was revealed an Air New Zealand company worked on the engine of a Saudi Arabian navy ship.

White House says no call planned to Saudi Arabia – White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on 12 Feb that no call was planned to the leader of Saudi Arabia, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “Well obviously there’s a review of our policy as it relates to Saudi Arabia.”

U.S. Blinken, Saudi foreign minister discuss Yemen, defense – US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed diplomatic efforts to end the war in Yemen and bolstering Saudi Arabia’s defenses in a call with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on 10 Feb. Saudi state media and the state department said the two ministers also discussed the need to find a political solution to the war in Yemen. On 10 Feb, Yemen’s Houthi group said it carried out a drone attack on Saudi’s Abha airport.

Dubai Alliance to Distribute 2 Billion Vaccine Doses Globally – Leading Dubai companies have formed an alliance to move 2 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines around the globe this year. Air carrier Emirates, ports operator DP World and Dubai Airports have teamed up to speed up the distribution of inoculations through Dubai, the Gulf trade and tourism center that now aims to become a vaccine hub as well. The move “will particularly focus on emerging markets, where populations have been hard hit by the pandemic, and pharmaceutical transport and logistics are challenging.”

Netanyahu postpones UAE, Bahrain trip due to COVID-19 lockdown – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 4 Feb he was postponing a trip planned next week to the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain due to Israel’s COVID-19 lockdown.

UAE drastically cut funding for Palestinian refugees in 2020 – The UAE drastically reduced its funding to the UNRWA in 2020. The UAE donated $51.8 million to UNRWA in 2018 and again in 2019, but in 2020 it gave the agency just $1 million, agency spokesman Sami Mshasha said Friday, after it was first reported by Israeli media.  The Palestinian Authority, however, viewed the agreements as a betrayal and harshly criticized the UAE.

U.N. Delays Salvage of Yemen Oil Tanker Amid Fears of Major Spill – The United Nations had planned to start a maritime salvage operation to prevent leaks from a dilapidated tanker holding four times the oil that spilled in the Exxon Valdez disaster. But Houthi insurgents have failed to provide a written security guarantee, the UN said.

US lawmakers urge UK to help end complicity in Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen – Senior US lawmakers have called on the UK to live up to its “moral responsibility” and help end both countries “complicity” in Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, in a sign of the pressure the UK will face in Washington to join the Biden administration and end weapons sales to the kingdom. The question now is how far the administration will go to push allies to take similar steps. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat who has led the push to end offensive US weapons sales to Saudi Arabia, commented that “the United States and the United Kingdom acting in concert is more powerful than either of us acting alone.”

Australia will not ban arms sales to countries involved in Yemeni civil war – Australia is not planning a blanket ban on military equipment sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – but says it will weigh up “emerging risks” when considering export applications. Australia has issued five permanent permits for export of military goods to Saudi Arabia between August 2019 and October 2020, and nine such permits for the UAE over the same period. The defence spokesperson said each application was assessed on a case-by-case basis “using contemporary information”. It included consideration “of whether an export would be prejudicial to the security, defence or international relations of Australia”.

U.S. Yemen envoy meets Saudi foreign minister in Riyadh – US special envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking met Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud in Riyadh on 10 Feb. “Developments concerning Yemen were discussed, and joint efforts to support reaching a comprehensive political solution to the Yemen crisis were reviewed.” Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen was also at the meeting.

Greece seeks Gulf allies to counter tension with Turkey – Foreign ministers and senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates were meeting in Athens on 11 Feb, as Greece seeks to expand alliances to counter tension with Turkey over boundaries and offshore resource rights in the eastern Mediterranean.

Human Rights


Huddersfield University's Bahrain degree 'providing torture hub with legitimacy'
– Forty cross-party MPs and peers have urged the University of Huddersfield to close a master’s course it runs at the Royal Academy of Policing in Bahrain, after allegations that political dissidents were being tortured in the same building.

UK urged to follow US in restricting arms sales to Saudi Arabia – Britain is under increasing pressure to restrict arms sales to Saudi Arabia after Joe Biden said the US would no longer sell munitions that could be used in Riyadh’s “offensive operations” in Yemen. Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative chair of the defence select committee, called on the government to “follow suit and rethink military sales”, seven months after the British government restarted them following a high-profile court defeat.

Three Saudi youths get prison sentence instead of death – Three young Saudi men who faced death sentences for acts they were accused of committing as minors have been handed a 10-year prison sentence instead, the Saudi Human Rights Commission said. The youth from Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority, were detained separately on charges stemming from their participation in anti-government Shiite protests over discrimination that rocked the country’s eastern province in 2011-2012. The court would credit time served, Saudi Arabia’s Human Rights Commission announced, setting the release date of all three men for 2022.

Biden administration expects Saudi Arabia to improve human rights – The United State expects Saudi Arabia to improve its human right record, including releasing political prisoners, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said “We, of course, expect Saudi Arabia to improve its record on human rights. That includes releasing political prisoners such as women’s rights advocates from Saudi jails,” Psaki told a White House briefing, adding that the administration was “encouraged” by the release of two dual Saudi-US citizens.

Saudi Arabia frees two jailed activists with U.S. citizenship on bail – Saudi authorities have released two activists; Bader al-Ibrahim, an epidemiologist and journalist, and Salah al-Haidar, a media commentator whose mother Aziza al-Yousef is a prominent women’s rights campaigner, with US citizenship on bail pending their trials. The move comes as the kingdom moves to address criticism from the new U.S. administration over its human rights records.

Prominent Saudi women’s rights activist released from prison – One of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent political activists was released from prison 10 Feb, after serving nearly three years on charges that sparked an international uproar over the kingdom’s human rights record. Loujain al-Hathloul, who pushed to end a ban on women driving in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in 2018 and sentenced to almost six years in prison last December under a broad counterterrorism law.

"Now we want real justice," say sisters of freed Saudi rights activist Hathloul – The sisters of prominent Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul have said they wanted real justice for her, and the lifting of a travel ban, the day after she was released from prison on a suspended sentence.

Activists welcome Loujain al-Hathloul release and urge other Saudi women be freed – Saudi campaigners and human rights groups have welcomed the release of the prominent women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul from prison, while urging the international community not to forget the other female prisoners of conscience still behind bars for their activism in the kingdom. The journalist and activist Nouf Abdulaziz, who had written in support of Hathloul and was detained at the same time, was also released on 10 Feb. The pair’s release means that seven of the 10 women arrested in 2018 are now out of jail either on temporary release or serving suspended sentences – but Samar Badawi, Nassima al-Sadah and Mayaa al-Zahrani are believed to still be in prison.

U.S.-Linked Forces Are Detaining A Prominent Journalist In Yemen – Yemeni journalist Adel Al-Hasani spent years working with foreign reporters to shed light on the crisis in Yemen. In September, he intervened with officials in Yemen’s port city of Mokha to help two international journalists who had been detained when they traveled there to cover the war. After Al-Hasani negotiated their release, they were deported back home to Europe.  Soon afterward, when he tried to return to his own home in Aden, authorities there arrested him. He’s been behind bars ever since, where he has been tortured into providing false testimony and repeatedly provided differing explanations of his charges. Al-Hasani’s detention poses a stark threat to journalism highlighting the dire conditions in Yemen, sending the message that even the best-connected reporters and their partners are vulnerable.

Calls grow for release of Yemeni journalist held by UAE-backed forces – Calls are growing for the release of a prominent Yemeni journalist held by local forces with links to the United Arab Emirates in the country’s civil war. Adel al-Hasani was arrested at a checkpoint between the southern city of Aden and neighbouring Abyan province in September last year by Southern Transitional Council (STC) soldiers and has been held at al-Mansoura prison in Aden since, where his health has been deteriorating.

Finance


Bahrain's preliminary estimates of 2020 fiscal deficit up $2.17 billion from approved budget
– Bahrain’s preliminary estimates of the 2020 total fiscal deficit have reached 1.624 billion dinar ($4.31 billion), an increase of 817 million dinar ($2.17 billion) from the 2020 approved budget.

Fitch cuts outlook on Kuwait's debt rating to 'negative' – Rating agency Fitch on 11 Feb downgraded its outlook on Kuwait’s sovereign debt rating to “negative” from “stable”, warning of near-term liquidity risks associated with the state treasury fund. The agency, which affirmed Kuwait’s long-term rating at “AA”, said liquid assets in the General Reserve Fund (GRF) faced being depleted in the absence of parliamentary authorisation for the government to borrow.

