Qatar’s readiness to use its immense economicpower for political purposes, coupled with the weakness of several regional actorsin the wake of the “Arab Spring,” has put the emirate’s foreign policy in thespotlight. Indeed, Qatar became a key country in the Middle East in recentyears, wielding significant influence far beyond its borders. All this islikely to change. While American defense support has given Qatar a sense ofsecurity and empowered its diplomatic activism (Qatar is host to both the USCentral Command Forward...
In contrast to the determined and unified response to Qaddafi in 2011 that included the use of force by Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Arab countries have thus far failed to take a firm and united stand toward Syria. The Arab world remains divided on the Syrian question, as reflected in the Arab League resolutions of August 27 and September 1, 2013, which refrained from giving a green light for military action without the blessing of the UN. Against the tough line advocated by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Tunisia, Algeria,...
In an unusual step, Sheikh Hamad Bin Halifa al-Thani, the Emir of Qatar, transferred the throne to his 33-year old son, Prince Tamim, who thus becomes the youngest ruler in the Arab world. Hamad thereby put an end to rumors circulating in recent months of an impending change in leadership. It is still unclear how – or even if – the change in leadership will affect Qatar’s foreign policy.
The eastern province of Saudi Arabia, home to the kingdom’s Shiite minority, has recently been revisited by violence. The latest wave of protests that began in July 2012 in Awamiyah, a radical Shiite town, was sparked by the arrest and injury of Nemer al-Nemer, a popular Shiite cleric. Nemer, a key figure in the protest movement in the province, was known for his outspoken anti-royal family remarks. Particularly popular among the young, Nemer had called for toppling the House of Saud and for independence for the eastern province; he...
The lack of transparency regarding succession in Saudi Arabia has fueled speculations about who will succeed 87-year old King Abdullah, currently receiving medical treatment in the United States. The royal house is making extraordinary efforts to project a business-as-usual image, but since June the king has in fact greatly cut down on his schedule, and he has been described by some diplomats as “confused and unfocused.”
In recent weeks, hundreds of opposition leaders have been arrested on suspicion of conspiring against the rulers of Bahrain. Official reports claim that the suspects belong to a Shiite terrorist network that intended to overthrow the al-Khalifah family. The royal family, perhaps in order to fend off criticism, sought to give the recent tension a regional slant, claiming that the accused were in contact with foreign governments, i.e., Iran. These events invite examination of Bahrain as a test case of the ability to promote even basic...
On the basis of a memo written by the US Secretary of Defense, the New York Times reported recently that “the United States does not have an effective long-range policy for dealing with Iran’s steady progress toward nuclear capability.” On the same day, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia issued a royal order establishing a science complex called King Abdullah City dedicated solely to “research and development of all aspects of nuclear energy.” Coincidence? Apparently. However, the steady progress made by Iran in its nuclear program and...
The agenda of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s thirtieth annual summit, which ended last week in Kuwait, was particularly ambitious. Among the topics on the table were establishment of a joint economic council and connection of the inter-state electrical grids and railways. However, the credit crisis in Dubai, the ongoing warfare on the Saudi-Yemeni border, and Iran’s developing nuclear program and its negative involvement in the region – challenges that make it difficult for the states to adopt a uniform security and...
A series of factors, including the situation in Yemen, the return of Afghan “alumni” (the current generation), Iraqi “alumni,” and former Guatanamo inmates may test the relative effectiveness demonstrated by the security forces in the Arabian Peninsula in recent years in their struggle against terror. This is particularly relevant in light of what appears to be renewed attempts by terror organizations to strike at senior figures and strategic facilities. Recent attempted terror attacks follow a series of...
As part of the attempt to jumpstart Israeli-Palestinian discussions, the American administration has in recent months expended significant effort on persuading different Arab nations, headed by the Gulf states, to make certain gestures towards Israel. While in geopolitical terms the Arab-Israeli arena and the Persian Gulf arena are separate, the Persian Gulf states are nonetheless directly or indirectly involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict and are influenced by Israeli-Palestinian relations.
Over the past year the hike in oil prices has aroused concern among many in the United States about the potential geopolitical implications of the increased economic clout of the Gulf states. The decision by the Gulf states to diversify their foreign assets and to use billions of petrodollars to buy Western stocks in various corporations and particularly in banks raised the concern that a foreign foothold in the large financial institutions and conglomerates is liable to become a means of political leverage. This concern led to the...
Like hundreds of other decisions taken by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries since it was formed 47 years ago, the decision taken two weeks ago not to respond to American urgings to boost oil production came in for heavy criticism by the U.S. administration. In many previous cases, OPEC refrained from open confrontation with the U.S. This time, however, the cartel chose to rebuff American claims with unprecedented forcefulness. The President of OPEC, Chakib Khalil, argued that nervousness in the oil market stemmed from...
