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Iran has arrested more than a dozen journalists affiliated to reformist news outlets, accusing them of collaborating with groups opposed to the Islamic Revolution. The sweep of detentions starting on 26 January appeared to be the largest crackdown on the press since 2009, and comes just months before a planned presidential election.

Saudi officials are trying to put the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi behind them, with a new initiative to kick-start inward investment and a range of soft power initiatives. But while the stellar turn-out of sporting stars, entertainers and business leaders arriving in the kingdom suggests that – rather predictably – many supports for Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS)’s Vision 2030 agenda see it is business as usual, Riyadh continues to struggle to address criticism of its record on human rights and financial abuses.

Some 30 Al-Saud princes – and one princess – have been appointed to positions of authority by King Salman Bin Abdelaziz since 2017. The appointments have come in waves: 22 in 2017, seven in 2018 and four in spring 2019. Many are notably young, in a system that has traditionally not favoured youth, and are drawn from the same cohort as Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS).

Informed observers have long noted that Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) likes to surround himself with trusted allies from among the younger generation of the Al-Saud, who have a similar educational background and interests as himself. According to a veteran observer of the Al-Saud, “MBS likes young people around him, he finds it awkward to deal with the older generation”. A source who worked in and around MBS’s Vision 2030 programme commented that the crown prince “doesn’t trust some of the older princes and has preferred to socialise with the younger ones”.

Culture minister Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Nasir Bin Saud Bin Ibrahim Bin Abdallah Bin Farhan Bin Saud (to give him his full name) has been close to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MBS) for at least a decade. Badr is a great-grandson of Nasir Bin Saud (died 1939), who accompanied Ibn Saud on the 1902 raid on Riyadh. In December 2015, Badr was appointed chairman of media conglomerate Saudi Research and Marketing Group, which is closely tied to the Al-Salman. However, he was in MBS’s orbit some years before that.

Speculation continues over another key Saudi diplomatic role, as ambassador to the United States Prince Khalid Bin Salman is reported to have left Washington once again in December amid suggestions that he could soon be replaced by another royal. If that does happen, it will be seen as another effort by Riyadh to draw a line under the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul in October – an event which Prince Khalid has been linked to despite his denial of playing any role in the grisly affair.

Through history Kuwait has energetically asserted its independence, while Iraqi nationalists have jealously eyed what Saddam Hussein called his ‘Nineteenth Province’.  Cross-border connections run deep, and these are impacting on business today

In December 2009, UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan established the Council of Border Affairs, replacing the Permanent Border Committee.

Risk Management Report – GSN Risk Grade – A↓1 Politics: Established in 1971, the federation of seven emirates – Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al-Quwain is economically liberal and progressive, but remains politically conservative.

President Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (MBZ) left Abu Dhabi to make a tour of the UAE’s other six emirates in the opening week of June, as he continues to settle into his new position as formal leader of the federation.

Foreign affairs and international co-operation minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan (ABZ) held talks with his British counterpart Jeremy Hunt and minister of state for the Middle East Alistair Burt in separate meetings on 6 September. Among the topics up for discussion was the Yemen war – the UK government continues to offer fulsome support to the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, not least through the supply of weapons to Saudi and UAE forces. The discussions also touched on the current situation in Syria and Libya.

Kuwait's recently-appointed emir travelled to the UAE in early March, following on from trips to the other members of the Gulf Co-operation Council in the opening months of the year

Emir Sheikh Mishaal has sought to push back the opening of the new parliament until mid-May, after his initial pick for prime minister turned down the job. However, some MPs have claimed the delay is unconstitutional, setting off another political crisis within days of the 4 April election

The UAE’s strong support for Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar and his Cyrenaica-based anti-Islamist military campaign Operation Dignity has never been secret. For the past two and a half years this has made Abu Dhabi the chief geopolitical opponent of the United Nations-backed political resolution to Libya’s civil conflict. The UN specifically excluded Haftar in the formation of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in January. Haftar’s recent military successes have exposed this misjudgement while guaranteeing the GNA’s failure.

Abu Dhabi foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has been in Queensland, where he helped to mark the state of construction for a new cyclone shelter in the coastal town of Proserpine.