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While the post-election narrative in Iraq has focused on Moqtada Al-Sadr’s enhanced position as political kingmaker, the former firebrand’s relative success in the 12 May poll reveals more about the growing gap between political elites and the people they are meant to represent than any putative radicalisation of the electorate under Shia clerical leadership. Sadr’s Sairoon (On the Move) electoral bloc secured more votes than any other faction in the election, taking 54 out of 329 seats – albeit on a record low turnout of just 44.5% of registered voters.

The Gulf’s soaring domestic energy consumption – the result of profligate use of natural resources as well as massive population growth – is well documented, as is the political sensitivity of restructuring the subsidies that drive it. Low energy tariffs play a major part in the domestic consumption that has seen energy intensity rates in the Gulf continue to rise, while in the rest of the world they come down. According to Deloitte, in 2008, each person in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states consumed on average 9.65TWh of electricity against a global average of 2.782TWh and a Middle East average of 3.384TWh

The Kurdistan regional and Iraqi federal governments have reached a temporary agreement on the export of oil from the Kurdistan region. But a resolution could yet be blocked in Baghdad where oil policy is still going nowhere

Oman’s Majlis Al-Shura held the first meeting of the third annual sitting of the fifth term on 3 November at its new building in Al-Bustan. Chairman of the state council Yahya Bin Mahfoudh Al-Manthri noted the technical facilities at the new site, whose world-class standards were provided “in preparation for the next parliamentary phase”. Built by Carillion Alawi, the new building is close to the Ceremonial Palace and ministerial buildings, and overlooks the Gulf of Oman. It houses Majlis Oman – the Majlis Al-Shura and the Majlis Al-Dowla – VIP areas, an information centre and library and associated offices.

Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said on 25 July issued several decrees. They included appointing new ambassadors to Kuwait, France and Malaysia, and the appointment of a new secretary-general, Dr Saleh Bin Salim Bbin Hamoud Al-Rahbi, at the office of the Sultan’s advisor.

Saudi Fashion Week founder Princess Noura Bint Faisal has postponed the event until further notice. The event was set to run in Riyadh on 21-25 October. It is not clear if it is a casualty from the fallout surrounding the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation announced on 1 March that it has begun construction of the Bushehr-2 nuclear power plant, on Iran’s Gulf coast. The unit is due to be operational by October 2024 and a third unit will follow by April 2026. Rosatom said it was carrying out the project in co-operation with two unnamed Iranian contractors.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah underwent what was described as “regular medical examinations” on 9 December. The tests were “successful”, according to official reports. No further details were disclosed.

Reports that Qatar had expelled several Egyptian members of the Muslim Brotherhood provoked a flurry of reactions in mid-September. Had Doha finally given in to pressure from fellow Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) members, led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and renounced its sponsorship and provision of safe havens for members of the Muslim Brotherhood? Doha sought to downplay the news, but many analysts saw it as a move to placate its angry GCC neighbours.Their departure was announced by Amr Darrag, one of the leaders of the Brotherhood’s now-defunct political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party. Others leaving Qatar included Gamal Abdel-Sattar, Essam Teleima, Ashraf Badr El-Din, Mahmoud Hussein and Hamza Zawbaa, as well as firebrand Egyptian preacher Wagdy Abdelhamid Mohammed Ghoneim.

Prince Abdelrahman Bin Abdelaziz arrived back in Riyadh on 28 December, having sought medical treatment abroad. State news agency SPA said only that he had had “successful medical tests”. Abdelrahman, who is in his eighties, was deputy defence minister from 1988 to 2011, but played a largely ceremonial role, with little involvement in day-to-day affairs at the ministry. He is a member of the Allegiance Council. He was greeted on arrival by Crown Prince Salman and Ahmed Bin Abdelaziz, as well as several third-generation princes.

While the secession of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) area has occupied most attention, a failure of state-building in post-Baathist Iraq might also see other regions looking for at least Kurdish levels of autonomy, if not outright independence. Of most concern to Baghdad would be the hydrocarbons-rich south. GSN spoke to a range of decision-makers in Basra to test the support for different kinds of decentralisation in the province, which has been called ‘the failed Gulf state’ by historians of the area

Matthew Hedges’ release from a life sentence in the United Arab Emirates, following a presidential pardon on 26 November, came as a great relief to his family – led by his wife Daniela Tejada – and to his many academic and other supporters. However, his ordeal has raised important questions about the state of bilateral relations between the UAE and United Kingdom, as well as concerns for the safety of academics, consultants, journalists and others working in the region, who often need to ask searching questions in the course of their work.

Trade Bank of Iraq, Standard Chartered Bank and General Electric (GE) have finalised a $600m financing agreement to fund the installation of 2GW in generating capacity.

The results released so far of elections on 26 February to the Majles-e Showra-ye Eslami (Islamic Consultative Assembly or parliament) and Majles-e Khobregan (Assembly of Experts) seemed to confirm that President Hassan Rouhani had emerged stronger from his nuclear deal with the P5+1 grouping of global powers. It suggested the clerical establishment – with Rahbar (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (pictured smiling, almost winsomely, as he placed his vote) at its peak – was sanctioning a political shift towards more open, tolerant government. This would be despite the opposition of arch conservatives and revolutionary institutions such as the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).

Prime Minister Adil Abdel-Mahdi and his government finding themselves in the uncomfortable position of being caught between the competing interests of two powerful antagonists, as United States pressure intensifies on Baghdad to cut its ties with Iran and hand lucrative business contracts to American bidders. Iran is a vital partner because of its provision of about one-third of Iraq’s electricity requirements. On the other side, a mercantile-minded administration in Washington is looking to secure sizeable business deals in return for offering Baghdad more breathing space as it tries to pivot away from its energy dependence on Iran.