[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
Bahrain's crown prince congratulates new Israeli PM Bennett – Bahrain's crown prince sent a congratulatory telegraph to new Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
Bahrain in touch with Israel's new government to learn about peace policy – Bahrain's minister of foreign affairs, Abdullatif Al Zayani, said the kingdom is communicating with Israel's new government to learn about its policy on the efforts aiming to bring peace to the region by settling the Palestinian issue in line with the two-state solution.
Boris Johnson criticised for meeting Bahrain’s crown prince – Boris Johnson has been accused of putting trade before torture after he met senior Bahraini officials in Downing Street to discuss a free trade deal with the Gulf states. The UK is looking to strike a new trade deal with the Gulf countries. The UK is likely to face intense parliamentary scrutiny of any trade deals with Gulf states due to their human rights records.
NATO approaches Qatar to seek training base for Afghan forces after withdrawal – Security officials under NATO command have approached Qatar to secure a base that can be used to train Afghan special forces as part of a strategic commitment after foreign forces withdraw from Afghanistan.
Saudi Arabia says Houthi drone lands in school; no injuries – Saudi Arabia said on 13 Jun, a bomb-laden drone launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels crash-landed in the premises of a school in the province of Asir, but no injuries were reported.
Saudi Arabia Mulls Bid for 2030 World Cup – Saudi Arabia is pursuing an ambitious plan to secure the hosting rights to soccer’s 2030 World Cup event, but the effort faces political and technical obstacles. Human rights groups have long been vocal opponents about staging major sporting events in Saudi Arabia, particularly since the country was accused of complicity in the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
US hits alleged financing ring linking Yemen rebels, Iran –The US leveled sanctions on 11 Jun against a Yemeni network that it claims was cooperating with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard to illicitly transfer tens of millions of dollars to Yemen’s Houthi rebels. At the same time, the Biden administration also announced it was lifting sanctions on three former Iranian oil executives and two companies that it said had been involved in banned petroleum sales.
Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, UAE elected to U.N. Security Council – The United Nations General Assembly elected Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the UAE to the United Nations Security Council on 11 Jun for a two-year term starting on 1 Jan 2022.
UAE foreign minister speaks with Israeli counterpart – The UAE’s foreign minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, discussed on a phone call with his Israeli counterpart, Yair Lapid, on the "the bilateral cooperation between the two countries, in addition to the Abraham Accords."
Outgoing U.N. Yemen envoy hopes Oman peace efforts 'bear fruit' – Outgoing UN Yemen mediator Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on 15 Jun that after three years of trying to broker an end to the conflict in the Arabian Peninsula country, "the parties have yet to overcome their differences." He hopes the efforts undertaken by Oman in particular, following visits to Sanaa and Riyadh, will bear fruit.
Two Yemeni men held at Guantanamo approved for transfer – Two Yemeni men, Abd al-Salam al-Hilah and Sharqawi Abdu Ali al-Hajj, held at the Guantanamo Bay military prison in Cuba since 2004 have been cleared for transfer to another country, a US review board determined last week, bringing the prison back into the spotlight.
Gulf states: Nuclear talks should address Iran missile programme – Gulf Arab states said on 16 Jun, in the sixth round of talks in Vienna, that it would be dangerous to separate global powers' nuclear deal with Iran from Tehran's missile programme and "destabilising" behaviour, and reiterated a call that they be included in the dialogue.
As Iran veers right, ties with Gulf Arabs may hinge on nuclear pact – Gulf Arab states are unlikely to be deterred from dialogue to improve ties with Iran after a hardline judge won the presidency but their talks with Tehran might become tougher. Prospects for better relations between Muslim Shi'ite Iran and Sunni Gulf Arab monarchies could ultimately hinge on progress to revive Tehran's 2015 nuclear accord with world powers, they said, after Ebrahim Raisi won the 18 Jun election.
