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If the Houthi rebellion flares up into a sixth major round of fighting, Saudi Arabia will probably be a combatant almost from the outset. Initially Saudi support would probably be low visibility, including a surge or money, equipment and air support.

KING ABDULLAH: More back surgery; PRINCESSES: Funerals; PRINCE MISHAAL: Whereabouts unknown; ROYALS: Weddings; KHALID BIN BANDAR: Pakistan; MIQRIN & CO: Morocco; PRINCES: Chinese meetings; EASTERN PROVINCE PRINCES: Hospital visit

Confronted with long-term concerns over the budget’s ability to support such huge levels of public spending (GSN 906/12), and more immediate criticism over governance issues – highlighted by new reports of corruption linked to subsidiaries of European aerospace giant EADS  – how wealth is shared out in Saudi Arabia is a hot issue that will not go away, with the ‘Arab Spring’ adding urgency to complaints that many citizens are excluded from jobs and social benefits. 

Since the unrest in Awamiyah descended into street skirmishes which injured 11 members of the security forces, Saudi newspaper editorials and sermons have carried the familiar veiled threats and insults towards the Kingdom’s Shia community.

With the Yemeni military preoccupied by domestic power plays, Saudi Arabia is looking to other local proxies – some linked to ultra-radical Islamists – to help contain the perceived Al Houthi threat to the Kingdom’s security. But it is increasingly likely that the Saudi military will again engage directly in northern Yemen, with talk of revenge as well as containment following the Houthi’s 2009 victory the last time Riyadh intervened

Over the past year Swiss foreign policy towards the Middle East has shifted away from the country’s long-held adherence to neutrality towards positions that fall more into line with the wider Western camp

The astonishing allegation that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was behind a plot to kill Saudi ambassador to Washington Adel Al Jubeir has left many analysts baffled and the Western media scrambling for an explanation. One US-based analyst called it “just bonkers”.

King Abdullah’s decision to give women the vote in municipal polls had been on the cards for months, but allowing women to stand as municipal candidates and be appointed to the Majlis Al-Shura surprised many

The return of President Ali Abdullah Saleh to Sanaa on 23 September displayed the Yemeni leader’s autonomy from Saudi and US influence, despite the deep ties he shares with both

A mini cabinet reshuffle and the resignation of Wadah Khanfar as director general of satellite channel Al-Jazeera after eight years at the helm – both on the same day – has caused much discussion among Qatar watchers used to a relatively quiet politcal scene.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has defied Baghdad and surprised analysts by publishing every production-sharing contract (PSC) it has signed since 2004.

Understanding the motivations of the emirate’s rulers has long been a guessing game for outsiders, but the latest move is a logical next step in efforts to assert itself on the regional and international stage. Qatar has never been a country to shy away from the global spotlight, and for years GSN has followed Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani’s adventurous international strategy.

Qatar’s strategy is more wide-ranging than simply backing Islamists in Libya and elsewhere. It has also developed strong links with secular elements in the National Transitional Council (NTC) – notably with interim finance and oil minister Ali Tarhouni, perhaps the most high-profile representative of the secular wing of the NTC.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is exploiting uprisings in the north, south and centre of the country to pursue its stated aim of a sharia caliphate, putting the US in an increasingly perilous situation.

While Al-Thani rule has been largely uncontested by other leading families in the emirate, there has been some instability as different politicised alliances vied for power over the decades. Limited democracy is being slowly introduced. Since 1999, elections have been held for a Central Municipal Council, but voter disillusionment has been reflected in falling turnout.