Oman Air Abandons Plan to Expand Fleet as Pandemic Poses Risks – Oman Air, the state-run carrier, has abandoned a planned expansion to 70 aircrafts, and now aims to reduce its fleet of 36 planes, focussing more on code-sharing with other airlines as restrictions to curb the pandemic slash demand for flights.

Oman, Saudi Arabia exposed to declining uplift from wealth funds – Oman and Saudi Arabia are expected to tap their sovereign wealth funds to cover rising funding needs, but this will likely weaken their fiscal position more than other countries in the oil-dependent Gulf region, Moody’s said on 10 Feb.

Qatar Petroleum signs deal for mega-LNG expansion – Qatar Petroleum (QP), the world’s top liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplier, signed a contract for the first phase of its North Field LNG project expansion, aiming to boost the country’s LNG output by 40% a year by 2026. The expansion, which will take Qatar’s LNG production capacity to 110 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) from 77 million mtpa, is the largest single LNG project ever to be sanctioned, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie.

Saudi wealth fund to raise more than $10 billion with loan – Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund may raise $10 billion or more through a revolving loan, exceeding what it initially targeted, sources said, as the Public Investment Fund (PIF) seeks extra liquidity to fund its plans. The fund, which is the engine of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s economic transformation plans for Saudi Arabia and manages a portfolio worth $400 billion, has boosted its firepower by tapping several funding sources in recent years.

Saudi PIF invests in NBK Capital Partners' shariah credit fund – Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund has become an anchor investor in a new $300 million shariah credit fund launched by NBK Capital Partners (NBKCP) that will provide capital to mid-market companies in the Middle East, NBKCP said. It did not disclose the stake taken by Public Investment Fund (PIF), which manages $400 billion in assets, but NBKCP said it was a nine-digit figure, meaning at least a third of the targeted $300 million.

Saudi Arabia’s central bank faces biggest overhaul in decades – Central Bank of Saudi Arabia is expected to see its most significant changes in decades with the entry into force of a new law this month that will formalize efforts to diversify away from oil.  Reforms to the Saudi Monetary Authority and the bank could diminish its role of investing the country’s hard currency surpluses in favor of the sovereign fund chaired by the crown prince. It also underlines the kingdom’s radical shift from a conservative investor to a more aggressive and risky approach.

UK authorised £1.4bn of arms sales to Saudi Arabia after exports resumed – British officials authorised the export of almost £1.4bn of weapons to Saudi Arabia in the quarter after the UK resumed sales of weapons that could be used in the war in Yemen. Britain had resumed unrestricted arms sales early in July, after concluding there were only “isolated incidents” of civilian casualties from bombing raids conducted by the Saudi-led coalition fighting Houthi rebels. Official figures released showed that in the period following the restart – the quarter between July and September – the UK authorised £1.39bn worth of arms exports, in the category that includes missiles and bombs.

Yemen government appoints Ernst & Young to audit central bank – Yemen’s government has appointed Ernst & Young to audit its central bank accounts,, in response to accusations by United Nations officials that it laundered Saudi money. The audit will include internal supervision and control, as well as a review of Saudi deposits’ spending.

Yemen in Crisis


Pariah with benefits: US aiding Saudi defense despite chill
– Despite saying he was delivering his campaign promise of taking a tougher line with Saudi Arabia, President Joe Biden’s administration is making clear it won’t abandon US military assistance for the kingdom. It also plans to help Saudi Arabia strengthen its own defenses, approaches that broadly reflect the complexities of the US-Saudi relationship.

UN Yemen envoy makes first visit to Iran to push for peace – The United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, arrived on his first visit to Iran on 7 Feb for talks on a political solution to the nearly six-year conflict in Yemen. Griffiths’ “immediate priority” in Tehran is to push a nationwide ceasefire, urgent humanitarian measures and the resumption of the political process, his office added.

Biden revokes terrorist designation for Yemen’s Houthis – President Joe Biden’s administration is moving to revoke the Trump administration’s designation of Yemen’s Houthis as a terrorist group, citing the need to mitigate one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

Aid groups hail US taking Yemen’s Houthis off terror list – The International Rescue Committee, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and other aid agencies working in war-torn Yemen welcomed plans by President Joe Biden’s administration to revoke the terrorist designation of Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Yemen gov’t says willing to work with Biden to end Saudi war – Yemen’s foreign minister, Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak, said his government will work with President Joe Biden’s administration to end the war in the country. Mubarak maintains that the country’s Houthi rebels and their Iranian backers remain the main obstacle to peace — an apparent defense of Saudi military involvement in Yemen.

Yemenis give cautious welcome to US shift in policy on conflict – Yemenis have cautiously welcomed Joe Biden’s announcement that the US is ending its support for the Saudi-led coalition fighting in the country’s war, saying the decision is an important step on the long road towards finding a peaceful solution to the conflict. However, it is understood the US will continue to provide defensive support to Saudi Arabia against cross-border missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. US forces will continue operations against al-Qaida cells based in Yemen’s desert.

US warns Yemen’s Houthi rebels after terrorism delisting – The Biden administration on 7 Feb warned Yemen’s Houthis against ongoing attacks against civilians just 48 hours after moving to strike the group from a terrorism blacklist. The demand came only two days after removing the Houthis from its list of “foreign terrorist organizations,” and just three days after Biden ordered an end to US support for the Saudi-led offensive military operations against the rebels.

Yemen to get first COVID-19 shots by March through COVAX, Saudi could pay for others – Yemen expects a first batch of 2.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by March through the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility, and Saudi Arabia could separately finance shots for around 50% of the population. The aim is to vaccinate 70% of Yemen’s population, with the government intending to distribute the COVAX vaccines throughout the country, including to Houthi areas.

New U.S. stand on Yemen war can be 'step towards correcting past mistakes' - Iran – Iran’s foreign ministry said a new US stance on the Yemen war can be a “step towards correcting past mistakes”, after President Joe Biden announced the end of the country’s support for a Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen.

UK declines to follow US in suspending Saudi arms sales over Yemen – British ministers have refused to join the US in suspending arms sales to Saudi Arabia for offensive use in war-torn Yemen, saying the UK makes its own decisions about selling weapons. On 8 Feb, the UK Foreign Office minister, James Cleverly, said he had noted the US review, but said British arms sales licences were issued with great care to ensure they did not lead to any breach of humanitarian law. The UK has previously suspended arms sales in response to a court order, but resumed them last year. The Ministry of Defence officials also advise Saudi on its bombing campaign.

Yemen rebel attack on airport sets plane on fire – Yemen’s Houthi rebels on 11 Feb, targeted Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia with bomb-laden drones, causing a civilian plane on the tarmac to catch fire. No one was hurt in the assault, but the move served as a powerful reminder of the danger that Houthis pose to Saudi Arabia. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the assault, with military spokesman Yehia Sarea stressing that they consider the airport to be a military, not civilian, target.

At least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year – At least 400,000 Yemeni children under 5 could die of starvation this year without urgent intervention amid soaring rates of severe malnutrition driven by war and the coronavirus pandemic, four UN agencies said on 12 Feb. Another 2.3 million under 5s are expected to suffer acute malnutrition in 2021.

Saudi-led coalition says destroyed ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthis – The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said on 11 Feb it had thwarted and destroyed a ballistic missile that Yemen’s Houthis launched towards Khamis Mushait in Saudi Arabia.

U.S. Prepares to Lift Terrorist Designation Against Yemeni Rebels, Despite New Attacks – Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken said the designation of the Houthi rebels would be formally revoked on 16 Feb in “recognition of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen.”

Yemen's Houthis say 'important target' hit at Saudis' Abha airport – Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had hit an “important target” at Saudi Arabia’s Abha airport on 13 Feb, in response to the Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen.

Domestic Affairs


Bahrain says it foiled 'terrorist plots' to bomb two bank ATMs
– Bahrain security services foiled “terrorist plots” to bomb two ATMs belonging to a national bank, according to the interior ministry. The bombs had been placed at the locations at different times on the morning of 4 Feb, and a number of suspects had been arrested and the case had been referred to public prosecutors.

US charges son in civilian Navy staffer's killing in Bahrain – US prosecutors have charged 27-year-old Giovonni Z. Pope, the son of a civilian Navy staffer, in Bahrain over her stabbing death in the kingdom on 31 Jan. Bahraini police arrested Pope, where he told Bahraini investigators at one point that he killed his mother as she “was blocking him from achieving his goals by not letting him return to the United States to work on his clothing business,” the agent’s affidavit claims.