Human Rights
Saudi Arabia executes man who allegedly committed crimes as a minor – Saudi Arabia has executed a 26-year-old Mustafa al-Darwish, for crimes related to his participation in anti-government protests in 2011, that he allegedly committed while he was a minor, Amnesty International and Reprieve said, condemning the execution. The execution happened despite the fact that the state-backed Human Rights Commission (HRC) said in a statement in April 2020 that Saudi Arabia was abolishing the death penalty for people who committed crimes as minors.
Raif Badawi: 9 years in a Saudi prison – Despite international pressure and efforts to secure Raif Badawi's release, this week marks the ninth anniversary of the Saudi dissident's arrest. The Saudi Arabian writer has been in prison since June 2012, when he was arrested for what he wrote on a website that he founded called Free Saudi Liberals.
U.N. expert urges UAE to release five human rights activists – A United Nations expert on 11 Jun, urged the UAE government to immediately release five human rights defenders who have been imprisoned in harsh conditions for eight years. Mohamed al-Mansoori, Hassan Mohammed Al-Hammad, Hadif Rashed Abdullah al-Owais, Ali Saeed Al-Kindi and Salim Hamdoon Al-Shahhi are part of the "UAE94", a group of 94 lawyers, human rights defenders and academics who were sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2013 for plotting to overthrow the government.
Bodies wash up on Yemen coast after reports of migrant boat sinking – A number of bodies washed up at Ras al-Arah on Yemen's Red Sea coast on 14 Jun from a suspected migrant boat that sank offshore. The stretch of coast is notorious for the smuggling of migrants from the Horn of Africa into Yemen.
Finance
Bahrain's Batelco considers dual listing – Bahrain telecommunications company Batelco said on 20 Jun it had made a preliminary assessment of a dual listing, though that no decision on whether it would proceed had been taken.
Kuwait's economy contracted by 9.9% in 2020 – Kuwait's gross domestic product contracted 9.9% in 2020, compared with growth of 0.4% in 2019, mainly because of last year's sharp drop in oil prices.
Kuwait to allow entry of fully vaccinated non-citizens from Aug. 1 – Kuwait will allow non-citizens to enter the country from 1 Aug if they have been fully vaccinated with COVID-19 vaccines that have been approved by the Gulf state. A PCR test must be taken before flying and another during seven days of home quarantine on arrival.
Oman hires banks for sukuk in second international debt foray of 2021 – Oman has hired Citi Bank, Gulf International Bank, HSBC, Standard Chartered, Bank ABC and Bank Muscat, for its second international bond sale of the year, a planned issuance of nine-year US dollar-denominated sukuk, as it seeks to plug a large budget deficit.
Energy majors bid for Qatar LNG project despite lower returns – Six top western energy firms are vying to partner in the vast expansion of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas output, helping the Gulf state cement its position as the leading LNG producer while several large projects around the world recently stalled.
Saudi Arabia's Dur and Taiba in merger talks – Saudi Arabia's Dur Hospitality Co and Taiba Investments Co are in merger talks that could create a company with combined assets worth $2.4 billion across the kingdom's hotel, tourism and real estate sectors.
Saudi first quarter GDP shrinks 3%, hit by oil sector decline – Saudi Arabia's gross domestic product fell 3% in the first quarter, slightly less than official estimates and compared with a 1% contraction last year, as a sharp fall in the oil sector pulled back the economy. The kingdom's economy has been hit hard by the twin shock of last year's historic oil price crash and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dubai plane leasing firm DAE sells $1 billion in bonds – Dubai Aerospace Enterprise, one of the world's biggest aircraft leasing companies, sold $1 billion in bonds due in August 2024 on 15 Jun as it tapped the international debt markets for the second time this year.
Dubai Islamic Bank sells $1 billion in 5-year sukuk – Dubai Islamic Bank, the UAE’s largest Islamic lender, sold $1 billion in five-year sukuk on 15 Jun after receiving more than $2.8 billion in orders for the Islamic bonds.
