Like a mountain-climber nearing the summit, the higher Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman rises the further he can fall The detention of dozens of princes, government officials and business people is seen as further evidence that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin…
New energy deal of the century
Opec secretary general Mohammed Barkindo this week stoked expectations that the Opec-non-Opec “energy deal of the century” will be renewed The 173rd meeting of Opec oil ministers opens in Vienna on 30 November but the gathering will be anything but…
Trump to preserve JCPOA
President Trump will keep the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and target the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in a new White House policy announced today. The announcement will please allies concerned that the president would pull the US…
The UK seeks to maintain trade relations in the Gulf despite the GCC split and Trump’s Iran rhetoric
The RAF’s Red Arrows over Doha in 2013. They return this weekend as part of the UK’s campaign to maintain its trade relationship with both sides of the GCC split The Royal Air Force (RAF) Red Arrows will fly over…
Is GCC split behind the spate of Arabian initiatives?
Women will be in the driving seat in Saudi Arabia from next June We’ll believe it when we see it, but King Salman’s order today that women will be able to get driving licences from next June means it won’t…
IMF says Qatar growth slowing
Measures imposed by some GCC and other states on 5 June following the diplomatic rift with some trading-partner countries led to a sharp contraction in imports into Qatar in June with a slight recovery in July but its non-oil growth…