[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
GCC, China urged to sign free trade pact A new deal between China and the six GCC states will open several doors for economic investments in the future.
Smugglers keep trying to get alcohol into Saudi Arabia and customs officials keep tweeting it Saudi officials use social media to fight smuggling and warn others of the consequences.
Sharjah discovery will prompt rewrite of history A newly discovered tombstone in Mleiha indicates that a civilization with a king existed over two thousand years ago.
Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV)- United Arab Emirates The World Health Organization reports two more cases of MERS, one fatal, and issues tips to avoid further infection.
Dubai Airport 2015 Traffic Up 10.7 pct, World’s Busiest Expanding destinations and airline carriers, the Dubai airport maintains top spot for second year in a row.
More cuts to UAE fuel prices in February Emirati motorists see a drop in prices at the pump, amid price hikes elsewhere in the Gulf states.
Nation called to pick name for Oman’s first budget airliner Oman offers a chance to crowd-source the name for a new low-cost airline venture.
Kuwait’s emir urges management of spending, budget cut over oil price drop Calls for austerity measures echo throughout Kuwait, which faces a massive budget deficit.
Union slams oil minister over workers’ rights A new charter that the acting oil minister in Kuwait proposed is facing scrutiny from union members.
Qatar Airways may launch world’s longest flight The airline may soon offer a direct flight between Auckland, New Zealand and Doha, Qatar.
FIFA candidate Champagne courts Europe support over Qatar World Cup One FIFA presidential candidate promises to continue the debate on the issue of tournament dates for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Qatar’s Emir replaces foreign minister in Cabinet shakeup Qatar adjusts several cabinet positions, combining some positions and removing others.
Oil-Rich Saudi Arabia Wastes Astounding $35 Million in Food Every Day The Ministry of Agriculture issued a troubling report on rampant food waste in the country.
Saudi Arabia Keeps Pumping Oil, Despite Financial and Political Risks Oil prices continue to fall but Saudi Arabia keeps pumping, urges OPEC members to do the same.
‘I came to Saudi Arabia to travel and see the world’ One expat shares his story of working as a paramedic in Riyadh.
‘Crossing the Empty Quarter’ expedition team reaches Doha The team took forty-nine days to hike from Salalah to Doha, crossing through the largest sand desert in the world, following the trail of a similar expedition over eighty years ago.
Grace Successfully Defends Qatar Masters Title For the second year in a row, South African golfer Branden Grace wins the Qatar Masters Title.
Qatar reveals first home-grown supercar Qatar unveils the Elibriea, a locally created and designed sports car, at this week’s motor show.
Ottowa pushes military deals with Kuwait despite UN concerns Several Canadian companies that sell weapons to Kuwait claim to be in line with national regulations and NATO rules.
UN’s Ban says Saudi Arabia and Iran should compromise In a speech given in Oman UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon urges Saudi Arabia and Iran to cooperate.
Saudi Arabia’s new wave of artists challenge boundaries The BBC talks to four artists exploring the nuances of the country through art.
Saudi Arabia mosque attack: 2 reported killed The suicide bomber and gunman attacked outside a Shiite mosque in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia during Friday prayers.
Reports and Opinions
Russia, Qatar pushed to compromise. But will they? Maxim Suchkov sheds new light on the complicated relationship between Russia and Qatar.
Saudi Arabia plans to diversify from oil. That hasn’t gone so well in Brunei Developing a larger private sector in Saudi Arabia will prove difficult, especially in the wake of falling oil prices.
Saudi Arabia is Killing Civilians with U.S. Bombs The United States continues to sell a variety of arms to Saudi Arabia, despite domestic laws which prevent weapons sales to groups violating human rights.
Stop Reassuring Saudi Arabia, a Worse Threat to the Middle East than Iran Doug Bandow critiques the continued need for a “special” US-Saudi relationship.
Hey world leaders: Saudi Arabia will pay you over $600 million to resist the Muslim Brotherhood A new report suggests that Saudi Arabia paid generous sums of money to leaders in several nations, including the prime minister of Indonesia, in efforts to sway the countries away from Muslim Brotherhood influence.
How Saudi Arabia’s fear of dissent at home makes its foreign policy a hot mess Three major groups within Saudi Arabia play a huge role in policy both domestically and regionally.
Saudi Arabia’s Enemies Are No Longer Just Knocking at its Gate VICE’s documentary, “Enemies at the Gate,” explores Saudi Arabia’s regional quandary.
What John Kerry won’t ever acknowledge: The U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia is self-destructive — and even crazy Ben Norton discusses the contradictions and justifications of the US-Saudi relationship.
Time is right for GCC states to set up universal internet access Could GCC-wide internet access be the key to economic growth and job creation?
Looking for Allah as a Shiite in Saudi Arabia A firsthand account of a Shiite on pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen conflict: Saudi-led coalition targeting civilians, UN says As the humanitarian crisis in Yemen worsens, a new UN report examines over one hundred cases of violations against civilians.
Saudi Arabia seems Yemen intervention as defence of ‘backyard’ Saudi Arabia continues to stand by its military intervention in Yemen as a means of creating stability in the south.
Yemen airstrikes: ‘there are no sirens, you just hear the boom’ Basements serve as bomb shelters in a war targeting Yemeni civilians and their livelihood.
Yemen: the devastation of a nation, largely ignored Stephen Twigg writes about the “paradox of aid and arms” in Yemen, a nation in dire need of humanitarian aid.
Viewing Yemen and Syria through the anti-terrorism prism The US counter-terrorism agenda fails to address the serious concerns of people in Yemen and Syria.
Shoot film, not bullets: Yemenis turn to art to cope with conflict Yemenis grieve the ongoing war through poetry, filmmaking, and performance.
Yemen suicide bomber said to be Dutch IS fighter Seven people died in a suicide bombing in Aden, targeting the presidential palace.
Human Rights
Bahraini Government is Failing to Hold Security Forces and Officials Accountable for Torture and Mistreatment of Detainees Bahrain’s continues its use of arbitrary arrests, jail sentences, and mistreatment of civilians.
Bahrain court sentences 57 men to 15-year terms for prison violence The sentences were handed down following mixed reports of alleged prison riots in March.
UAE: Torture and Forced Disappearances In the UAE, a crackdown on political dissent and involvement with the Muslim Brotherhood leads to detention and cases of brutal interrogation and torture.
Bahrain: Torture Allegations Expose Sham Reforms Torture is still a regular occurrence in Bahraini prisons, despite legislation forbidding it.
Qatar: Failing on Crucial Labor Reforms New labor reforms in Qatar still do not address the serious flaws in the country’s Kafala (sponsorship) system.
Saudi Arabia: Limited Reforms under King Salman The Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen, use of cruel punishment, and mass executions overshadow positive labor and women’s rights reforms.
Yemen: Houthis Block Vital Goods into Taizz Residents of Yemen’s third-largest city still have scant access to food and medical aid.
Seven girls rescued from Saudi Arabia The Ugandan embassy helped facilitate the return of seven girls who were abused by their employers in Saudi Arabia; seventeen more are in the process of coming home.
‘Illiterate’ camel herder on trial for sharing poem mocking UAE A man accused of sharing an audio recording of an offensive poem faces trial under the UAE’s cybercrime law.