Saudi Arabia announces new judicial reforms in a move towards codified law – Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced plans to approve a set of new draft laws designed to enhance the efficiency and integrity of the kingdom’s judicial system, a step that would eventually lead to an entirely codified law. The four new laws - the personal status law, the civil transactions law, the penal code of discretionary sanctions and the law of evidence - are currently being finalised and will then be submitted to the cabinet and relevant bodies as well as the advisory Shura Council, before they are finally approved.

China's Sinopharm vaccine offered to elite few in UAE tourist deal – China’s Sinopharm vaccine is being offered to a handful of wealthy people paying for access to the United Arab Emirates’ Covid-19 vaccination programme as part of a partnership to “bring tourism into the area”, according to Knightsbridge Circle, an exclusive “travel and lifestyle” London-based club that claims to be brokering the service.

Mars Mission From the U.A.E. Prepares to Orbit Red Planet – The Hope spacecraft will fire its engines on 9 Feb, in the UAE. Controllers at the mission operations center in Dubai will receive word from the spacecraft that it has started firing thrusters to slow itself down and allow it to fall into the thrall of the gravity of Mars. The mission is to spend two years studying how dust storms and other weather conditions near the surface affect the speed at which Martian air is leaking away into outer space.

Arab spacecraft enters orbit around Mars in historic flight – A spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates swung into orbit around Mars on 9 Feb, reaching the end of its seven-month journey, in a triumph for the Arab world’s first interplanetary mission. About 60% of all Mars missions have ended in failure, crashing, burning up or otherwise falling short in a testament to the complexity of interplanetary travel and the difficulty of making a descent through Mars’ thin atmosphere.

UAE women scientists lead Arab world's first space mission to Mars – The Emirates Mars Mission aims to provide a complete picture of the Martian atmosphere for the first time. Women make up 80% of the program's scientific team.

In Dubai’s COVID vaccine scramble, Sikhs serve doses to all – Sikhs of Dubai have found another way to practice “seva,” or selfless service. They’re providing what has become a coveted prize: 5,000 shots of the Chinese-made vaccine offered to people of all ages and backgrounds. As the coronavirus pandemic surges to previously unseen heights in the UAE, residents are scrambling to get vaccines in the world’s second-fastest inoculation drive. “We found a lot of people who wanted to take this vaccine and they’re having difficulty,” Surender Singh Kandhari, the temple’s chairman, said. “This is the only way we can serve the community,” he said.

Reports and Opinions


A decade after 2011 protests, Bahrain suppresses all dissent
– A decade after demonstrators massed in Bahrain’s capital in 2011, authorities continue to suppress all signs of dissent. Activists behind those turbulent days say the memory of the protests that threatened the monarchy’s grip on power is all but extinguished. But many live with the consequences. Although many activists and protesters have escaped into exile or been imprisoned, the threat of dissent persists, as their country is far less free than it was in 2011. Authorities have targeted not only Shiite political groups and religious leaders, but also human rights activists, journalists and online opponents.

Saudi Women’s Rights Defenders Released, But Not Free – While Loujain al-Hathoul is now home, she remains banned from travel and has a suspended sentence of nearly three years on charges that define her women’s rights activism as crimes under Saudi Arabia’s terrorism regulations. The same is true for Nouf Abdelaziz, another rights activist, who has also reportedly been released from custody. Her arrest took place after she expressed solidarity with activists amidst the May 2018 crackdown. This means authorities can return them to prison at any time if they decide to speak out or resume their activism.

Saudi Arabia's release of Loujain al-Hathloul an overture to Biden – Prince Mohammed views the decision to release the women’s rights activist as an attempt to belatedly engage the new administration, whose strident tone on human rights issues in its early weeks of office has all but conditioned a working relationship with Riyadh on righting the wrongs of the Trump years. Ending the imprisonment of Hathloul, was near the top of Joe Biden’s foreign policy to-do list. Two weeks into the job, Biden is yet to make direct contact with Prince Mohammed or his father, King Salman. The silence has been deafening in Riyadh.

Gulf Ambassador Yelled At Member Of Congress Pushing To End Yemen War – UAE Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba’s was so angry about Rep. Ro Khanna’s push to end US support for the war in Yemen that he shouted at him during a meeting, said Khanna. Khanna, the lead sponsor of a war powers resolution aimed at ending US involvement in the Yemen war, said that he was startled by the diplomat’s approach.  “I was just taken away. It led me to think that there’s a real arrogance, a real sense of entitlement, a sense that he thought himself so powerful that he could act that way. And I’ve never really seen that before.” Al Otaiba’s posture toward Rep. Ro Khanna reflects the evolving nature of the world’s governing elite.

Ten years after the Arab spring, Yemen has little hope left – A decade since Yemenis dared to dream during the 2011 uprisings that swept across the Arab world, and six years after foreign actors piled in, unleashing a war of devastating proportions, Yemen resembles a jigsaw puzzle for which there is no simple solution. As the conflict grinds on, the accompanying humanitarian crisis is on the verge of a terrible new zenith, in the form of the worst famine the world has witnessed in 40 years. Racked by war, cholera and now coronavirus, the country faces the world’s worst famine in decades – the possibility that the jigsaw pieces can fit back together again is becoming more and more remote.

The U.S. is changing tack on the Saudi-led war in Yemen. That’s the easy part. – On 4 Feb, President Biden ended the remnants of US support for a Saudi-led coalition's offensive operations in Yemen, pledged to intensify diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting and named a highly regarded new special envoy to the country. Now comes the hard part. Today, Yemen is an arena for multiple overlapping tussles over power, influence and ideology, fueled by regional players seeking to enhance their own strategic and security interests. It also remains a haven for an al-Qaeda affiliate. “Ending U.S. support won’t automatically mean an end to the war, at all,” tweeted Peter Salisbury, senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. The announcement in fact appeared to be largely political and symbolic, elevating the importance of ending Yemen’s war as a US foreign policy priority and potentially signaling the intent to invest major diplomatic weight in the effort to clinch a peace deal.

Can Biden actually help Yemen? – President Biden announced what amounts to a major — if symbolic — course correction on US policy toward Yemen, reflecting his administration’s desire to unlock the US from the embrace with UAE and Saudi Arabia. But Biden officials also stressed that they remained committed to protecting Saudi territory, which has been periodically struck by Houthi rocket fire. While halting support to the Saudis sends a political message, it may mean less in practice. Humanitarian agencies hope the shift in emphasis will be a boon to ordinary Yemenis. There are also signs of new openings – Martin Griffiths, the United Nations envoy to Yemen, arrived in Iran for two-days of meetings as part of his push to secure a nationwide ceasefire. But the facts on the ground may be neither in his nor Biden’s favor. “A key question is whether Yemen’s warring parties will accept the sharp turn in US policy and view Washington as a neutral and trustworthy diplomatic broker.”

Critic Of U.S. Role In Yemen Responds To Biden's Plans To Pull Back – Shireen Al-Adeimi is a Yemen-born professor at Michigan State University who has opposed the US role in the war. She argues that the US has done "really everything except for pulling the trigger." Al-Adeimi says she was relieved to hear about Biden's push for renewed diplomacy to end the war, but remains skeptical.

Biden's announcement on Yemen is a hopeful sign – now the UK must follow suit – Changes in US policy will have significant ramifications for the UK. First, the UK risks being isolated diplomatically, the same time as EU states continue to operate more restrictive arms export policies. Second, the US the halt of precision-guided munitions sales will also impact UK’s arms exports. Third, depending on the reasoning behind and scope of changes to US policy, the UK government’s position in the course of justice may become even harder to sustain. For these reasons, there are grounds to be somewhat hopeful that something will have to change in UK arms export policy, to restrict, suspend or halt transfers – including actual deliveries, not just licences – to the Saudi-led coalition. However, there are no guarantees in terms of the details and practical implementation of Biden’s announcement, and there is room for manoeuvre afforded by the qualifiers around what constitutes “offensive” operations and what the “relevant” arms sales are that will be cancelled.

علاقات إقليمية ودولية


خططوا لاستهداف سفارة الإمارات في أديس أبابا والخرطوم.. استخبارات إثيوبيا تعتقل 15 عنصرا بجماعة إرهابية
كشفت وكالة الأنباء في إثيوبيا عن إلقاء القبض على 15 عضواً من الذين كان يخططون للهجوم على سفارتي الإمارات في أديس أبابا والخرطوم. 

