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In the immediate post-9/11 years Gulf watchers became used to the level of ‘Saudi-bashing’ coming out of the United States. Sensationalist authors churned out books such as Princes of Darkness: The Saudi Assault on the West, or Hatred’s Kingdom: How Saudi Arabia Supports the New Global Terrorism that sought to explore the flaws in Saudi culture and religious thought that had allowed the Kingdom to produce 15 out of the 19 hijackers.

Kuwaitis will go to the polls to elect a new parliament on 16 May, just under a year after the last elections and the third such vote since May 2006.

UAE Prime Minister and Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum has been busy as usual.

The Emir Sheikh Hamad has been in Iran for talks with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and to attend the opening session of the 10th summit meeting of the Economic Co-operation Organisation. Qatar National Bank vice-chairman Sheikh Hamad Bin Faisal Al-Thani has resigned. The Emir’s son Sheikh Mohammed led a delegation for meetings in Zurich with FIFA president Joseph Blatter and secretary general Jerome Valcke.

The Shibam bomber, Abdulrahman Mehdi al-Ajiri, has been quickly profiled, giving an interesting insight into the new generation of Al-Qaeda in Yemen. Al-Ajari was born in the Al-Salam (Peace) district of Sanaa in 1990. He spent most of his life in the Al-Jamhori Hospital area in Taiz, a city associated with strong recruitment of Islamist militants for the Afghan jihad in the 1980s and 1990s. Al-Ajiri is not the only

Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is playing a canny game ahead of May’s general election. It is only ten months since Kuwait went to the polls – and two years since the previous election – a political cycle that illustrates the pattern of confrontation between parliamentarians and ministers which has repeatedly blocked legislation and approval of major projects.

Whoever wins the Iranian election will have to engage in sustained diplomatic fence-mending. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s apparently thoughtless way with words has cost Iran dear over the past three and a half years. This month, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki has been in Riyadh – where he met King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz – and Manama, seeking to patch up the latest strains in relationships with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He also visited Kuwait, with whom Tehran’s dealings are rather more placid.

On 18 March, Sultan Qaboos received Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak for talks.

King Abdullah: Meetings, Sultan Bin Abdelaziz: Brother gives health update, Princes: Marriages, Salman Bin Abdelaziz: Banquet for Andrew, Khalid Bin Salman: Pilot graduation,Khalid Bin Sultan: Coral study funded

The mood in Bahrain was edgy in the run-up to the 26 March trial of 35 individuals including Haq leader Hassan Mushaima,

Sheikh Ahmed Bin Juma Al-Maktoum died on 23 March

Sheikh Nasser Mohammed is suffering a political realignment, with the Islamic Constitutional Movement’s move from cabinet to grilling sponsor reflecting an erosion of support for his government.

Emir: Diplomatic meetings, Sherborne promotion, Tamim Bin Hamad: French military co-operation,Kasi Al Thani: In the news again

Saud Al-Faisal: Syria visit, angers Ayatollahs, Turki Bin Faisal: Allegiance Council member dies, Military princes: Service extended, Fahd Al-Abdelrahman: Marriage to Bandar daughter, Mishaall Bin Abdelaziz: In Cairo, Adila Bint Abdullah: Takes up girl’s case

Khalifa Bin Zayed: Exxon meeting