[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
Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt in daily contact over Gaza David Hearst analyzes reports that Saudi Arabia and Egypt are “advising the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu how to press home his ground operation in Gaza.”
In response to David Hearst Prince Mohammed bin Nawaf Al Saud, the Saudi ambassador to the United Kingdom, writes a response to David Hearst’s “Attack on Gaza by Saudi Royal Appointment.”
Saudi Arabia behind effort to disarm the Palestinian Resistance Fouad al-Ibrahim describes Saudi Arabia—in coordination with Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Israel—as the godfather of disarming the Palestinian resistance.
'Saudi, Israel tie-up' in Turkmenistan A news report on a possible partnership between PertoSaudi, owned by King Abdulla’s son, and Merhav, an Israeli conglomerate, to explore oil fields in Turkmenistan.
UAE pays Hamas hush money after attempting to facilitate Dahlan’s return Ahmed Hadi argues that Abu Dhabi is attempting to revive the Palestinian security advisor’s political career after the Palestinian Authority president ousted him from Fatah.
Qatar emir meets Saudi king in Jeddah to discuss Gaza fighting The Qatari emir arrives in Saudi Arabia to meet with the king in his first visit since the diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
Opinions and Reports
Saudi Arabia Information Paper The Intercept starts the publication of the National Security Agency’s documents on Saudi Arabia.
Five Kuwait politicians' citizenship revoked The Kuwaiti authorities strip five opposition figures of their nationalities.
Kuwait: Fear over freedoms as nationalities revoked Sumaya Bakhsh reports on the fear among Kuwaiti nationals following the denaturalization of five citizens and their families.
Revoking of citizenship illegal: Kuwait opposition A Kuwaiti opposition group describes the Kuwaiti authorities’ decision to revoke the citizenship of some opposition members as “unconstitutional.”
Kuwait to summon dual nationality holders People carrying the dual nationalities of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will have to choose one citizenship only.
Saudi stock exchange to open up to foreign investors Simon Goodley reports on Saudi Arabia’s decision to open up its stock market to foreign investors.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain’s Shia Muslims Tense as Politicians and Preachers Pledge Allegiance to ISIS A news report on some Bahraini nationals’ public expressions of allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria with no reaction from the authorities.
Bahrain asks court to temporarily suspend two more opposition groups The Bahraini ministry of justice asks a court to suspend the Justice and Development Movement and the National Democratic Action Society for three months, less than a week after it filed a lawsuit against Al Wefaq National Islamic Society.
Policeman to stand trial for killing suspect A policeman will stand a trial on charges of killing Fadhel Abbas while trying to arrest him in the village of al-Markh, Bahrain.
Bahrain rejects sectarian quotas The Bahraini state minister for information affairs emphasizes that “sectarian quotas are totally discarded and Bahrain will never adopt them.”
Crisis in Yemen
US diplomats admit contact in Yemen with missing citizen Sharif Mobley Spencer Ackerman writes on reports that US diplomats in Yemen have been in touch with Mobley, who was disappeared from jail in February according to his lawyer.
US citizens in Yemen accuse American embassy of confiscating passports Smitha Khorana reports on the experience of more than a dozen US citizens, whose passports were revoked in the US embassy in Sanaa.
Yemen president says Houthis agree to return town to state control The Yemeni president visits Amran and pledges to rebuild property damaged in the fighting.
Yemen's al Qaeda wing seeks to set up 'emirate' in east Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is planning to announce an Islamic state in Hadramawt.
Al Qaida vows to sever hands of ‘corrupt’ Yemen officials The organization threatens to cut off the hands of “corrupt” officials in Hadramawt.
Al Qaida suspects kill army officer in south Yemen An army officer is killed in Lahj at the hands of al-Qaeda suspects.
Clashes kill 12 in southern Yemen Two Yemeni soldiers and ten al-Qaeda fighters die in clashes in Abyan.
Yemen resumes oil flow after pipeline repair Yemen resumes the pumping of crude oil through its main export pipeline, which was blown up by tribesmen earlier this month.
Kidnapped Briton Mike Harvey freed in Yemen A news report on the release of Mick Harvey, who was kidnapped in February.
Media
UAE demands apology from Al Jazeera over Gaza report The Emirati minister of state for foreign affairs calls upon Al Jazeera to apologize for publishing fabricated news about the United Arab Emirates’ involvement in the Israeli war on Gaza.
Gay man sentenced for twitter debauchery in Saudi Arabia A Saudi court sentences a man to three years in jail and four hundred and fifty lashes “for using his Twitter account to promote homosexual contacts.”
Peter Greste to launch appeal against conviction and seven-year jail term The Australian journalist decides to appeal his jail sentence.
Jailed al-Jazeera journalists guided by ‘devil’, says Egyptian court The Egyptian court that sentenced the three journalists says that “the devil guided” them to spread false reports.
Jailed journalist Mohamed Fahmy denied presidential pardon in Egypt Tom Dale writes on the exclusion of the three Al Jazeera journalists from the list of presidential pardons issued on the last day of Ramadan.
Al-Jazeera Gaza offices evacuated after direct hit by Israeli fire The Qatari network is forced to evacuate its office in Gaza after it was bombed by Israeli fire.
Migrant Workers
Fifa president discusses labour rights with Qatar’s emir Sepp Blatther meets with the Qatari emir to discuss the conditions of migrant workers in the Gulf state.
Qatar World Cup: migrants wait a year to be paid for building offices Robert Booth and Pete Pattisson provide an update on the condition of migrant workers in Qatar.
Qatar’s migrant workers have been abandoned James Lynch argues that migrant workers in Qatar are still exploited and mistreated.
Qatar World Cup worker: 'I want to go home but I don't have any money' – video Pete Pattisson, Robert Booth, and Mustafa Khalili interview Nepalese men employed in the construction industry in Qatar.
No Indian maids in Saudi Arabia below the age of 25 and above 50 The age of Indian domestic workers looking for jobs in Saudi Arabia is set between twenty-five and fifty years.
Human Rights
Kuwait: Ongoing trial and detention of human rights defender Abdulhakim Al-Fadhli The Gulf Center for Human Rights expresses concerns over the extension of the detention of al-Fadhli.
Oman: Human rights defender Noah Al-Saadi held incommunicado for over a week The Gulf Center for Human Rights reports on al-Saadi, who has been held incommunicado at the Special Division of the Omani Police in Muscat since his arrest earlier this month.
Bahrain: Escalation in Hate Speech and Incitement to Violence by the Former Intelligence Colonel Adel Flaifel Under the Policy of Impunity The Bahrain Center for Human Rights deplores the policy of impunity adopted by the regime towards violations committed by its loyalists.
Update: More Minors Detained in Bahrain for Prolonged Periods Without Conviction The Bahrain Center for Human Rights documents the detention of minors in Bahraini prisons.
Bahrain: Interrogation of Al-Jidhafsi as a Result of Raising the Victory Sign and Participating in Peaceful Gatherings The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the regime’s interrogation of a religious cleric following his participation in a protest.
Champions for Justice The Bahrain Center for Human Rights, the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, and Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain launch a campaign to honor human rights activists.
Culture
Mecca’s changing face matches the needs of its Muslim pilgrims Nesrine Malik writes about the destruction of historical sites in Mecca during the last twenty years.
Arabic