بدأت منذ 2014 واستهدفت قطر.. الكشف عن شبكة تجسس إلكتروني أنشأتها الإمارات من محللين سابقين بوكالة الأمن القومي الأميركي
كان هدف الإمارات هو البحث عن معلومات لإثبات مزاعم أن قطر مولت جماعات إرهابية  من خلال تجنيد موظفين سابقين من وكالات استخبارات أمريكية لإجراء تحقيقات اليكترونية. 

خلال استقبال نظيره التركي.. وزير الخارجية القطري: الدوحة وأنقرة تشجعان واشنطن وطهران على حل دبلوماسي للأزمة
بحثت تركيا وقطر ـعددا من القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك والعلاقات الثنائية بين البلدين وحثتا أمريكا وإيران على إيجاد حل إلى المسألة النووي.

الانقسامات الداخلية والعلاقات مع تركيا ومصر والإمارات.. هذه أبرز تحديات السلطة الجديدة في ليبيا
بدأت ليبيا تشكيل حكومة انتقالية لتوحيد البلد وإقامة تحالفات في المنطقة بيد أنه توجد مخاوف مشروعة من وجود عرقلة وتعطيل داخلي وخارجي تحديدا من الإمارات.

اقتصاد


ألمانيا.. الاستثمارات القطرية تدخل حلبة اللقاحات ضد كورونا
استثمرت قطر في قطاعات متنوعة في ألمانياً تحديدا في أبحاث عن اللقاح المرتقب، العقارات والشركات المتوسطة والصغيرة. 

النفط: الدول النفطية "قد تخسر 13 تريليون دولار" بحلول 2040
تشير دراسة إلى أن التحول العالمي إلى الطاقات المتجددة وترك المحروقات يكلف الدول النفطية خسارة تصل إلى 13 تريليون دولار بحلول عام 2040.

وقعت "قطر للبترول" -أكبر مورد للغاز الطبيعي المسال في العالم- عقدا للمرحلة الأولى من مشروعها لتوسعة حقل الشمال الذي سيرفع إنتاج البلاد من الغاز الطبيعي المسال إلى 110 ملايين طن سنويا بحلول 2026
 
.ميزانيات صغيرة وأسعار نفط متحفظة توضح بداية سنة اقتصادية صعبة في إقليم الخليج

سياسة

.أثارت قضية الفنانة "بسمة"، التي أعلنت تركها الإسلام واعتناق اليهودية، جدلا واسعاً عبر مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي في الكويت
 
.يحتفي الإعلام الإماراتي بوصول مسبار الأمل إلى المريخ، وعدد من الصحف العربية يبرز ذلك الحدث الذي يمثل، بالنسبة لبعض الكتاب، حدثا مهما للمنطقة العربية بأكملها
 
.وسم يتصدر تويتر في السعودية يطالب بالمساواة التامة بين الرجل والمرأة


هل يعد الإفراج عن لجين الهذلول مقدمة لخروج سجناء سعوديين آخرين؟
رحب الرئيس الأمريكي، جو بايدن، بقرار السلطات السعودية إطلاق سراح الناشطة الحقوقية، لجين الهذلول، واصفا إياه بالإجراء الصحيح.

.تصدر "مسبار الأمل" ومهمة الإمارات التاريخية إلى كوكب المريخ اهتمامات رواد مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي في دول عربية، إذ نجح المسبار الاستكشافي في دخول مدار الكوكب الأحمر


ناسا تهنئ بنجاح مسبار الأمل مقتبسة بيت شعر للمتنبي
أطلقت الإمارات مسبار الأمل في الفضاء إلى مدار حول كوكب مريخ وعقب هذا النجاح، تقدمت ناسا بالتهنئة على وصول المهمة إلى المريخ. 

".صرحت وزيرة خارجية إسبانيا، أرانشا غونزاليس لايا، لقناة "العربية" بضرورة "تحسين الاتفاق النووي مع إيران عن طريق الحوار


البيت الأبيض: لا توجد خطط للاتصال مع السعودية
أعلن البيت الأبيض أن "هناك مراجعة لسياستنا فيما يتعلق بالسعودية. لا أعلم بخطط لاتصال" مع المملكة.

بايدن يصف إفراج السعودية عن لجين الهذلول بـ”الأمر الصائب”- (فيديو)
قامت السعودية بإفراج عن الناشطة الحقوقية لجين الهندول التي اشتهرت في المملكة بتمكين المرأة وكانت مدافعة قوية عن حقوق الانسان.

.تعيين سفير الإمارات في السعودية شخبوط بن نهيان بن مبارك آل نهيان في منصب وزير الدولة للشؤون الخارجية بدلاً من أنور قرقاش في تعديل وزاري محدود

الحرب في اليمن


بايدن يتعهد بدعم الديمقراطيات وحقوق الإنسان في العالم ويعلن وقف دعم الحرب في اليمن
ألقى الرئيس الأمريكي جو بايدن بعض الكلمات في مقر وزارة الخارجية الأمريكية وعهد بوقف كافة أشكال الدعم العسكري في اليمن وفي هذا الصدد أعلن تعيين تيموثي ليندركينغ كمبعوث أمريكا الخاص إلى اليمن لحلحلة الأزمة الإنسانية من خلال سبيل دبلوماسي.

.أعلنت جماعة الحوثي في اليمنأن اثنتين من طائراتها المسيرة هاجمتا مطار أبها الدولي (جنوبي السعودية)، كما أفادت وسائل إعلام سعودية باعتراض وتدمير طائرتين مسيرتين أطلقتا نحو منطقة خميس مشيط قرب المطار


الخارجية الأميركية: واشنطن والرياض حددتا نهجا دبلوماسيا لتسوية سياسية في اليمن
تسعى أمريكا إلى وقف الحرب في اليمن وفي نفس الوقت جددت التزامها بأمن السعودية قائلة: "أمريكا لن تقف مكتوفة الأيدي بينما يهاجم الحوثيون المملكة."

فيروس كورونا

أعلنت وزارة الصحة عن عودة توريد لقاح كورونا (كوفيد 19)، إلى السعودية، ووصول دفعات جديدة، ودعت الحاصلين على الجرعة الأولى من اللقاح ضرورة تحديد موعد جديد للحصول على الجرعة الثانية، وطالبت الجميع بالتسجيل عبر تطبيق صحتي للحصول على اللقاحات
 
.ذكرت الإدارة العامة للطيران المدني في الكويت على تويتر أنه لن يُسمح لغير الكويتيين بدخول البلاد اعتباراً مناليوم الموافق السابع من فبراير، ولمدة أسبوعين، مع بعض الاستثناءات
 
أكد وزيرالصحة العماني أحمد بن محمد بن عبيد السعيدي أن أعداد المنومين في المستشفيات بسبب كورونا تضاعفت في أقل من أسبوعين، مشيرا إلى تأكيد 6 إصابات بكورونا المتحور والاشتباه المبدئي في إصابة 96 شخصا بالسلالة المتحورة

فن وثقافة


جوائز قدرها 13 مليون ريال.. جمال خيول العالم يتجلى على شاطئ كتارا في قطر
تحظى رياضة الفروسية في قطر بشعبية واسعة والثقافة تعود إلى الوقت القديم وأطلقت قطر مرهجان سنوي لحفاظ على تراث دولة قطر.

آراء وتقارير

.تكمنطموحات ولي العهد السعودي محمد بن سلمان الشبابية خلف الدخول - والخروج - من المواجهة القطرية


الجائحة تعطل شركات الطيران الخليجية، ولكن لن تمنعها من الطيران
بعد عام كارثي على شركات الطيران في جميع أنحاء العالم، لابد لشركات الطيران الخليجية - رموز وقادة ثورة السفر الجوي في العقد الماضي – من التحلي بالجاهزية والمرونة لتحافظ على بقائها وازدهارها في بيئة غير مضمونة أبداً. 