Dubai steps in again as pandemic drives Emirates to $5.5 bln loss – Emirates got an additional $1.1 billion in state support from Dubai after a collapse in long-haul travel due to the coronavirus pandemic triggered the airline's first annual loss in more than three decades. Emirates has now received $3.1 billion in equity injections from Dubai, including $2 billion disclosed last year. The airline reported a $5.5 billion loss on 15 Jun for the year ending on March 31, after making a $288 million profit the previous year, as revenue plunged 66% to $8.4 billion.
Abu Dhabi's Mubadala acquires 60% stake in Saudi, UAE healthcare provider – Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Co. announced it has acquired a 60% stake in healthcare provider United Eastern Medical Services, which operates in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
UAE central bank expects GDP growth as country recovers from COVID restrictions – The central bank of the United Arab Emirates said the country's gross domestic product will grow 2.4% this year and 3.8% in 2022 as the economy recovers from restrictions imposed during the COVID pandemic. Non-oil GDP will expand by around 4% in both years.
UAE central bank raises benchmark interest rate in step with Fed – The United Arab Emirates central bank raised its key overnight interest rate by 5 basis points on 17 Jun, in step with a similar move by the US Federal Reserve a day earlier.
Emirates to restore almost 90% of passenger network by end of July – Emirates airline will operate close to 90% of its pre-pandemic network by the end of July as it restores more destinations and increases flights on other routes over the summer. Emirates will operate 880 weekly services to 124 passenger destinations by the end of July, up from 115 today and compared to a pre-pandemic passenger network of 143 destinations.
Investor sells $300 mln worth of shares in UAE's ADCB – An undisclosed investor has sold 1.1 billion dirhams ($300 million) worth of shares in Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, United Arab Emirates' third-biggest lender.
Domestic Affairs
Oman, slowest vaccinator in the Gulf, pushes campaign amid COVID-19 surge – Fresh COVID-19 vaccine supplies are accelerating inoculations in Oman, which has had the slowest rollout in the Gulf due to procurement difficulties, as a surge in cases puts hospitals under pressure. Since it began vaccinating in May, Oman has given at least one dose to around 15% of the eligible population.
Qatar emir appoints new justice minister in limited govt reshuffle – Qatar's Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has appointed Masoud al-Ameri as justice minister in a limited government reshuffle, according to statement from his court on 17 Jun.
Saudi Arabia says hajj to be limited to 60,000 in kingdom – Saudi Arabia announced this year’s hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, and limited to those aged 18 to 65, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Those taking part must be vaccinated as well.
Saudi shopping malls open only to vaccinated people from August – Saudi Arabia will bar people from entering its shopping malls unless they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, citing a decision by the trade ministry that will come into effect on 1 Aug.
Two thirds of eligible people in Dubai fully vaccinated against COVID-19 – About two-thirds of people eligible for inoculation against COVID-19 have now received two doses of the vaccine in Dubai.
UAE launches Sinopharm vaccine trial for children under 18 – Some members of Abu Dhabi's ruling family are participating in a trial administering China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to children aged 3-17. The trial will monitor the immune response of 900 children "in preparation to vaccinate children in the near future.”
Abu Dhabi receives first shipment of coronavirus medication Sotrovimab – UAE's Abu Dhabi received its first shipment of the coronavirus Sotrovimab medication, becoming the first city globally to receive it.
Yemen in Crisis
Yemen officials say Houthi rebel missile hits city, kills 17 – A ballistic missile fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on 6 Jun killed at least 17 civilians in Marib, including a 5-year-old girl, officials said, as a US envoy to the country accused the rebels of failing to try to reach peace in the nation.
Rebel missiles hit key city, killing 8 – Yemen’s Iran-backed rebels fires missiles on Marib on 10 Jun, killing at least eight people and wounding as many as 27. It was the second such attack on Marib in nearly a week as rebels push to capture the key city from government-held forces. A mosque and a women’s prison in Marib were struck in the attack.
