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The campaign of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to stay in office at the head of a new administration has been given fresh impetus with the support of a number of former enemies. Iran has timed a switch of policy to support

Spain seeks tank contract with Saudi Arabia; New UAE naval base opened to secure exports

Swedish arms manufacturers’ exports to Gulf states have been criticised after a string of deals by defence giant Saab. Saab’s most recent deal is a $669m contract to provide Saudi Arabia with the Saab 2000 Airborne Early Warning and Control system,

Assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs Andrew Shapiro has confirmed that the Obama administration has asked Congress to approve a $60bn arms deal with the Kingdom (GSN 886/6). The 20-year deal involves the sale of 84 Boeing F-15 fighter jets and an upgrade

The hand of Tehran – and its formidable IRGC – reaches far into the Gulf states, throwing up questions of allegiance and fears of a US or Israeli-orchestrated military strike. Each state has a different experience, and the region is divided over how to deal with subversive activities within and across its borders

A new report from the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) charts the emergence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Al-Shabab, their potential convergence, and the involvement of ‘foreigners’ in both organisations. The report, Yemen and Somalia:

A dispute between Canada and the UAE over air traffic has cast doubt over the future of the secretive Camp Mirage, believed to be at Al-Minhad airbase in Dubai, an important hub for Canadian operations in Afghanistan and home to some 2,900 troops.

As attempts to form a new government drag on, there is growing evidence that radical Shia militias are planning a coup, according to reports in Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat on 8 October.

There has been a severe decline in tourism, the Yemen Times reported on 3 October. A recent study by Yousef Saeed Ahmed, associate professor at University of Aden’s economics faculty, showed the sector has lost some $10bn in the past decade because of terrorism and poor infrastructure.

The UAE has lifted the ban on Canada-based Research in Motion (RIM)’s BlackBerry mobile phone services, which was due to be imposed on 11 October, saying the company was now in compliance with state regulatory law.

A number of Brazilian officials have visited the Gulf in 2010, resulting in several bilateral business announcements. The latest visitor, defence minister Nelson Jobim, was in the UAE for talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince

Bahrain remains determined to attract foreign investors – readers of The Economist or travellers on London’s underground system are faced with advertisements promising a friendly and sophisticated business centre, and the Economic Development Board is on a European tour to promote Manama (senior EDB and Bahrain Chamber of Commerce & Industry representatives were in Paris and London in late September).

The Ministry of Oil (MoO) in Baghdad has accused provincial officials and local police of raiding an oilfield being developed by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Commitments by the United States to strengthen its Gulf allies have been confirmed with the public agreement of a multi-billion dollar defence deal intended to shift the balance of power from tipping into Iran’s favour, while allowing the US to safely reduce its boots-on-the-ground military presence in the region and create jobs at home

The more methodical and thoughtful approach that Sunni insurgents are taking in their campaigns to undermine the government in Baghdad has led many to speculate about the role of former Baathists in