.على الرغم من المصالحة بين قطر والدول المجاورة، إلا أن مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية بعيد كل البعد عن الوحدة، ومن الصعب معرفة إلى أين يتجه المجلس من الآن فصاعدًا
مرت عشر سنوات على ثورة 11 شباط/ فبراير 2011، في اليمن. في ذلك اليوم، أجبر المحتجون في مصر الرئيس حسني مبارك على التنحي عن الرئاسة، بينما كان المحتجون في اليمن ما زالوا مستمرين في الخروج بمظاهرات يومية لتثبيت ساحة للاعتصام ضد نظام الرئيس آنذاك، علي عبد الله صالح
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Regional and International Relations


Bahraini minister criticises Qatar despite accord to end rift
– Qatar has not taken any initiative to solve the problems with Bahrain, despite an agreement to end the rift, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani said on 21 Jan.

Qatar Says It's Time Gulf Arabs Start Talks with Iran – Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has urged Gulf Arab nations to enter a dialog with Iran, saying the time was right for Doha to broker negotiations now the neighbors have begun to patch up their own differences. The comments come days before Joe Biden moves into the White House with a promise to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

Egypt and Qatar agree to resume diplomatic ties – Egypt and Qatar have agreed to resume diplomatic relations, the Egyptian foreign ministry said on 21 Jan, making Cairo the first country to officially do so under an Arab deal to end a long-running dispute with Doha.

Qatari bank sees gradual growth in Saudi after end of rift –  Qatar National Bank (QNB), the Gulf’s biggest bank by assets, expects its business in Saudi Arabia will pick up only gradually after reviving its Riyadh branch that was dormant for more than three years due to a diplomatic and economic rift.

Saudi embassy in Doha will reopen 'in days' – Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Qatar will reopen “in days”, according to Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal Bin Farhan on 21 Jan.

Saudi Arabia hosts Israelis for Dakar Rally after diplomatic inroads – Two Israeli teams dashed around the dunes in their cars at the Dakar Rally’s lightweight vehicle and truck categories in Saudi Arabia this month, after a rapprochement between Israel and Arab states, fuelled by Riyadh’s quiet assent.  In total, ten drivers, navigators and support staff entered Saudi Arabia on Israeli passports. However, the rally website listed the teams as Belgian and American - a possible indicator of official reluctance to publicise an Israeli presence.

Iranian Guard drones in drill mirror those in Saudi attacks – Iran’s Revolutionary Guard conducted a drill on 15 Jan that saw “suicide drones” crash into targets and explode, triangle-shaped aircraft that strongly resembled those used in a 2019 attack in Saudi Arabia that temporarily cut the kingdom’s oil production by half. Iran has long denied launching the attack on the sites of Abqaiq and Khurais while Yemen’s Houthi rebels initially claimed the assault.

Saudi Arabia expects 'excellent relations' with Biden administration – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the kingdom was optimistic that it would have “excellent relations” with the new US administration of President Joe Biden and that it would continue to talk with Washington regarding the Iran nuclear deal.

Saudi Arabia to get three million AstraZeneca shots in about a week from India – The Serum Institute of India will supply Saudi Arabia with 3 million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses priced at $5.25 each in about a week on behalf of the British drugmaker, according to its chief executive.

Nigeria repatriates hundreds of migrants from Saudi Arabia – Nigeria evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Saudi Arabia on 28 Jan after they overstayed their visas due to coronavirus reducing employment opportunities, and travel restrictions leaving them stranded.

Saudi Arabia in talks with vaccine companies to provide vaccines to Yemen, Africa – Saudi Arabia’s finance minister said that his country is talking to vaccine producers to provide vaccines to low-income countries such as Yemen and countries in Africa. He said some low-income nations would not be able to get enough vaccines through the World Health Organisation’s COVAX initiative.

US exploring new bases in Saudi Arabia amid Iran tensions – The United States military is exploring the possibility of using Yanbu, a port in Saudi Arabia and an additional two airfields in Tabuk and Taif, also located along the Red Sea, amid heightened tensions with Iran. While describing the work as “contingency” planning, the US military said it has already tested unloading and shipping cargo overland from Yanbu. The locations would give the American military more options along a crucial waterway that has come under increased attack from suspected mine and drone boat attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

Expo 2020 unveils key pavilion in Dubai as pandemic surges – Dubai on 16 Jan unveiled its signature “Terra Pavilion” for the upcoming Expo 2020. It features a 130 meter-wide canopy blanketed with thousands of solar panels, devoted to environmental sustainability, as part of the emirate’s push to rally enthusiasm for the high-stakes expo amid the pandemic.

UAE Suspends Visa-Free Travel Agreement for Israelis Until July – The United Arab Emirates has suspended an agreement to inaugurate visa-free travel for Israelis to the Gulf country until 1 Jul, citing the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Until then, Israeli citizens seeking to travel to the UAE will need to obtain a visa, and vice versa.

UAE cabinet approves setting up embassy in Tel Aviv – The United Arab Emirates cabinet approved the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel on 24 Jan, and Israel announced its embassy had opened in Abu Dhabi.

Israel opens embassy in UAE, expanding new relations – Israel on Jan 24 said it has opened its embassy in the United Arab Emirates, establishing full diplomatic ties with the Gulf country. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the embassy would be in a temporary office while a permanent location is prepared.

Trump lifts tariffs on aluminum imports from UAE effective Feb. 3 – Outgoing President Donald Trump on 20 Jan, a few hours before leaving office, said he would exempt the United Arab Emirates from a 10% tariff imposed on most aluminum imports in 2018, saying the two countries had reached a quota agreement that would restrict aluminum imports.

Denmark suspends Dubai flights amid doubts over virus tests – Denmark has temporarily suspended all flights from the United Arab Emirates for five days after suspicion arose that the coronavirus tests that can be obtained before leaving Dubai are not reliable. The development poses a direct challenge to the mass testing regime that had been the pillar of the country’s coronavirus response and economic reopening.

UK bans direct flights from UAE, shutting world's busiest international route – Britain is banning direct passenger flights from the UAE from 29 Jan, due to worries of spreading the more infectious strain of COVID-19 from South Africa. This shuts down the world’s busiest international airline route from Dubai to London.

Dubai blamed for virus cases abroad; questions swirl at home – After opening itself to New Year’s revelers, Dubai is now being blamed by several countries for spreading the coronavirus abroad, even as questions swirl about the city-state’s ability to handle reported record spikes in virus cases. Mutated strains of the coronavirus have been linked back to Dubai in various countries that have now suspended direct flights.

UAE calls for urgent diplomacy to end conflict in Libya – The United Arab Emirates called for an urgent renewal of diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Libya on 29 Jan, and said it is ready to work with the new US administration and all other members of the UN Security Council to restore peace in the north African nation.

Human Rights


Saudis vowed to stop executing minors; some death sentences remain, rights groups say
– Five people who committed crimes in Saudi Arabia as minors have yet to have their death sentences revoked, according to Human Rights Watch and European-Saudi Organization for Human Rights, nine months after the kingdom’s Human Rights Commission announced an end to capital punishment for juvenile offenders.

Dramatic drop in Saudi executions after laws changed in 2020 – Saudi Arabia dramatically reduced the number of people put to death last year, following changes halting executions for non-violent drug-related crimes, according to the government’s tally and independent observers. The Saudi government’s Human Rights Commission said it documented 27 executions in 2020. That’s compared to an all-time high of 184 executions the year before as documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

Finance


Bahrain will likely need further Gulf financial support
– Bahrain will likely need further financial support from its Gulf neighbours from 2023 onwards citing Fitch’s oil price assumptions, despite reform measures, according to Fitch Ratings’ lead Bahrain analyst Toby Iles.

Kuwait draft budget foresees narrower deficit for fiscal 2021/22 – Kuwait’s finance ministry has proposed a draft 23.05 billion dinar ($76.2 billion) budget for the fiscal year starting on April 1. The budget forecasts government revenues of 10.9 billion dinars in fiscal 2021/2022, meaning it expects a fiscal deficit of 12.1 billion dinars - 13.8% narrower than the deficit budgeted for the fiscal year ending on March 31.

Qatar Wealth Fund Plans Asia Push to Diversify From Europe, U.S. – Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund is looking east for deals in an effort to diversify an investment portfolio heavily weighted toward North America and Europe. Foreign Minister and chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, manages about $300 billion of assets and ranks as the world’s 11th-largest wealth fund.

In Gulf’s Tug-of-War Over Multinationals, UAE Looks to Keep Edge – The United Arab Emirates can stand its ground against Saudi Arabia’s effort to redraw the Gulf’s corporate map by enticing multinationals to move their headquarters to Riyadh. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has said investment opportunities in the kingdom will amount to $6 trillion over the next decade, half of which represent new projects.

