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Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al-Said made an unusually forceful speech at the opening of the fifth session of the Council of Oman, addressing issues including corruption and free speech and emphasising that the country was not isolated from regional trends.

King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa has visited Egypt, holding talks with Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi on ways to strengthen relations, the kingdom’s ambassador to Cairo confirmed to Al-Ahram newspaper on 5 November.

EMIR SHEIKH SABAH: Meets UK heir to the throne; JABER AL-MUBARAK: Denies troop increase plans

The health of UAE president and Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has long been the subject of speculation – he was abroad last year for medical treatment in a Swiss clinic.  He has also never been the most charismatic of world leaders, usually only appearing in the press after sending cables of condolences/congratulations or departing for his autumn/winter private hunting trips in Kazakhstan. 

Sultan died at the age of 80, Abdullah is in his late 80s and the expected heir, Nayef, is 77.  A jump to a younger-generation royal is seen as unlikely while there are suitable Ibn Saud sons alive, but this could mean there is yet another succession changeover sooner rather than later Crown Prince Sultan’s death on 22 October was not unexpected

PRINCE MISHAAL: Returns to Riyadh; TURKI BIN ABDELAZIZ: Back from Egypt

Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani has been in Poland, where he met President Bronisław Komorowski and Senate speaker Bogdan Borusewicz.  He has also been in Macedonia, accompanied by a 100-strong business delegation, and Albania.

Emir Sheikh Hamad’s fourth son Sheikh Tamim was appointed heir apparent in an August 2003 move, when he replaced his older full brother Sheikh Jassim (GSN 716/6). The changeover was widely regarded as sensible – the laid-back Jassim, who was seen as having little political ambition, had been a stopgap until Tamim had finished his education and gained more experience in high-level politics.

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. 

The Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst was held on 12 August. There were several overseas cadets who passed out with a view to being commissioned into the armed forces of their countries

Prince Salman Bin Abdelaziz returned home from his annual holiday in Marbella in early August. Prince Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Faisal died on 20 August

Crown Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa has been seen in several western capitals (including London in May and Washington in June) over the past few months, but has also been travelling at home.

Foreign ministry post for Abdullah’s son; PRINCESS BASMA: Criticises Bahrain intervention; AL-SAUD: Summer in Taif; KHALID BIN YAZID: Funeral; PRINCESS SULTANA: Death of well-known philanthropist

CROWN PRINCE SULTAN: Still in the US; SENIOR ROYALS: Marbella and Jeddah; OTHER SENIOR ROYALS: Meetings; ABDELRAHMAN BIN ABDELAZIZ: Opens training facilities; SAUD BIN ABDELMUHSIN: Governorship extended; SAUD BIN NAYEF: Farewell visits to Spain