Explosion kills 6 separatists in southern Yemen – An explosion in Yemen’s southern province of Abyan on Jun 11 killed at least six separatist troops and wounded 15 people, including civilians. The blast took place moments after a convoy of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council arrived at a market that sells khat leaves.
Saudi-led coalition intercepts Houthi drone – Saudi Arabian air defences intercepted and destroyed an armed drone launched by Yemen's Houthi group towards the southern Saudi city of Khamis Mushait on 14 Jun.
Yemen's Houthis say drone launched at Saudi Arabia's Abha airport – Yemen's Houthis said on 14 Jun they had launched a drone at Saudi Arabia's Abha airport.
As war destroys Yemen’s present, museums struggle to preserve its past – Yemen's museums, the richest in the Arabian peninsula, are a reminder of the toll that war has taken on the country's cultural heritage, often eclipsed by civilian casualties and the dire humanitarian situation. The Yemeni General Authority for Antiquities and Museums has started working with the World Monuments Fund to restore parts of the buildings.
Saudi air defences intercept drone launched by Yemen's Houthis – Saudi Arabia's air defences intercepted a drone launched by Yemen's Houthis on 17 Jun toward Khamis Mushait, home to the main Saudi air base in the border region.
UN envoy: Study other options to prevent Yemen tanker spill – The United Nations should keep negotiating with Yemen’s Houthi rebels but also look at other possible options to ensure that an oil tanker moored off the war-torn country’s coast loaded with more than 1 million barrels of crude oil doesn’t rupture or explode causing an environmental catastrophe, Martin Griffiths, UN envoy for Yemen said on 16 Jun.
UN envoy regrets failure to mediate a Yemen cease-fire – Martin Griffiths, the UN’s outgoing special envoy for Yemen expressed “deep regret” on 15 Jun that he failed to mediate a cease-fire and peace talks between Yemen’s warring parties, but said he hoped a recent diplomatic effort by Oman “will bear fruit.”
UAE-backed Yemen leader says his troops at island air base – Tariq Saleh, a militia leader and nephew of Yemen’s late strongman president has acknowledged that his Emirati-backed troops are stationed on Mayun island in a crucial maritime chokepoint where a mysterious air base is now under construction. While no country has claimed the air base, shipping traffic associated with a prior attempt to build a massive runway across the 5.6-kilometer-long island years ago links back to the UAE as well. In May, Saleh told the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies that his militia was in a “partnership” with the UAE.
Reports and Opinions
Oman's Protesters Seek Jobs and Reform – While the high rate of unemployment among youth sparked recent protests in Oman in late May, the problem now goes beyond creating job opportunities. Many of Oman’s youth are demanding more than just jobs: structural economic reform, social justice, and expanding powers of the elected Shura Council. Oman is facing a crucial turning point regarding its economy and local politics after unemployed youth led a 5-day protest across several cities. In response to the protests, Oman announced a plan to create 32,000 jobs in the public and private sectors; only a short-term fix to the entrenched unemployment crisis.
A New UN Envoy is an Opportunity for a New Approach in Yemen – The UN is recruiting a new envoy to broker peace in Yemen. More important than who gets the job is how UN member states and the mediator perceive its purpose, interpretations of which have limited the UN to the flawed two-party framework adopted since 2015. The next envoy will have to find new ways to mediate not just between Yemen’s rival parties, but within their ranks, before articulating a vision for peace that includes a much wider range of players than the current UN two-party framework allows for. Just as important, key UN member states will need to give the envoy space and time to hone a new approach, and then get behind a more expansive vision for peace – and demonstrate the will to execute it working in harmony.
