Search results

Jordan’s king will face rising popular pressures

Location:

JORDAN

Former Crown Prince Hamzah was placed under house arrest on April 3, as 20 other people were detained. His release of audio and video material that undermined the official…

New Kuwaiti Assembly will likely clash with government

Location:

KUWAIT

This followed parliamentary polls on December 5, a full four-year term after the last elections in November 2016. The emir had delayed naming a new cabinet after his ascension…

Iraqi Kurds’ economic recovery will be limited

Location:

IRAQ

The economic outlook for Iraq’s Kurdish region.

Kuwait’s government may seek to centralise power

Location:

KUWAIT

The government is also curtailing legislators’ right to cross-question ministers, especially the prime minister -- a distinctive feature of the Kuwaiti system that has long given…

Lebanon will suffer from deeper Iran-Saudi conflict

Location:

LEBANON

An intense political crisis has emerged since Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri resigned from his post in a televised speech from Saudi Arabia on November 4, one year after he was…

The next Omani sultan will face an economic crisis

Location:

OMAN

The ratings agency said the change reflected the erosion of Oman’s foreign reserves in a context of low oil prices. Fears are rising over the country's longer-term economic…

Some Gulf banks may need to consolidate

Location:

GULF STATES

His statement contrasts with broader regional trends. The six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have been overbanked for many years, but buoyant economies provided a…

Middle East refugee return would destabilise situation

Location:

MIDDLE EAST

Regional host countries are increasingly calling for the voluntary or forced return of Syrian refugees at a time when Western countries are distracted by the flow of Ukrainian…

Turkish health system’s troubles will stay a hot topic

Location:

TURKEY

Government parties recently blocked opposition moves to hold a parliamentary debate on attacks on health workers. The government is proud of its heath policies, but the system is…

Jordanian stability will outface economic challenges

Location:

JORDAN

Activists had threatened more protests if progress were not achieved by that deadline. There have been no reforms as yet and a new draft income-tax law offered for public…