[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
Nine more Guantánamo Bay prisoners released as population dwindles to 80 The nine released prisoners, all of Yemeni descent, will now head to Saudi Arabia.
Egypt to allocate 500,000 acres of arable lands to Saudi investors: Saudi minister The two countries signed the MoU, which would develop agricultural infrastructure within Egypt as part of a series of Saudi investments in the country.
Bob Graham gets call from White House and word that declassification of secret 9/11 documents is underway If released, the documents could implicate Saudi officials in the terrorist attack.
Saudi Arabia Warns of Economic Fallout if Congress Passes 9/11 Bill The bill, which has bipartisan backing, would allow families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government.
Saudi Arabia's religious police ordered to be 'gentle' The police have been advised to carry on with their normal duties of monitoring public spaces, following several instances of brutality and harassment.
Egypt hands Saudi Arabia two islands in gratitude. Egyptians are outraged. Protests took place in both Cairo and Alexandria, opposing the gifting of two islands to Saudi Arabia.
Fire at United petrochemical plant in Saudi’s Jubail kills 12 – SPA Eleven others were injured in the fire in one of Saudi Arabia’s industrial cities.
In Doha, Major Oil Exporters Fail to Agree on Production Freeze The meeting intended to stabilize oil prices may have just the opposite effect.
Asian shares skid, crude tumbles after Doha deal fails Global markets reacted to the news out of Doha about a failed agreement between OPEC members and Russia.
Artist Nurtures a Creative Oasis in Conservative Saudi Arabia A retired Saudi army lieutenant and renown artist to lead government tour to showcase Saudi art around the world.
Saudi Arabia says money sent to Malaysian PM was a 'genuine donation' The price tag on the gift is just under seven hundred million dollars.
Saudi Arabia's Post-Oil Plan Starts April 25, Prince Says The plans are expected to include development strategies and the launching of several long-term programs within Saudi Arabia.
Thousands of emergency calls due to Saudi rain Thirteen people died during the latest heavy rainfall in Saudi Arabia.
Lunch with the FT: Sheikh Hamad Bin-Jaber al-ThaniFinancial Times interviews Qatar’s former prime minister
Italy, France Clash Over Naval Deal With Qatar The two countries try to outmaneuver each other for Qatar’s military contracts.
Kuwait forced to temporarily cut oil output by public sector strike Kuwait is expected to operate at one third of its usual output due to the strike by public sector union members.
Kuwait oil strike enters second day Kuwait’s union members continue their strike, despite government condemnation.
MoH to recruit nurses directly from India Kuwait’s new plans for hospital staff include reaching out to India to recruit over one thousand nurses.
Artists come together for Reuse festival in Kuwait A photo essay on a recent Kuwaiti audio-visual arts festival.
Anti-Muslim Sentiment At Idaho State University? Students From Saudi Arabia, Kuwait Targeted In Hate Crimes Both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait issued threats to withdraw students if the hate crimes at the Idaho campus persisted.
Petrol bomb attack kills police officer in Bahrain The attack occurred just outside the city of Manama, killing one policeman and injuring two other officers.
Bahrain's Foreign Minister: Hizbullah Continues to Threaten Our Security Bahrain’s latest list of Islamist terrorist groups places Hizballah at the top.
Omani oil majors in talks on loans worth combined $4.35 billion: sources Oman risks running another deficit as the two major state-run oil firms seek out loans.
Oman's Sultan Qaboos returns home after medical tests in Germany: royal court Qaboos had spent eight months in Germany for medical treatment between 2014 and 2015.
Not so sunny in the Arabian Peninsula El Nino weather patterns leave the Gulf drenched, with cases of heavy rain and flooding throughout the region.
Snapchat voice and video calling blocked in UAE Telecoms companies in the Emirates cited the fact that other apps such as Skype already offered similar features.
Reports and Opinions
Arabia sees record oil and gas drilling as rest of world slumps: Kemp Why does the Gulf continue to drill wells, despite record low oil prices?
Is Qatar's economy feeling the pinch? A look at the firms and businesses cutting staff and costs in Qatar, despite continued work on large-scale projects ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Up and Coming: GCC Is Outing Racism against the Rich in a Way That’s Good for Everyone The thought process and work behind the GCC art collective group.
An Old Alliance Faces New Pressures as Obama Heads to Saudi Arabia How badly do Saudi Arabia and the United States still need each other?
Heck, What’s a Little Extortion Among Friends? U.S.-Saudi Relations One activist’s take on US-Saudi relations with regards to 9/11.
Obama and GCC leaders have a lot to talk about What to expect from Obama’s upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia.
Get to know the 'Shadow Families' of Bahrain An excerpt from a short story about a Filipino family living in Bahrain.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen and the prospects for war and peace Nobel laureate Tawakkol Karman shares her thoughts on the pathway to peace in Yemen.
Yemen's warring sides signal optimism for Kuwait peace talks Key decisions about the future of Yemen linger ahead of peace talks in Kuwait.
At least four killed in Islamic State attack in Yemeni port of Aden The attack targeted young army recruits to Yemen’s government forces.
Two ways the war in Yemen is turning into a disaster for the U.S. The problems with AQAP’s growing strength and the Saudi use of US military technology.
Exclusive: U.S. considers supporting new U.A.E. push against al Qaeda in Yemen The Emirates’ special forces would lead the attack on AQAP, with additional US support, if plans work out.
Yemen police say foil two bomb attacks day before peace talks So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the attempted attacks in the city of Aden.
U.S. Report on Saudi Arabia Downplays Civilian Casualties in Yemen The US government tries to wash it’s hands of Saudi war crimes in Yemen, despite weapons sales to Saudi Arabia that played a major role in the war there.
Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula video said to show Australians killed by drones US drone strikes in 2013 killed the two Australians in Yemen, but their images were never released until now.
Human Rights
Finding the Key to Release Zainab Al Khawaja One human rights activist sees Washington’s political double speak as a hindrance in the plight to free Bahraini activist Zainab Al-Khawaja.
Saudi Arabia: 3 Alleged Child Offenders Await Execution Human Rights Watch calls attention to Saudi Arabia’s decision to issue the death sentence for three who were charged with crimes and arrested as teenagers.
President Obama should speak up for an imprisoned blogger in Saudi Arabia A Washington Post op-ed urges Obama to take a stand on behalf of jailed blogger Raif Badawi.
Interserve vows to 'thoroughly' study Qatar abuse The UK-based company holds several contracts in Qatar through subsidiaries and stakes in other construction firms.
Shrestha asks Qatar to give Nepalis free visa, free ticket Workers hoping to come to the Gulf must pay a hefty set of fees before arriving in their work country, which leads to crippling debt.
Kuwait academic charged with blasphemy over TV interview The activist awaits a decision from the public prosecutor for statements she made on television about the separation of politics and religion.