Yemeni Border Markets: From Economic Incubator to Military Frontline – A string of border markets on Yemen’s northwestern border with Saudi Arabia turned adjoining Yemeni-Saudi peripheral regions into an economic hub and cemented cross-border ties between communities. The war-engendered demise of the border markets did not just cripple a distinct economic system that tied together the Yemeni interior and the Yemeni-Saudi borderlands. It complicated and in some cases cut off social links between people on either side of the border. The collapse and closure of the border markets led to the Saudi military and the Houthis swooping in and competing with each other for control over the former economic hubs. Saudi officials have turned several former markets into military bases.
علاقات إقليمية ودولية
وزير الخارجية الإماراتي يهاتف نظيره الإسرائيلي الجديد ويؤكد على التعاون بين الحكومتين
بحثت الإمارات وإسرائيل عددا من القضايا ذات الاهتمام المشترك والعلاقة الثنائية بين البلدين لا سيما السلام في المنطقة. وقال يائير لبيد إنه يتطلع للعمل مع وزير الخارجية الإماراتي للبناء على العلاقة بين البلدين.
الاتفاق النووي الإيراني: كبير مفاوضي طهران يتوقع "قرب" التوصل إلى تسوية
هل يشعل النفط الإماراتي أزمة دبلوماسية مع إسرائيل؟
حذر مسؤولون وجمعيات إسرائيلية من المخاطر البيئية والأمنية التي يسببها نقل النفط الإماراتي في خط إيلات عسقلان، ويدور الجدل حول إلغاء الاتفاقية مع أبوظبي، وهو ما يهدد بنشوب أزمة دبلوماسية بين البلدين.
العلاقات المصرية القطرية: "لا عداء دائم ولا حب دائم في السياسة" - صحف عربية
وزراء الخارجية العرب يبحثون بالدوحة التطورات في فلسطين والعدوان الإسرائيلي وأزمة سد النهضة
ينطلق في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة الاجتماع التشاوري لوزراء الخارجية العرب لبحث التطورات في المنطقة والأوضاع في فلسطين والحرب الإسرائيلية الأخيرة على غزة.
دعا وزراء الخارجية العرب، خلال اجتماعهم اليوم الثلاثاء في الدوحة، مجلس الأمن الدولي للانعقاد لبحث أزمة سد النهضة، وقرروا تشكيل لجنة متشركة لمواجهة الإجراءات الإسرائيلية بحق الفلسطينيين في القدس.
السيسي: هناك توافق مع ولي العهد السعودي حول القضايا المشتركة
أكد الرئيس المصري عبد الفتاح السيسي أن لقاءه بولي العهد السعودي الأمير محمد بن سلمان في شرم الشيخ، تَركز على بحث سُبل تطوير العلاقات بين البلدين.
استئناف الجولة الثالثة من المفاوضات بين الحكومة الأفغانية وحركة طالبان في الدوحة
اجتمع مطلق القحطاني -المبعوث الخاص لوزير الخارجية القطري لمكافحة الإرهاب والوساطة في تسوية المنازعات- بالمبعوث الأميركي لأفغانستان زلماي خليل زاد في العاصمة القطرية.
أعلنت شبكة الجزيرة الإعلامية تعرضها لمحاولات اختراق سيبرانية متواصلة شهدتها بعض منصاتها ومواقعها الإلكترونية الأسبوع الجاري.
البنتاغون يعلن بدء خفض أنظمته المضادة للصواريخ في دول بالشرق الأوسط
نقلت الصحيفة وول ستريت جورنال عن أن وزارة الدفاع ستبدأ سحب بعض القوات والقدرات من الشرق الأوسط بما في ذلك العراق والكويت والسعودية مشيرا إلى أن الأمر يتعلق بشكل رئيسي بمعدات دفاع جوي. وتتزامن هذه السياسة مع هدف الحكومة الأمريكية بتركيز جهودها في مواجهة تصاعد نفوذ الصين وعلى استخدام الدبلوماسية أكثر من القدرات العسكرية في الشرق الأوسط.