Qatar fund put pandemic bets on distressed debt, high-grade bonds – Qatar Investment Authority is generating strong returns on a multi-billion dollar bet it made on distressed debt and highly rated bonds at the start of COVID-19. This reflected a maturing of the QIA’s strategy under Mansoor al-Mahmoud, a former head of risk management at the fund who became chief executive in 2018.

Qatar's Commercial Bank plans to raise at least $1 bln via bond sales – Qatar’s Commercial Bank is planning to raise at least $1 billion through bond issues in the coming months, as the bank looks to take advantage of positive market conditions to boost its capital.

Saudi wealth fund in talks to lure health and technology companies – Saudi Arabia’s $400bn Public Investment Fund is seeking to use its financial muscle to lure international health and technology companies to set up operations in the kingdom. The sovereign wealth fund is “already in discussion with a number of companies in the health sector”, according to governor Yasir al-Rumayyan.

Saudi Arabia's futuristic city project in talks over cloud computing deal – Saudi Arabia’s futuristic city project NEOM is in talks with companies to pick a lead partner for its first cloud computing deal that will lay the foundation for hi-tech services in its flagship $500 billion business zone.

Saudi Arabia names Fahad al-Mubarak as new central bank governor – Saudi Arabia’s king appointed Fahad al-Mubarak as central bank governor, replacing Ahmed al-Kholifey. Mubarak, who had helmed the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA) from 2011-2016, was previously chairman and managing director of Morgan Stanley, Saudi Arabia, and has also served as chairman of the Saudi stock exchange.

Adnoc defies retreat from oil with push to pump up output – Sultan Al Jaber, head of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, is unapologetic for accelerating crude output — and is primed to swoop in. “We see the writing on the wall and see opportunity from decisions being taken from other companies.” Mr Jaber has a singular vision: to raise the output capacity of the UAE from around 3m barrels of oil a day in 2016 to 5m b/d by 2030.” The stance is particularly stark, given Mr Jaber also counts the role of climate tsar among his various government positions.

UAE signs deal with U.S. to buy 50 F-35 jets and up to 18 drones – The  has signed an agreement with the United States to purchase 50 F-35 jets and up to 18 armed drones. Although the UAE and the United States were working to ink a deal before President Joseph Biden took office on.

UAE confirms it inked $23 billion deal to buy F-35 jets, drones from U.S. – The United Arab Emirates confirmed that it signed agreements with the United States on former President Donald Trump’s last full day in office to purchase up to 50 F-35 jets, 18 armed drones and other defense equipment in a deal worth $23 billion. It had finalised the terms of purchase, including costs, technical specifications and anticipated delivery schedules.

Biden Re-Examining U.S. Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, U.A.E. – The Biden administration has imposed a temporary freeze on US arms sales to Saudi Arabia and is scrutinizing purchases by the United Arab Emirates as it reviews billions of dollars in weapons transactions approved by former President Donald Trump. The review includes the sale of precision-guided munitions to Riyadh, as well as top-line F-35 fighters to Abu Dhabi, a deal that Washington approved as part of the Abraham Accords. US officials said it fairly routine to review arms sales approved by a predecessor, and that despite the pause, many of the transactions are likely to ultimately go forward.

Italy blocks sale of missiles to Saudi Arabia and UAE – Italy has halted the sale of thousands of missiles to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on 29 Jan, citing Rome’s commitment to restoring peace in Yemen and protecting human rights.

Gulf's 2021 rebound likely to be slower than previously forecast – Forecasts for economic recoveries in the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council in 2021 have been trimmed while expectations for gross domestic product declines last year were mixed in a quarterly Reuters survey of analysts. Economists in the 11-25 Jan poll maintained that the region’s economic fortunes would turn around this year after it was hammered by the pandemic and historic slide in the price of oil.

Yemen in Crisis


U.S. exempts U.N., aid groups from effort to cut off Yemen's Houthis
– The United States on 19 Jan, exempted aid groups, the UN, the Red Cross and the export of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices from its designation of Yemen’s Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization.

Three wounded by projectile fired from Yemen – Three civilians were wounded on 17 Jan by a projectile fired by Yemen’s Houthi movement into a border town in Saudi Arabia’s Jazan region. The injured were a man and two children, two of them stable and one in a critical condition.

Saudi-led coalition in Yemen says it intercepted three Houthi drones – The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said it had intercepted and destroyed three explosive-laden drones launched by the Houthis from Hodeidah towards Saudi Arabia on 15 Jan.

Saudi TV says missile or drone intercepted over Riyadh – Saudi Arabia said on 23 Jan it intercepted an apparent missile or drone attack over Riyadh launched by the Houthis. However, Yahia Sarei, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a statement that the rebels had not carried out attacks on Saudi Arabia in the past 24 hours.

U.S. State Department says working to conclude Houthi terrorist designation review – The US State Department has initiated a review of the terrorist designation of Yemen’s Houthi movement and is working as fast as it can to conclude the process and make a determination.

Yemen aid groups call on U.S. to revoke Houthi terrorism designation – Twenty-two aid groups working in Yemen called on 24 Jan for the new US administration to revoke the designation of the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, saying it puts millions of lives and the peace process at risk. While the United States has exempted aid groups, the UN, the Red Cross and the export of agricultural commodities, medicine, and medical devices from its designation, aid organisations say the legal implications of the designation are not fully understood, and the exemptions do not cover enough of the commercial sector.

Yemen's Houthis protest against Trump's terrorist label – Tens of thousands of Yemenis marched in Sanaa on 25 Jan, heeding a call by the Houthi movement to condemn the United States for labelling it a terrorist group on 19 Jan, and backing the Saudi-led military coalition that is battling it. The designation is being reviewed by the new Biden administration.

Biden administration suspends some sanctions on Yemen rebels – The Biden administration on 25 Jan suspended some of the terrorism sanctions that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The Treasury Department said it would exempt certain transactions involving the Houthis until 26 Feb.

Yemeni security official found dead, day after abduction – A senior Yemeni security official, Brig. Ibrahim Harad, was found murdered on 27 Jan in Aden, a day after unknown armed men abducted him outside his home. No group has so far claimed responsibility for the abduction and killing of Harad, who was head of political security in Hodeida.

U.N. says still concerns about Yemen trade despite U.S. allowing Houthi deals – The UN is still hearing concerns that companies are planning to cancel or suspend business with Yemen despite a US decision to allow all transactions with the Houthi movement “given this move does not resolve underlying uncertainties,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

U.N. report accuses Yemen government of money-laundering, Houthis of taking state revenue – A UN investigation by sanctions monitors accuse Yemen’s Central Bank of breaking its foreign exchange rules, manipulating the foreign exchange market and laundering a substantial part of a $2 billion deposit from Saudi Arabia that was intended to fund credit to buy food commodities. The sophisticated money-laundering scheme saw traders receive a $423 million windfall. The report also said the Houthis had collected at least $1.8 billion in state revenue in 2019 to help fund its war effort.

Yemen's central bank dismisses UN corruption allegations – Yemen’s central bank dismissed the UN’s allegations that the Yemeni government misused millions of dollars from Saudi Arabia to buy essential commodities for the Yemeni people. The Central Bank of Yemen responded to the report allegations as being based on “misleading claims and information” propagated by “enemies of Yemen.”

UN panel: Yemen’s war being fueled by economic profiteering – Economic profiteering is fueling the catastrophe in Yemen. Experts estimate Houthi rebels diverted at least $1.8 billion in 2019 that was supposed to go to the government to pay salaries and provide basic services to citizens. The report also stated “an increasing body of evidence suggesting that individuals and entities” in Iran supply “significant volumes of weapons and components to the Houthis.” The panel said the government lost strategic territory to both the Houthis and the Southern Transitional Council.

Domestic Affairs


Bahrain clamps down on restaurants and schools to contain COVID-19
– Bahrain will suspend dine-in services at restaurants and cafes and move public and private schools to remote learning for three weeks to contain the spread of the coronavirus, from 31 Jan onwards. The ministry said it had detected a new variant of coronavirus in a number of cases, without specifying which kind.

Kuwait's emir reappoints PM to form new cabinet after parliament standoff – Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Sabah reappointed Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as prime minister on 24 Jan after the cabinet resigned in a standoff with parliament over its vote to question the premier on issues including his choice of ministers. The Emir tasked the prime minister with nominating a new cabinet for approval.

