[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Arabian Peninsula and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Arabian Peninsula Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week`s roundup to ap@jadaliyya.com by Monday night of every week.]
Regional and International Relations
GCC: The Arab Spring spoilers Mansour Almarzoqi Albogami argues that the Gulf states remained united despite their differences on the Arab uprisings due to security fears.
Israel in first UAE visit since murder of Hamas al-Mabhouh The Israeli Minister of Energy plans to attend a renewable energy conference in Abu Dhabi.
Source: UAE, Iran Reach Accord on Disputed Hormuz Islands Awad Mustafa reports on the agreement that Iran and the United Arab Emirates signed over the three disputed islands near the Strait of Hormuz.
Britons told they cannot sue Saudi Arabia in torture case Owen Bowcott reports on four British nationals who were detained and tortured after being accused of exploding a bomb in Riyadh in 2001.
Saudi-Qatar rivalry divides Syrian opposition Khaled Yacoub Oweis analyzes the impact of the Saudi-Qatari division on the Syrian opposition.
Kuwait emir launches national aid campaign for Syrians A news report on the Kuwaiti emir’s launch of a nationwide appeal for donations for Syrians.
The US Continues to Stand by Bahrain A news report on the Kuwaiti emir’s launch of a nationwide appeal for donations for Syrians.
Kuwait launches probe into allegations over Israeli potatoes Habib Toumi reports on the Ministry of Commerce`s investigation into allegations that Israeli potatoes are being sold in cooperative societies.
Reports and Opinions
`Living suicide bomb` rejoins al-Qaida after Saudi deprogramming Peter Beaumont writes about Ahmed al-Shayea, a Saudi national who appeared in Syria last November as a member of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Al Shayea survived a fuel tanker attack he executed in Iraq in 2004 and had since supposedly renounced violence.
Saudi Arabia walks a fine line in backing Syrian rebellion Ben Gilbert argues that Saudi and Western officials are concerned that the fighting in Syria could give rise to a generation of extremists that Saudi Arabia cannot control.
With eye on troubled region, UAE plans military service for men Yara Bayoumi reports on the Emirati authorities’ plans to introduce compulsory military service for young men.
Emiratisation quotas won’t work, warns academic Samir Salama reports on a presentation by professor William Scott-Jackson entitled, “Building local talent in the Oil and Gas Sector.”
Saudi Arabia beheads two Pakistanis in year’s first executions Two Pakistanis are beheaded for drug smuggling.
German diplomats survive Saudi gun attack Two German diplomats survive a shooting in Qatif.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain crown prince meets Shia opposition The Bahraini crown prince meets with the leaders of the opposition, including al-Wifaq, after weeks of suspended talks.
Bahrain National Dialogue to resume Habib Toumi writes on the re-launching of the national dialogue in Bahrain following the meeting between the crown prince and opposition leaders.
Crisis in Yemen
The Houthi Paradox Farea al-Muslimi argues that the survival of the Houthis in Yemen depends on the continued presence of an enemy.
Yemen: Iran diplomat dies in gun attack near embassy Ali Asghar Assadi died of his wounds after gunmen shot him as he was leaving the Iranian ambassador’s residence.
Six killed in clashes between militants and army in Yemen A news report on the death of six people during clashes between armed militants and the army in al-Dalea.
Yemen drone strikes kills farmer –witnesses A news report on the death of a farmer in al-Houta by shrapnel from rockets fired by a US drone.
Al Qaida attacks kill 10 soldiers in Yemen Ten Yemeni soldiers were killed in three simultaneous attacks on army positions in Bayda.
North Yemen battles `kill 22 in 48 hours` A news report on recent clashes between the Houthis and the powerful Hashid tribes in Amran in Yemen.
Yemen: Police Chief Assassinated A police director was assassinated in the city of Taiz.
Media
Al Jazeera says journalists did not confess The news network denies reports that the detained journalists confessed to being members of the Muslim Brotherhood.
Al Anstey: `If you cover something it doesn`t mean you are sympathetic to it` John Plunkett reports on Al Jazeera English director’s views on the plight of the three journalists held in Cairo, and the future of the network in general.
Migrant Workers
Qatar urged to pay migrant workers electronically to stamp out exploitation Mark Tran writes about Engineers Against Poverty’s recommendation that Qatar pay the wages of migrant construction workers electronically to combat corruption.
Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka sign labour pact The two countries sign a landmark labor pact in an effort to regulate the hiring of domestic workers from Sri Lanka.
1.4 million Indians regularised in Saudi Arabia A news report on the regularization of Indian workers following the crackdown on illegal migrant workers in the kingdom.
Human Rights
Yemen: Publish Findings on Funeral Attack Human Rights Watch calls upon Yemeni authorities to publish their findings into the attack on a funeral in al-Dalea in December, which killed fifteen people.
Video: Documenting violations against children in Bahrain The Bahraini Youth Society for Human Rights posted a video on children’s rights in Bahrain.
Culture
Saudi Arabia to raze Prophet Mohammed’s tomb to build larger mosque A news report on Saudi authorities’ decision to demolish the one-thousand year old grand mosque in Medina, and to start work on al-Masjid an-Nabawi after the end of the pilgrimage in November.
Audiences baffled by UAE cut of The Wolf of Wall Street Ben Beaumont-Thomas writes about the heavy censoring of scenes of sex, drug use, and bad language in the Hollywood film.
Arabic
أزمة الهوية الوطنية السعودية
Badr al-Ibrahim analyzes the crisis of Saudi national identity.
تمارض بندر
Fouad Ibrahim examines speculations about the actual reasons for Prince Bandar bin Sultan`s visit to the United States even though the official story is that the head of the intelligence agency went abroad for medical treatment.
اليمن: تجميع جثث السلفيين في دماج وبدء تهجيرهم منها
The Yemeni authorities started picking up the bodies of salafis who died in the last two months in Damaj.
معارضة كبيرة لوثيقة الحوار الوطني في اليمن
A news report on opposition to the final draft of the national dialogue in Yemeni.
اليمن: معارك بين الجيش و"القاعدة": مقتل 10 عسكريين و8 متشددين
A news report on the death toll in Radaa in Yemen following clashes between the army and al-Qaeda militants.
تجدد الاشتباكات بين «الحوثيين» وقبائل «حاشد» في اليمن
A news report on recent clashes between the Houthis and the powerful Hashid tribes in Amran in Yemen.
أمين عام التعاون الخليجي: تهديدات رئيس قضاة مصر `تطاول مرفوض` على قطر
The Gulf Cooperation Council denounces the head of Egyptian judges`s call for the Egyptian army to deploy military troops to Qatar to arrest Egyptian activists.
أين ثوابت مجلس التعاون القومية؟
Ali Mohammed Fakhro examines the Gulf Cooperation Council`s relations with the rest of the Arab countries.
البحرين: ولي العهد يلتقي المعارضة
The Bahraini crown prince meets with the leaders of the opposition, including al-Wifaq, after weeks of suspended talks.
البحرين | الدعوة للحوار: ضغطٌ دوليّ أم قلق من العصيان المدني؟!
Ahmed Youssef attempts to understand the Bahraini authorities` recent overtures to the opposition.
البحرين: أحمد الفردان تهمته الكاميرا
An interview with the father of Ahmed al-Fardan, a Bahraini photojournalist who was arrested in late December and released a few weeks later.
الدوحة تشرع في منح تأشيرات عمل للفلسطينيين ضمن قرارها استيعاب 20 ألف فلسطيني في سوق العمل القطري
Walid Awad reports on the Qatari authorities` decision to grant work visas to twenty thousand Palestinians.
أمير سعودي: العالم بأسره ترك السوريين وجهًا لوجه مع مصيرهم
Prince Turki al-Faisal, the former head of the Saudi intelligence agency, asserts that the international community has left the Syrians to fend for themselves.
الخصومة بين السعودية وقطر تزيد من انقسام المعارضة السورية
The Saudi-Qatari rivalry aggravates divisions within the Syrian opposition.
واشنطن: لعدم زيارة المنطقة الشرقية في السعودية
The US embassy in Riyadh advises US citizens against visiting the Eastern Province following an attack on German diplomats a few days ago.
هل يدعم حاكم دبي ترشّح شفيق للرئاسة؟
Aya al-Gharib discuses the debates in Egypt over a statement that the ruler of Dubai made during an interview with the BBC, in which he expressed his desire that the Egyptian Minister of Defense Abdul Fattah al-Sisi keep his position and not run for president.