اقتصاد
قطر للبترول تفوز بعقد استكشاف منطقتين بحريتين في سورينام
فاز تحالف يضم قطر للبترول بحقوق الاستكشاف في منطقتين بحريتين بجمهورية سورينام بموجب عقود مشاركة في الإنتاج كجزء من جولة عطاءات سورينام البحرية التي عقدت أخيرا.
لأول مرة منذ 3 عقود.. طيران الإمارات تسجل 5.5 مليارات دولار خسائر سنوية
سجلت شركة طيران الإمارات خسارة سنوية بـ 5.5 مليارات دولار للمرة الأولى منذ أكثر من 3 عقود، وذلك على خلفية الإغلاقات المرتبطة بفيروس كورونا التي ضربت قطاع الطيران بشدة.
توقعات بفشل الاتفاق النفطي وإسرائيل تحذر من السفر إلى الإمارات بسبب كورونا
حذرت مصادر إسرائيلية من عاصفة قد تضرب العلاقات الإسرائيلية الإماراتية، وسط توقعات بإلغاء اتفاق لضخ النفط الإماراتي عبر خط إسرائيلي، كما حذرت وزارة الصحة الإسرائيلية من السفر إلى الإمارات بسبب كورونا.
بمشاركة نخبة عالمية تضم أكثر من 2000 شخص.. منتدى قطر الاقتصادي يفتتح جلساته اليوم
تنطلق هذا الأسبوع فعاليات النسخة الأولى من منتدى قطر الاقتصادي، التي تعقد عبر تقنية الاتصال المرئي وتستمر ثلاثة أيام، وسط مشاركة محلية وعالمية كبيرة. ويلقي أمير دولة قطر كلمة في الجلسة الافتتاحية.
سياسة
الدولة لن تتأثر بالتحقيق مع أي مسؤول.. رئيس وزراء قطر يؤكد حرص بلاده على مكافحة الفساد
أعلنت السلطات القطرية أنها ستبدأ بعض المبادرات الجديدة لمكافحة الفساد في الدولة. وشددت على أنه لا أحد فوق القانون ولا حصانة لأي فرد في المجتمع، وذلك للحفاظ على أموال الدولة وحقوق الأجيال القادمة، موضحا أن قطر دولة مؤسسات، واستراتيجيتها في مواجهة الفساد لا تعتمد على أفراد معينين، ولكن عبر التشريعات والأجهزة الرقابية.
الحرب في اليمن
اليمن.. الوفد العماني يغادر صنعاء والحوثيون يشترطون لفتح مطار العاصمة
غادر الوفد العماني صنعاء بعد أسبوع من المشاورات مع قادة جماعة الحوثي من أجل حل الأزمة اليمنية، بينما قالت الحكومة اليمنية إن الحوثيين يرفضون فتح مطار صنعاء إلا بعد تحقيق بعض الشروط.
اليمن.. المبعوث الأميركي في الرياض وغريفيث لمجلس الأمن: الأطراف اليمنية غير قادرة على تجاوز خلافاتها
يزور المبعوث الأميركي الخاص لليمن تيم ليندركينغ الرياض، للتشاور مع مسؤولين يمنيين وسعوديين، بينما أبلغ المبعوث الأممي الخاص لليمن مارتن غريفيث، مجلس الأمن أن الأطراف غير قادرة على تجاوز خلافاتها.
الحرب في اليمن: مقتل 50 شخصا في تجدد القتال للسيطرة على مأرب شمالي البلاد
أنباء عن سقوط 50 قتيلا في اليمن مع تجدد المعارك بين القوات الحكومية والمسلحين الحوثيين على تخوم مدينة مأرب شمالي البلاد.
السعودية تعلن تدمير 7 طائرات مسيرة أطلقها الحوثيون تجاه المنطقة الجنوبية
اعترض التحالف العسكري الذي تقوده السعودية في اليمن ودمر 7 طائرات مسيرة مفخخة أطلقها الحوثيون باتجاه المنطقة الجنوبية للملكة. والجدير بالذكر أن جماعة الحوثي تستهدف خميس مشيط وغيرها من المدن السعودية على الحدود بشكل متكرر في الحرب الدائرة منذ أكثر من 6 أعاوم.
