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Afghan President Hamad Karzai paid a short visit to Qatar in late March, accompanied by his foreign minister Zalmai Rassoul, head of the High Peace Council Salahuddin Rabbani and presidential adviser Dadfar Spanta. Karzai held talks with the emir and also met Qatar’s ambassador to Pakistan. Likely to have been under discussion is the possibility of a formal role for Qatar in negotiations with the Taliban, and the opening of a Taliban office in Doha.

Any discussion of Saudi politics and business quickly turns to questions about the influence of Al-Saud princes and other key players in the royal pecking order, and who will succeed King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz. For those seeking to understand the trajectory of Saudi politics, there is meaning to be found (or, at least, sought) in appointments and dismissals. The naming of Prince Mohammed Bin Salman as head of the court of his father Crown Prince Salman, for example, may shed a glimmer of light on what lies ahead for him and other ‘third-generation princes’, as they move closer to the pinnacles of power.

Former police chief and minister of economy and industry Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Hamad is being sued by his ex-wife Meshkah Tawfik for £100m ($153m) in maintenance for their children Sultan and Sheikha. Tawfik told the Sunday Times: “I am suing him not for me but to get maintenance for the children. As members of the royal family they should not be living like this.”

The Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, belonging to Saudi Arabian National Guard head Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah, is to close its doors for a two-year renovation by the Lebanese architect Aline d’Amman. The Crillon was French-owned until 2005, when ownership passed to US group Starwood Capital and then, in 2010, to Prince Miteb for a reported €250m ($327m). Prince Miteb’s first cousin Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal owns the GeorgeV Hotel in Paris.

An interesting snippet on Ras Al-Khaimah (RAK) appeared in South Africa’s Mail & Guardian on 15 March, in an article on how foreign interests are hoping to get commercial deals in Zimbabwe in return for helping the cash-strapped government fund elections (an estimated $132m is needed). RAK ruler Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al-Qasimi visited Zimbabwe in late February, and was pictured with First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, touched down in Saudi Arabia on 15 March, the fifth day of a nine-day regional tour. They were met by Riyadh governor Prince Khalid Bin Bandar. After a garden party for British expatriates, Prince Charles had dinner with Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdelaziz, while Camilla was hosted by “Saudi princesses and influential women”.

New Riyadh governor Prince Khalid Bin Bandar Bin Abdelaziz has had a busy few weeks since his appointment as Riyadh governor. Most recently, he met Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, during their visit to Saudi Arabia. Earlier in March, he led a meeting of the Riyadh Development Authority and approved multi-billion riyal plans to overhaul the capital, including giving downtown Riyadh a facelift, and develop new transport links.

A French judge has ordered that jewels, clothing and art belonging to the ex-wife (divorced) of late crown prince Nayef, Maha Bint Mohammed Al-Sudairi, be seized to settle millions of euros in unpaid bills. Maha has been in the headlines several times over the past few years, including in 2009, when there were reports she had claimed diplomatic immunity in France after running up unpaid shopping bills of £15m ($22.7m), including £60,000 for lingerie .

A British court has ruled that two Saudi royals involved in litigation in London over a business dispute do not have immunity from being sued. Allegiance Commission head Prince Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz and his son Prince Abdelaziz were seeking immunity as members of the Al-Saud. Their lawyers argued that they travelled on diplomatic passports and undertook duties for King Abdullah, and so should be entitled to sovereign immunity.

Saudi Arabia National Guard commander Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah gave a late February interview to Okaz/Saudi Gazette in which he described his father’s daily routine, which includes waking for the Fajr prayer, reading the Quran, sleeping again and then performing the Dhuhr prayer.

In the last week of February, Qatari heir apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani was in Riyadh for talks with Saudi Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud. He also met second deputy premier Prince Miqrin Bin Abdelaziz at Janadriya farm, the private estate of King Abdullah, and attended a luncheon banquet hosted by Saudi Arabia National Guard commander Prince Miteb Bin Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz.

Allegiance Commission chairman Prince Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz left Riyadh for a trip abroad in February. He was seen off at the airport by his son Sultan. Prince Mishaal often travels abroad for medical treatment, and returned from an extended trip only in mid-October.

On 25 March, Forbes magazine will publish a scathing 3,700-word article on Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, who has made very public his indignation with Forbes’ latest list of billionaires. Prince Alwaleed was ranked 26th in the list, published on 4 March, with a fortune estimated at $20bn. Though this makes him the richest man in the Arab world, it was not, Forbes says, close enough to the prince’s own valuation, “specifically $29.6bn, which would return him to the top ten position he has craved”.

Newly appointed Medina governor (GSN 939/4) Prince Faisal Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz has launched a land distribution scheme – according to local media, 3,800 citizens will benefit from its first phase. Land has sometimes proved to be a contentious issue in Saudi Arabia, where key plots owned by high-ranking citizens have lain undeveloped for decades

Deputy foreign minister Prince Abdelaziz Bin Abdullah’s Tower Lane Properties LLC has filed another case against the City of Los Angeles in the Los Angeles Superior Court