Saudi Arabia: Explosion shakes Riyadh – Witnesses have reported hearing a loud explosion over Riyadh on 26 Jan, three days after a missile was intercepted on its way to the city.

Saudi Arabia to allow payment of work permit-related residencies on quarterly basis –  Saudi Arabia will allow payment for the issuance and renewals of work permit-related residencies to be made on a quarterly basis instead of an annual lump sum basis. But it exempts domestic workers and similar jobs. The government had imposed fees on expatriate workers to encourage hiring of citizens.

Dubai airline Emirates offers Pfizer, Sinopharm vaccines to staff – Dubai airline Emirates on 18 Jan began offering employees vaccinations by Pfizer-BioNTech and China’s Sinopharm, against COVID-19 with priority given to cabin crew, pilots and other operational staff.

Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid virus surge – The government of Dubai on 20 Jan, ordered all hospitals to cancel nonessential surgeries for the next month as coronavirus infections surge to unprecedented heights in the United Arab Emirates.

Dubai halts live entertainment amid surge in virus cases – Dubai’s tourism department on 21 Jan announced an immediate halt to all live entertainment at hotels and restaurants, a day after suspending non-urgent surgeries at hospitals to deal with an influx of COVID-19 patients. Both decisions come after months of Dubai promoting itself as the ideal pandemic-friendly vacation spot while coronavirus infections skyrocketed.

Dubai pays price for festive parties as coronavirus cases surge – Barely a month since Dubai cemented its reputation as a party city over the festive period that drew revellers from around the world, it is paying a high price as coronavirus cases surge and doctors complain of a shortage of beds. COVID-19 cases have quadrupled since November to almost 4,000 a day. The surge in cases has forced Dubai to introduce some new restrictions, such as increasing testing on arrivals and banning live entertainment, even as the United Arab Emirates’ vaccination drive speeds ahead.

United Arab Emirates accelerates vaccine rollout – The United Arab Emirates is accelerating the rollout of its coronavirus vaccines as the country seeks to overtake Israel as the world’s most inoculated nation. The UAE, which has vaccinated around 20% of the population, is starting to catch up with Israel, which leads with a 29% rate.

Dubai sees surge in private jet movements – Dubai’s private jet terminal recorded a 21% increase in movements during 2020, sparked by a surge of landings in the United Arab Emirates during the fourth quarter. The Mohammed bin Rashid Aerospace Hub said movements grew 78% in the last quarter of 2020 compared with a year earlier, as the wealthy sought a winter haven while coronavirus gripped much of the world.

UAE to Open Citizenship to Select Foreigners to Boost Growth – The United Arab Emirates plans to offer citizenship to a select group of foreigners, the first Gulf Arab nation to formalize a process aimed at giving expatriates a bigger stake in the economy. The major policy shift is aimed at attracting talent in a way that will boost growth in the UAE.

Reports and Opinions


The Trump administration is risking famine in Yemen
– Mike Pompeo, the [former] US secretary of state in the Trump administration designated the Houthi rebel movement in Yemen a foreign terrorist organisation. He said it would provide “tools” to counter terrorist activity and “advance efforts” to achieve a peaceful and united Yemen. But the irresponsible act that will complicate UN efforts to broker a resolution and deepen the suffering of millions. It is likely to push them closer to Tehran and risks hardening the stances of both the Houthis and the Saudi-backed government. The humanitarian consequences could be horrific – choking food flows into the import-dependent country and complicate aid agencies’ life-saving work. The best way to negate the Houthi threat and relieve Yemenis’ suffering is to throw US weight behind diplomatic efforts to convince all the protagonists to halt the fighting and reach a political settlement.

Rohingya: Why Bangladesh is in a diplomatic fix over Saudi repatriation – Almost 40 years ago, Saudi Arabia took in tens of thousands of Rohingya refugees who were facing persecution in Myanmar. In September 2020, Riyadh urged Bangladesh to take back some 54,000 Rohingya that are currently in Saudi Arabia, as the kingdom “doesn’t keep stateless people.” But agreeing to this would put Bangladesh on a backfoot in its Rohingya repatriation talks with Myanmar.

The Abu Dhabi royal at the nexus of UAE business and national security – Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, rise over the past decade epitomises the nexus between power, business, and national strategic interest in Gulf states, where a younger, tech-savvy and security-minded generation of royals have come to the fore. It also offers a glimpse into the inner workings of Abu Dhabi’s absolute monarchy, where the ruling family and a clique of trusted lieutenants dominate security and key sectors of the economy, blurring the lines between state and private enterprise. He handles the nation’s most sensitive and challenging issues like the UAE’s Iran and Yemen files, as well as security and intelligence co-operation with the US, Russia and the UK. Tahnoon has also been at the forefront of the UAE’s battle against coronavirus. His interests extend across an array of big businesses as chairman of multiple banks, holding companies, and multi-sector conglomerates.

How Saudi Arabia Restored Its U.S. Influence Machine After the Khashoggi Murder – In the two-plus years since Jamal Khashoggi’s murder, Riyadh has managed to largely restore its influence machine in Washington and other parts of the US, hiring at least 16 lobbying firms to help boost US-Saudi trade relations and scrub Riyadh’s image on issues including its devastating war in Yemen and its treatment of women, according to foreign agent registration filings with the Justice Department. The effort will be crucial during the term of President Joe Biden too. Riyadh has also struck deals with companies close to the Republican Party post Trump, in hopes to maintain their influence.

Will Saudi Arabia become a new drone battleground? – An Iraqi militia has claimed responsibility for two suicide drones fired at Riyadh earlier this week — and vowed to do it again. The new group suggested Saudis should be sleeping with "one eye open" from now on.

In Saudi Arabia, Quiet Changes May Ease Tensions With Biden – The new president is a Saudi critic, but he takes office as the kingdom could point to recent progress on a number of issues that have caused longstanding friction with the United States; scaling back beheadings, removes hate speech from text books and limits prison terms for activists.

Is the UAE Bringing the Israelis into Socotra? – Despite the UAE’s official withdrawal from Yemen in 2019, it is no secret that the Emiratis maintain significant influence in Socotra. Throughout 2020, there have been reports of alleged plans for an Emirati-Israeli intelligence base on Socotra. The development could have a significant impact on the country’s explosive political situation. A consequence may be the inflammation of anti-Emirati sentiments. Furthermore, the STC faction, which controls Socotra is the most Israel-friendly force in Yemen. Naturally, Israel’s entry to Socotra would align with Washington’s foreign policy objective of countering the Iran’s foreign policy agenda, and the UAE understands how this could strengthen Abu Dhabi’s partnership with the US. Greater Israeli clout in the Indian Ocean could also facilitate the emergence of an “India-UAE-Israel triangle” that counters not only Iran, but also Pakistan, leading to wider geopolitical standoffs that should be monitored.

Yemen 'Arab Spring' unity torn asunder by hunger and war – Ten years after joining an uprising in Yemen against autocratic rule and an economy in shambles, the same activists find themselves on opposite sides of a war that has pushed the country to the brink of famine with dim prospects for peace.

علاقات إقليمية ودولية


تايمز: واشنطن استولت على نظام صواريخ روسي دعمت به الإمارات حفتر في ليبيا

اشترت الإمارات منظومة الصواريخ من روسيا واستولت عليها أمريكا في ليبيا في عملية خاصة. والجدير بالذكر أن الإمارات زادت من شحنات الأسلحة والإمدادات (ذخيرة) العسكرية إلى حفتر. 

قبل مواجهة الدحيل والأهلي.. شاهد أبرز إنجازات العرب في مونديال الأندية

تسلط هذه المقالة الضوء على تاريخ كرة القدم في شبه الجزيرة وإنجازاتها سواء كانت فرقاً سعودية أو قطرية.

بعد اتهامات أميركية بالتدخل.. الإمارات تبدي استعدادها للتعاون في حل الأزمة الليبية

اتفقت الإمارات على تعاون بشكل وثيق مع الإدارة الأمريكية الجديدة لحلحلة الأزمة في ليبيا فهناك حاجة ملحة لتسوية سلمية.

واشنطن تراجع اتفاقيات التطبيع.. تجميد صفقة إف-35 للإمارات لضمان "أهداف إستراتيجية" ونتنياهو لا يرى ضررا

أعلن البيت الأبيض تجميد صفقة بيع مقاتلات إف-35 إلى الإمارات وذخائر إلى السعودية وكانت هناك مخاوف مشروعة من أن هذه الأسلحة ستسهم في إذكاء الاضطرابات في الشرق الأوسط. 

