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The past eight months have been unusually busy for counter-terrorism in Saudi Arabia, which has been on a raised level of alert since the increase in terrorist attacks in Yemen in Q1 08.

The Kingdom is on high alert after the audacious assassination attempt during Ramadan – the first recorded Al-Qaeda attack on a Saudi royal in recent times – and the security focus is on the border with Yemen

When a 'terror plot' emerges everyone is quick to rush in with their interpretation of the (usually shadowy) events. "An armed cell related to a regional government" was reportedly uncovered over the summer in the northern emirate of Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK). Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida,

The Al-Houthi rebellion is closely linked to the north's distinctive traditions of Zaidi Shiism and the emergence of a 'revivalist' movement among Zaidis resentful of the growing influence of the Sunni conservative Salafi Wahhabis

Among the most vocal princes in articulating Saudi anti-terrorism policy has been prominent businessman Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal. In a 2 September interview with The Washington Times -

Several Gulfis were among the latest batch of officers to pass out of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Bahraini graduates included

Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) navies are rapidly building up powerful fleets of muscular corvettes and multi-role offshore patrol vessels, making it likely that nations such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman will soon boast the most advanced surface combatants in the region.

A cargo ship that vanished en route from Finland to Algeria on 24 July was carrying arms to Iran and was being tracked by the Israeli security service Mossad, according to sources in Russia and Israel quoted in UK newspaper The Sunday Times.

The emirate represents the second most threatened in the GCC after Saudi Arabia, and Kuwaitis are significantly represented among Al-Qaeda’s leadership

With its exiled honorary ‘president’ Ali Salem Al-Baydh acting as a figurehead, Yemen’s secessionist Southern Movement is headed on the ground by Hassan Baoom,

The Sultanate is on the verge of a defence deal that will enhance its ability to deal with military threats in the region, from piracy in the Horn of Africa to tensions with Iran and Yemen. The Royal Air force of Oman will be the big winner in the next phase of procurement

Rumour and uncertainty continue to plague the high-profile former envoy to Washington. Controversy over the whereabouts of former Saudi ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz has been reignited by comments made on Iran’s Al-Alam TV by the exiled Islamist oppositionist Saad Al-Fagih.

The Royal Air Force of Oman (RFAO)'s F-16 deal has significantly raised the Omani military's strike power. Some 80 AGM-65D/Gs will increase tank-killing potential. Meanwhile Oman bought $52.9m-worth of wind-correct

Oman has reduced the chance of conflict with Iran in the tight confines of the Strait of Hormuz through a policy of engagement, committed defence diplomacy and other confidence-building measures. It regards maintaining defences as an effective way of levering diplomatic efforts and forcing Iran to respect the Sultanate (see GSN view). In 1980, Omani and Iranian naval forces faced off in shows of force,

The Al-Houthis' threat to a united Yemeni state is less well articulated than the Southern Movement's challenge to President Ali Abdullah Saleh, but it remains a major thorn in Sanaa's flesh. In spite of Qatari and domestic