اليمن.. الانتقالي الجنوبي يعلق مشاركته في مشاورات تنفيذ اتفاق الرياض
أعلن المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي المدعوم إماراتيا تعليق مشاركة وفده في مشاورات تنفيذ اتفاق الرياض، مبررا هذه الخطوة باعتقال بعض قياداته من قبل قوات الحكومة اليمنية الشرعية.
جماعة الحوثي تعلن إسقاط طائرة تجسس أميركية باليمن
أعلنت جماعة الحوثي إسقاط طائرة تجسس أميركية في محافظة مأرب وسط البلاد، وفقا للمتحدث العسكري باسم الجماعة يحيى سريع. والجدير بالذكر أن الحرب في اليمن المستمرة منذ نحو 7 سنوات أودت بحياة أكثر من 233 ألفا.
قانون
جدل سعودي بعد مناقشة مجلس الشورى عدم إلزامية غلق المحال التجارية وقت الصلاة
أثار بحث مجلس الشورى السعودي عدم إلزام المحلات التجارية بالإغلاق في أوقات الصلاة نقاشا واسعا على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي في المملكة.
فيروس كورونا
للعام الثاني على التوالي .. قصر الحج على المواطنين والمقيمين في السعودية بسبب جائحة كورونا
أعلنت وزارة الحج والعمرة السعودية أن مناسك الحج لهذا الموسم ستقتصر على 60 ألفا فقط من المواطنين والمقيمين، مع اشتراط تلقيهم اللقاح ضد فيروس كورونا، في قرار جاء على خلفية استمرار الجائحة.
الأنشطة والفئات المُستثناة من قرار الإغلاق ومنع الحركة
أعلنت اللجنة العلية المكلفة ببحث آلية التعامل مع التطورات الناتجة عن انتشار فيروس كورونا منع حركة الأفراد والمركبات وإغلاق جميع الأماكن العامة والأنشطة من الساعة الثامنة مساء حتى الساعة الرابعة صباحا اعتبارا من يوم الأحد حتى إشعار آخر. ويأتي هذا القرار بعد ارتفاع معدل المصابين من فيروس كورونا.
حسين بركات: وفاة معتقل في سجن جو المركزي بفيروس كورونا يثير غضبا وقلقا على وضع المساجين في البحرين
قالت وزارة الداخلية البحرينية ونشطاء اليوم إن سجينا سياسيا يقضي حكما بالمؤبد توفي متأثرا بإصابته بكورونا، فيما دعت منظمات حقوقية للإفراج الفوري عن السجناء السياسيين بالمملكة خوفا عليهم من الجائحة.
فن وثقافة
عودة خجولة للسينما الكويتية.. الفن السابع في انتظار انفراجة لتعويض خسائر الجائحة
فتحت السلطة الكويتية ابواب السينما هذا الأسبوع بعد فرض إغلاق تام على كثير من الأنشطة بسبب انتشار فيروس كورونا. ولكن تشهد الجماهير ضوابط صارمة إذ لا تتجاوز نسبة الإشغال 50% من طاقتها الاستيعابية، فضلا عن تحديد فترة العمل من العاشرة صباحا وحتى الثامنة مساء.
آراء وتقارير
ماذا تفعل مسقط في اليمن: أسئلة عن الدور العماني
زار وفد عماني صنعاء بهدف كسر الجمود الدبلوماسي الحالي، وتطرح الزيارة سؤالاً مهما جديداً حول دور عمان في اليمن بعد ست سنوات من الحرب.
تقرير: 144 مليار دولار أصول التمويل الإسلامي في قطر
كشف تقرير متخصص عن أن أصول التمويل الإسلامي في قطر بلغت 144 مليار دولار أميركي في عام 2020، وسط توقعات باستمرار هذا النمو في المستقبل.