Welcome to Gulf States Newsletter

With the crown prince in a Swiss hospital, at a time when King Abdullah feels able to press forward with reform, senior players are weighing up the balance of influence within the Saudi ruling family. The political system is evolving, but it remains unclear whether a turning point approaches.

King Abdullah self-confident and tolerant

An important influence on ruling family deliberations will be the tone and direction being set by King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz.

A ‘softer’ Nayef emerges

In an evolving political climate, Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz seems to have felt the need to soften his hard-line image and seek to dispel the suspicions of liberal Saudis.

Kuwait’s election: can it end the old politics?

Vested interests and voters’ self-interest are a brake on change, but political blocs are working to make the most of the new system.

The Kuwaiti campaign in profile

Kuwait’s new electoral system has replaced 25 two-member constituencies with five ten-member voting districts.

Cecilia Sarkozy: divorced, remarried but not forgotten

Cecilia Sarkozy’s role as a member of the French presidential family already seems long past, but questions are still being asked about her role in resolving the case of the five Bulgarian nurses and Palestinian doctor convicted by Libya of infecting 438 children with the AIDS virus in a Benghazi hospital.

SAUDI ARABIA: Pipeline threat chimes with Yemeni attacks

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) issued two warnings to Saudi ministries and key foreign businesses in April.

YEMEN: Terrorist threat begins to snowball

Following the 6 April rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack on the Hadda Apartment Compound, the foreign presence in Sanaa began to take the draconian steps normally associated with war zones

Somali pirates take on allcomers in Gulf of Aden

An increasing number of pirate attacks is likely in the Gulf of Aden throughout this year, according to GSN’s sources in the maritime security world, as the ‘Somali Marines’ stake their claim to the waterway.

Oil output expansion will slow as Saudis go on the defensive

Saudi Arabia has in recent years underlined its credentials as a stalwart ally of the energy consumer, by piling all its efforts into expanding oil output.

About GSN • Demo • Subscribe • Contact • GSN Diary • GSN Middle East Newsfeed • Subscribers Area

site designed for Microsoft Internet Explorer 5+ and 1024x768 display