[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
Tax leak exposes leaders of Saudi, Pakistan, Hezbollah and Israeli interests The “Panama Papers” documents leak reveal information about the bank accounts of leaders in Saudi Arabia, Hizballah, and other key players in the Middle East.
ISIS Turns Saudis Against the Kingdom, and Families Against Their Own In the past several months, several men in Saudi Arabia have killed members of their own families following their declarations of loyalty to ISIS.
Saudi Arabia plans to sell state oil assets to create $2tn wealth fund If Saudi Arabia’s economic diversity efforts succeed through the establishment of the wealth fund, they would then possess the largest wealth fund in the world, edging out Norway.
Workers suffer in Saudi Arabia as once-mighty Hariri firm falters The Saudi Oger construction company has been unable to pay employees on time or to meet deadlines on upcoming projects.
Costs force expats to look beyond Qatar for college Tuition costs at universities in Qatar outpace the salaries of many expat workers.
Deadly Syria strikes could 'torpedo' ceasefire: Qatar Syria’s already fragile cease-fire needs protecting, Qatar says to the UN Security Council.
Qatar signs deals worth $9B at DIMDEX The country hosted the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and conference this week.
Israeli beach volleyballers to compete in Qatar A beach volleyball duo from Israel competes in Doha for the qualifiers to the Rio Olympics.
Fire Breaks out at Large Mall Under Construction in Qatar The mall is located on the outskirts of town, near a future 2022 FIFA World Cup stadium.
One killed in bomb blast in Saudi Arabia The bombing targetted a police car in central Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia executions reach record high as beheadings set to double this year Estimates from a human rights organization in Britain place Saudi Arabia’s execution totals at eighty-two this year.
U.S. and Saudi Arabia sanction alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba supporters The organizations sanctioned by the two nations are seen as fronts for al-Qaeda fundraising.
Road accident in Saudi Arabia kills 15, including 6 children Saudi officials estimate that seventeen people die from traffic-related accidents every day in the country.
India’s prime minister in Saudi Arabia for first visit India and Saudi Arabia share many economically aligned interests, such as oil and labor.
Ministry facilitates jobs in GCC countries for Jordanians Several GCC countries open up employment positions for Jordanians.
UAE banks’ solvency profiles stronger than those of GCC peers Because of Emirati efforts to diversify the economy in 2008, the country might be slightly better off than its counterparts across the GCC, according to one rating agency.
GCC foreign ministers to meet John Kerry in Bahrain The meeting comes in preparation for an upcoming US-Gulf summit in Saudi Arabia later this month.
UK Considering Permanent Army Training Base in Oman British forces conduct training programs in the region but look to establish a concrete location.
Reports and Opinions
THE KINGDOM AND THE CALIPHATE An in-depth report from researcher Cole Bunzel in February looks at the common threads between ISIS and Saudi Arabia.
How art can help diffuse Middle East tensions Commentator Sultan Al Qassemi looks at the role of art in Gulf countries as a means of stimulating discussion.
Qatar Wants to Buy Dozens of U.S. Warplanes. Why Won’t Washington Sell Them? Analysts in Washington DC, question the reasons behind the delay in a military arms deal with Qatar.
Pressure is building on Saudi Arabia's economy, but Riyadh isn't blinking yet Saudi Arabia’s economic risks mount in several different sectors.
Three Surprising Reasons Saudi Arabia May Be Getting Out of the Oil Business (Video) Environmental reasons behind Saudi Arabia’s transition from an oil-based economy.
Saudi Arabia's Last Weapon In The Oil War Will Saudi Arabia actually unpeg its currency to the dollar in order to beat out US oil producers?
Saudi-India-Pakistan Triangle Could Modi’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week signal a shift in policy for the three nations?
Turki Bin Abdullah: London’s Gold Car-Driving Arab Prince A look at the lifestyles of very rich Saudis.
Zaha Hadid and the Modern Middle East Acclaimed architect Zaha Hadid left her mark on several parts of the GCC.
Oman: in search of a timeless place One writer shares her travel diary and a historical narrative of Oman.
Long-termism is Oman’s biggest asset As Qatar and the United Arab Emirates work to finish projects in the next decade, Oman’s goals are more sustainable in the long run.
Why Kuwait’s news outlets are ahead of the digital game Kuwaitis of all ages embrace digital media technology as a means of obtaining and sharing news.
Marijuana and the law in Kuwait One Kuwaiti lawyer answers questions about the legality of various drug-related questions in the country.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen’s President: A Path to Peace Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi publishes an editorial in the New York Times outlining a transitional plan out of war for Yemen.
The U.S. is quietly helping Saudi Arabia wage a devastating aerial campaign in Yemen Through the purchase of military weaponry and a turning blind eye to Saudi war crimes, the US government helps Saudi Arabia continue to wage war in Yemen.
Fighting to a standstill When looking at the overall toll of Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, full recovery efforts will require more than just peace talks.
Yemenis Express Resolve and Pride in Anti-Saudi Demonstrations As Yemen’s conflict winds down, people take to the streets once again to assert their political views.
“The suffering is staggering”: 6 Yemeni children killed or wounded daily in U.S.-backed Saudi war; millions face catastrophe Over the course of one year of fighting, attacks occurred at fifty-one schools.
Yemen says dozens of al-Qaida fighters detained in Aden The latest raids on AQAP soldiers in Aden come as the Saudi-backed Yemeni government consolidates power in the city.
Saudi-led alliance says completes Yemen prisoner swap Continuing prisoner swaps between Saudi Arabia and Houthi rebels pave the path for peace talks.
Saudi Prince Sees ‘Significant’ Progress Toward Yemen War EndBloomberg sits down for an interview with Saudi Arabia’s defense minister to discuss the state of peace talks with Yemen.
Indian priest kidnapped by gunmen in Yemen ‘could be freed soon’ India’s government works to free Father Tom Uzhunnalil, who was kidnapped during an attack on an elderly home in Yemen.
Yemen’s President Replaces Prime Minister Yemen’s cabinet undergoes a bit of reshuffling ahead of upcoming peace talks.
U.N. hopes parties to Yemen peace talks will engage constructively UN envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed works to orchestrate the upcoming 10 April, ceasefire in Yemen, followed by peace talks later in the week.
Yemeni National Pride and Saudi Arabia’s Unwinnable War One columnist analyzes the different key forces at war between Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
Human Rights
The F1 is a cover for the Bahrain government's poor human rights record - Nabeel Rajab Amnesty International’s podcast series speaks to a Bahraini human rights activist about the hidden realities behind the country’s famous car race.
THE UGLY SIDE OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: EXPLOITATION OF MIGRANT WORKERS ON A QATAR 2022 WORLD CUP SITE Amnesty International examines 2022 World Cup sites in Qatar, documenting a myriad of workers rights violations.
Qatar, a Sponsor in Mega-Event El Clásico Soccer Match, Is Hit With Rights Abuse Charges (Update) Both teams participating in El Clasico receive funding and sponsorship from Qatar and the UAE.
Amnesty: Qatar World Cup workers suffer abuse A short video looking at documented human rights abuses at stadium construction sites in Doha, Qatar.
Yemen: Baha’i Adherent Faces Death Penalty Human Rights Watch calls for the release and removal of the death penalty for a man in jail on account of his faith.
Kuwait arrests man for profanity-filled online videos The man released a series of videos through Snapchat deemed offensive to the ruling authority.
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