Search results

King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa held talks on 10 April with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Prime Minister Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa was in attendance. That was followed on 13 April with talks with Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. In between, the king attended the King Abdelaziz Camel Festival in Saudi Arabia, at the invitation of King Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud. He was the only visiting monarch to attend as other Gulf rulers sent more junior representatives. On 25 April, King Hamad held talks in Manama with visiting Thai prime minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha.

Sharjah Ruler Sheikh Sultan Bin Mohammed Al-Qasimi has made a series of changes to personnel and institutions. On 19 July, he promoted Asma Rashed Sultan Bin Tulaiah to secretary-general of the Sharjah Executive Council (SEC).

National security adviser and keen athlete Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa has reportedly guaranteed to fund the Bahrain-McLaren professional cycling team next season, in the event backing is withdrawn by its chief sponsor, troubled sportscar manufacturer and F1 team operator McLaren.

Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema Bint Bandar has been nominated to join the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s executive board. The appointment was publicised by lobbyists LS2 Group, in line with Reema’s rising profile, established with a flattering profile on the Politico website last October. That was her first major media appearance since taking up a job defined by her father, Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz, in February 2019. She is the royal family’s most prominent female member.

Dubai deputy ruler and UAE finance and industry minister Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum returned to a warm welcome in Dubai on 10 September following surgery abroad for an unspecified condition.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah has had “successful minor surgery” in the United States, and left hospital on 5 March. The emiri diwan said he had received phone calls wishing him a quick recovery from dignitaries including the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki and Turkish President Abdullah Gul. While in the US, he visited his nephew Sheikh Mubarak Al-Abdullah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah, who has been having medical treatment there for some time, “to check on his well-being and the medical care he is receiving”.

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah on 7 May hosted Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, who paid a two-day visit before leaving for Bahrain and talks with King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa. Sisi was quoted by the state Middle East News Agency (Mena) saying the “security of the Gulf states was also Egypt’s security”, and “Egypt would not allow threats to the stability and security of its brother countries in the Gulf”.

New Emir Sheikh Nawaf  Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was born on 25 June 1937 to then Emir Ahmed, who ruled from 1921 to 1950. He has been identified as a staunch supporter of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah. Nawaf was locally educated and has held a succession of senior jobs. He was governor of Hawalli governorate (1962-78) and was then appointed to the cabinet, serving as interior minister (1978-88) and defence minister – a job he held as Iraq invaded in August 1990.

Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was born in 1938 and, until being named crown prince in early October, had been serving as lieutenant-general and deputy chief of staff of the Kuwait National Guard since 2004 with the rank of minister. Mishaal is by most accounts well-respected within the ruling family and could act as a bridge between the various Al-Sabah factions.

Ahad Bint Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Busaidi, wife of Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq Al-Said, made a relatively rare public appearance in early October, travelling to Kuwait to offer condolences to the women of the ruling Al-Sabah family on the death of Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. Sayyida Ahad traveled with a delegation of women from the Oman royal family and other, high-ranking Omani women.

Saudi ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid Bin Bandar held a meeting on 26 October with a panel of three MPs investigating the detention of former Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef (MBN) and Prince Ahmed Bin Abdelaziz.

Culture minister Prince Badr Bin Abdullah Bin Farhan has argued that the coronavirus pandemic should encourage governments to do more to develop the “cultural economy” – a term covering everything from films to national heritage sites, museums, art, cuisine and books – in an effort to revive their wider economic fortunes.

Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and UAE Armed Forces deputy supreme commander Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan attended 2 December celebrations for the 49th UAE National Day.

GSN’s year-end Perspective/Agenda feature provides a look back – and forwards – at key events across the region in 2020-21. It gives an opportunity to update the Risk Grades included with each of our regular Risk management reports. After another year of tragedy, Yemen is effectively a failed state (rated F6, the bottom political and financial grades). Qatar has shown itself to be robust in the face of its neighbours’ boycott, its finances warranting an upgrade to 1, putting it on a par with the UAE. Iraq’s political standoffs and financial woes remain deeply troubling, but the situation is improving rather than deteriorating and the prospect of higher oil prices next year should help further; it has been upgraded from E5↑ to D4↓. Oman’s fiscal challenges continue to mount, prompting a downgrade of its economic rating to 3. 

Federal Vice President and prime minister, and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum (MBR) officially joined the TikTok social media network on 19 December.