[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
Greenert confirms expanded footprint in Bahrain Hendrick Simoes examines the statement made by Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, on the importance of Bahrain for US presence in the region.
Iran nuclear deal: Saudi Arabia and Gulf react with caution Ian Black examines the reactions of the Gulf states to the rapprochement between Washington and Tehran.
Is there a crisis in US-Saudi relations? Bernard Haykel argues that Washington has to address the kingdom’s regional concerns.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal: An Ally Frets About American Retreat Mathew Kaminski reports on a conversation between the Saudi prince and the editorial board of The Wall Street Journal over the US policy in the Middle East and the Iranian threat.
U.S. and Saudis in Growing Rift as Power Shifts Robert F. Worth predicts that the fallout between the once-close allies indicates a shift in international and regional alliances.
A narcissistic US, an anxious Saudi Arabia and a hysterical Israel Amal Saad-Ghorayeb analyzes the “dysfunctional” relationship between the United States and its Israeli and Saudi allies in light of the nuclear talks with Iran.
Saudi Arabia irritated by the changing US relationship with Iran Ian Black reflects on the Saudi reaction to the growing rapport between Tehran and Washington.
Saudi hostility to the Iran nuclear deal should alarm us more than Israel’s Mary Dejevsky argues that in the long run, the hostility of Saudi Arabia to the nuclear deal with Iran can be a greater threat to regional stability.
Saudi King Tells Suleiman Army Must Fight Hezbollah The Saudi king tells the Lebanese president that the Lebanese army should prevent Hizbullah from fighting in Syria.
Beirut Bombing: A Saudi Gift to Iran Ibrahim al-Amin blames Saudi Arabia for the twin suicide bombings near the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
Saudi Arabia urges citizens to leave Lebanon The Saudi government asks its nationals to leave Lebanon following the two suicide bombings near the Iranian embassy in Beirut.
Arab ministers applaud for Israel’s president in secret meeting The Israeli president received applause from twenty-nine foreign ministers from Arab and Muslim countries during the Gulf security summit in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago.
Saudi denies contact with Israel on Iran Riyadh rules out any contact with Israel following a report in Britain’s Sunday Times on the coordination between the two countries.
Iran-Saudi Arabia: a troubled affair Khosrow Soltani argues that an agreement between the two countries is essential to regional stability and their national interests.
Iran says seeks stronger cooperation with Saudi Arabia The Iranian foreign minister, on a tour in the Gulf states, tells reporters that Iran hopes to strengthen cooperation with Saudi Arabia.
Iraq and Saudi Arabia: between a rock and a hard place Salah Nasrawi asks if Iraq can navigate the geo-political rivalry between regional powers.
Mortar bombs land in Saudi desert Iraq and Saudi Arabia are investigating the firing of six mortar bombs which landed in Saudi Arabia, near the borders with Kuwait and Iraq.
What does Saudi Arabia want? Shashank Joshi provides an analysis of Saudi Arabia’s options following the West’s deal with Iran over its nuclear program.
Saudi’s internal power struggle sends ripples across international borders David Hearst looks at the impact of the battle over succession within the Saudi royal family on the kingdom’s foreign policy.
MPs questions UK relations with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain Frank Gardner examines the Foreign Affairs Committee’s concerns over the British government’s hypocrisy over its relations with the two Gulf kingdoms.
Qatar Opens Up to Hezbollah and Damascus After Hostage Deal Ibrahim al-Amin analyzes the Qatari efforts to mend its relations with Hizbullah and the Syrian regime.
Reports and Opinions
The Other Arab Awakening Thomas Friedman argues that the "radical evolutions" in the Gulf states that have not received attention represent a significant shift in state-citizen relations.
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait tighten controls on clerics Mahmoud Habboush and Sylvia Westall argue that the Saudi and Kuwaiti authorities’ fear of preachers’ ability to stir sectarian tension has prompted them to rein in their clerics.
American man arrested in Dubai for making satirical video The Emirati authorities arrest Shezanne Cassim in April after posting a parody video about youth culture in the Gulf state on YouTube.
UAE activist Waleed al-Shehhi ‘jailed for trial tweets’ The activist is sentenced for two years for “violating state security” after tweeting about the trial of ninety-four Islamists who were accused of attempting to change the regime in the Gulf state.
Kuwait Twitter ‘insult’ prison sentence condemned Musad Shamsah is sentenced for five years for a comment he made about Sunni-Shia theology even though he deleted the tweet ten minutes after posting it.
Saudi women drivers: Leading female campaigner stopped Sebastian Usher reports on Aziza Yousef, a female campaigner who was stopped by the police for driving through Riyadh in defiance of the ban of women driving in the kingdom.