سماع دوي انفجار ضخم في العاصمة السعودية الرياض

سمع دوي انفجار واحد على الأقل في العاصمة السعودية الرياض، بحسب سكان، بعد ثلاثة أيام على تدمير القوات الجوية السعودية قذيفة فوق العاصمة. ولم يصدر تعليق فوري من السلطات السعودية حتى الآن. 

أميركا تعفي المنظمات الإغاثية من تبعات إدراج الحوثيين بلائحة الإرهاب

أدرجت واشنطن الحوثيين على قائمة التنظيمات الإرهابية الأجنبية بيد أن أمريكا أعفت منظمات الإغاثة والإمدادات الإنسانية من تبعات هذا القرار.

دونالد ترامب: ما الإرث الذي تركه في الشرق الأوسط؟

.غادر دونالد ترامب البيت الأبيض لكن إدارته تركت إرثاً كبيراً ومثيراً للجدل في الشرق الأوسط وسيكون لذلك تأثير كبير على مستقبل المنطقة

اقتصاد


عُمان.. حزمة من الإجراءات والقوانين التصحيحية لدعم سوق العمل

تسعى وزارة العمل العمانية إلى تصحيح القوانين من أجل خلق وزيادة فرص العمل والوظائف للعمانيين ولا تقتصر الإجراءات الجديدة على المناصب الجديدة بل التدريب وتوطين الوظائف في القطاع الخاص.

إستراتيجية لدعم سوق العمل العماني تحت شعار "التوطين يعزز الاستثمار"

أعلنت وزارة العمل العمانية خطوطها العريضة لحل أزمة البطالة، باستراتيجية تمتد لنحو 4 سنوات وبشعار “التوطين يعزز الاستثمار” وقالت إن الإحلال الوظيفي للمواطنين بالقطاعين العام والخاص سيكون من ضمن الحلول. 

سياسة


قرار بحظر إقامة المناسبات الجماعية في السلطنة

شهدت عدة دول التطورات الخطيرة في مكافحة فيروس كورونا في الأيام القليلة المنصرمة ناهيك عن ارتفاع في الإصابات في غرف العناية المركزة لذلك اتخذت السلطات العمانية المختصة قرار تنفيذ حظر إقامة المناسبات الجماعية.

تقرير دولي: لا بديل عن تحلية المياه بالطاقة الشمسية في العالم العربي

كشفت هذه المقالة عن تقدم دول الخليج في مجال تحلية المياه ومن المتوقع أن بقية دول الشرق الأوسط سيتبنى هذا النوع من البنية التحتية بسبب الشح المائي في المنطقة.

السعودية اتخذت موقفا رضي عنه الشاه وسياسة الكويت أغضبته بشدة في النزاع على الجزر - وثائق بريطانية

كشفت وثائق سرية أن الكويت عارضت "صراحة وبإصرار" أية مقترحات لا تضمن السيادة العربية الكاملة على جزر أبو موسى وطنب الكبرى وطنب الصغرى المتنازع عليها مع إيران.

تغييرات في عُمان تطال القيادات العسكرية

أصدر سلطان عمان هيثم بن طارق آل سعيد مراسيم لتعيين عدة مناصب بالدولة من ضمنها أمين عام بوزارة الدفاع وولي عهد للسلطنة وجاءت هذه الإعلانات عقب عدد من التعيينات والترقيات الحكومية والعسكرية.

جمال خاشقجي: فيلم المنشق يجدد النقاش حول مقتل الصحفي السعودي

.يجدد فيلم المنشق النقاش حول ملابسات مقتل الصحفي السعودي جمال خاشقجي ومستقبل العلاقات بين واشنطن والرياض

المصالحة الخليجية: وزير خارجية قطر يحث دول الخليج على إجراء محادثات مع إيران

.قال وزير الخارجية القطري إن الدوحة "ستسهل المفاوضات" إذا رغب جيرانها من دول الخليج العربية في إجراء محادثات مع إيران

أمير قطر يلتقي حميدتي ويبحث معه تطورات الأوضاع في السودان

عقدت قطر والسودان اجتماعا رسميا لبحث عدد من القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك والعلاقة الثنائية بين البلدين والوضع السياسي داخل السودان.

بدر الداهوم ينتقد مرزوق الغانم ويذكر بغزو العراق للكويت … فما القصة؟

.كان هناك تداول على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي ضد نائب كويتي انتقد رئيس مجلس الأمة مرزوق الغانم

فيروس كورونا


السعودية تؤجل رفع قيود السفر للوصول إلى معدلات مناعية مجتمعية مرتفعة

أعلنت السلطات السعودية تعديل موعد رفع تعليق السفر للمواطنين وفتح المنافذ بشكل كامل. 

كورونا.. نوفافاكس تعلن فعالية لقاحها وبريطانيا تمنع الوافدين من الإمارات والسلالات المتحورة تظهر بالولايات المتحدة

اتخذت المملكة المتحدة القرار لتشديد القيود على الرحلات الجوية من الإمارات لمنع وصول السلالات المتحورة الجديدة من جنوب أفريقية والتي تعد الأكثر عدوى.

ثلاثي الرعب.. ما الدول العربية التي وصلتها فيروسات كورونا المتحورة؟

ظهرت الطفرات الجديدة من فيروس كورونا في دول الخليج تحديدا عمان والإمارات، وبحسب التقارير أن هذه السلالات تبدو أكثر فتكا والمجتمع سيكون أكثر عرضة للسعال واحتقان الحلق وناهيك عن فقدان التذوق والشم.

الصحة: ارتفاع الإصابات في معظم مناطق السعودية بسبب المناسبات الاجتماعية

أكد المتحدث باسم وزارة الصحة السعودية الدكتور محمد العبد العالي، اليوم أن هناك ارتفاعاً ملحوظاً في الحالات المصابة بفيروس كورونا في معظم مناطق المملكة، بسبب السلوكيات الخاطئة التي تعد السبب الرئيسي في زيادة عدد الحالات منذ منتصف الشهر الحالي. 

فن وثقافة


دخلت موسوعة غينيس.. عُمان تستقبل أكبر سفينة خشبية في العالم

كان هناك تداول على وسائل التواصل الاجتماعي بشأن استقبال إحدى موانىء عمان أكبر سفينة خشبية في العالم.

ملتقى أول للقصة القصيرة جدا بصنعاء.. 100 مثقف يمني يناقشون فن القص المختصر

عقدت اليمن ملتقى لتسليط الضوء على جنس أدبي وهو القصة القصيرة حيث يعد من الفنون الأدبية المتطورة في اليمن وهذا النوع من القصة يتميز بحجمه القصير واقتضابه.

قانون


الإمارات تسمح بتجنيس فئات من المستثمرين والعلماء والمهنيين

تقر دولة الإمارات العربية تعديلات قانونية تسمح بتجنيس فئات من المستثمرين والعلماء والمهنيين، ممن "يسهمون في دفع مسيرتها التنموية.

بتوجيهات خليفة.. محمد بن راشد يعتمد تعديل اللائحة التنفيذية لقانون الجنسية

أعلنت الحكومة الإماراتية أنها ستعتمد تعديل بعض الأحكام بشأن الجنسية الإماراتية حيث تجيز من خلالها منح الجنسية الإماراتية للمستثمرين وأصحاب المهن التخصصية وغيرها بهدف تقدير الكفاءات وتمكين استقرار البلد.

آراء وتقارير


هل يمكن «السلام» مع النظام الإيراني؟

يطرح هذا المقال قضية مثيرة للجدل ومدى إمكانية تحقيق هدنة مع النظام الإيراني وليس السلام الدائم.

أربع سنوات عربية عجاف قادمة

تستنكر هذه المقالة التطبيع بين إسرائيل وبعض البلدان في دول الخليج، وتدعي أن الاتفاق سيؤدي إلى تدهور في سلوك ومعتقدات المجتمع في الخليج.

قنبلة ترامب الاستباقية في الشرق الأوسط

هذه المقالة تسلط الضوء على التطبيع بين إسرائيل وبعض البلدان في دول الخليج وتدعي أن ترامب قام بالتطبيع بتهور وهذا سيؤدي إلى تقويض الاستقرار في المنطقة وذلك استنادا إلى ما تقوم به إسرائيل من الاستمرار في عملية توسيع المستوطنات.