UN helps eloped Saudi ‘Juliet’ asylum case Sebastian Usher reports on a Saudi woman who fled to Yemen to marry her Yemeni lover despite objections from her family and Saudi authorities.
Forbidden Love: Saudi Woman Flees to Yemen, Seeks Asylum Jamal Jubran salutes the Saudi woman who fled to Yemen and applied for asylum to be able to marry her Yemeni lover.
Repression in Bahrain
Court denies request to free Bahrain’s top activist A Bahraini court refuses to free Nabeel Rajab.
Bahrain says arrests two ‘terror’ suspects The interior minister announces the arrest of two Gulf nationals on suspicion of terrorism.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen president rules out southern split, separatist call rallies The Yemeni president asserts that he will not allow the separation of the country.
South Yemen leader pulls out of reconciliation talks A south Yemeni separatist leader suspends his participation in the national dialogue, a move that could lead other politicians to pull out of the talks.
U.N. Yemen envoy says former president’s camp undermining talks Sami Aboudi reports on Jamal Benomar’s accusation of loyalists of the former president undermining reconciliation talks.
Yemen Houthi MP shot dead in capital A news report on the assassination of Abdul Karim Jedban, who took part in the national dialogue, as well as the attempt on the life of the United Nations envoy to Yemen.
Gunmen kill two Belarus military instructors in Yemen Mohammed Ghobari reports on the assassination of two Belarusian military experts in southern Sanaa.
Gunmen kill Yemeni colonel and son in eastern Yemen – official Colonel Ahmed al-Marfadi and his son are shot dead in Hadramawt.
Yemeni man still looking for answers after White House drones meeting Spencer Ackerman writes on Faisal bin Ali Jabar, whose brother and nephew died from missiles fired by US drones.
Yemen bans motorbikes in capital to curb “shoot and scoot” attacks The Yemeni government temporarily bans motorbikes in the capital following the rise in assassination attempts.
North Yemen fighting kills more than 120 A news report on the death toll of the fighting between the Huthis and Salafis in Yemen.
Migrant Workers
Fifa World Cup 2022: Qatar ‘to act on workers rights' The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee meets with Amnesty International and promises to release its workers’ welfare standards that the construction firms should follow.
No respite for Qatar’s migrant workers, international trade union finds Matthew Taylor asserts that the appalling conditions under which foreign workers in Qatar work and live have not improved.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign labour crackdown drives out 2m migrants Ian Black reports on the ongoing crackdown on migrant workers in the Kingdom, and the hostility the Ethiopian workers face.
Analysis: Saudi labor crackdown promises long-term gain for short-term pain Angus McDowall analyzes the Saudi government’s justifications for crackdown on foreign workers.
Qatar grants exit visa to stranded French footballer Owen Gibson reports on Zahir Belounis, a French footballer who has been trapped in Qatar for two years without pay, who finally got an exit visa.
British firm plans ‘humane’ housing for Qatar World Cup migrant labourers Robert Booth writes on the Quantex Qatar’s joint venture of building a new generation of “humane” homes for migrant workers in Qatar.
Human Rights Watch
Landmine Ban: Yemen Admits Using Mines The organization urges the Yemeni authorities to investigate allegations that the Republican Guards implanted thousands of antipersonnel landmines in 2011.
Saudi Arabia: Labor Crackdown Violence The organization condemns the violence against Ethiopian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.
Dispatches: Equality for Domestic Workers in the Gulf Tamara Alrifai argues that the Gulf states need to ratify Domestic Workers Convention 189 of the International Labour Organization so that migrant workers’ basic rights are guaranteed.
Yemen: Reject Restrictions on Political Rights The organization enjoins representative of the National Dialogue to reject a proposal that would limit the political rights of potential candidates.
Yemen: Strike Down Immunity Law Representatives of the National Dialogue need to scrap the country’s immunity law.
Yemen: Review Saudi Woman’s Refugee Claim The Yemeni authorities should not deport a Saudi woman who fled to Yemen to marry her Yemeni lover.
Culture
TED talks’ unlikely success in Yemen A news report on the unanticipated success of TED talks in Yemen, with two more conferences planned.
Why I Choose Not to Apply to TEDxSanaa An editorial by Rooj Alwazir discussing the exclusionary practices of the conference.
Market and Business
Dubai chosen to host 2020 World Expo trade convention Dubai beats Brazil, Turkey, and Russia to win the bid to host the World Expo trade convention in 2020.
How Qatar became a football force: from Barcelona to PSG and World Cup David Conn reports on how Qatar became a major player in football.
Arabic