[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
What Saudi-Iranian rapprochement means for Assad Lina Khatib argues that Tehran is likely to agree to limit its support for the Syrian regime in order to reach a compromise with Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia ‘thinking outside the box’ on Iran Jumana Al Tamimi believes that the desire to contain Turkey can be a factor in Saudi Arabia’s outreach to Iran.
Iran says Kuwait`s emir to visit, turn `new page` in ties The Iranian foreign minister says that the Kuwaiti emir’s upcoming visit to Tehran will turn “a new page” in bilateral ties.
Bahrain King, Pope discuss world peace, stability Habib Toumi reports on the Bahraini king’s invitation to Pope Francis to visit Bahrain.
Manama Dialogue to focus on Syria, Iran, foreign powers The tenth Manama Dialogue will discuss the Syrian war, the role of international powers in the Gulf, and Iran’s nuclear negotiations.
Bahrain rules out fast return of ambassador to Qatar The Bahraini ambassador to Qatar will not return to Doha anytime soon.
Reports and Opinions
Saudi king on holiday, crown prince in charge: royal court The Saudi king leaves for Morocco on a private visit, appointing the crown prince to run the country.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain frees leading human rights activist Ismaeel Naar reports on the release of Nabeel Rajab, who spent two years in prison for organizing “illegal gatherings.”
Rajab urges ‘serious dialogue’ in Bahrain The newly released activist issues an appeal for a fresh round of dialogue between the government and the opposition.
Bahrainis torch police car Bahrainis preparing to bury a teenager killed in clashes with the police in Mikshaa.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen: an imposed unification? Saeed Al Batati analyzes relations between the south and the north since the 1960s.
Thousands rally for south Yemen independence Thousands of separatists in the city of Aden rallied last week, demanding the independence of southern Yemen, on the twenty-fourth anniversary of the unification of the two Yemens.
Yemen: An incomplete unification Khaled A. Ziadi reflects on the twenty-fourth anniversary of the unification of the two Yemens.
Post-revolution Yemen: back to the golden age of radio Jamal Jubran writes on the former president’s thirty-three years monopolization of all media outlets, and the recent flourishing of the radio.
Yemen president urges southern leaders to join talks The Yemeni president appeals to southern leaders to join talks on the political future of the country.
‘Weak government threat to Yemen’s unity’ Local analysts assert that Yemen is still at risk of disintegrating as long as the government does not control all the provinces.
Yemenis seek justice in wedding drone strike Rooj Alwazir reports on US drone strikes in Yemen and the efforts of the victims’ families to find justice.
Al-Qaeda fighters storm Yemeni city At least twenty-five people are killed after fierce fighting between Yemeni soldiers and al-Qa‘ida fighters in Seyoun.
Dozens dead in Yemen clashes Clashes between the Yemeni army and Houthi fighters leave at least eight soldiers and thirty fighters dead.
Yemen says security forces kill senior al Qaeda leader Mohammed Ghobari reports on the death of a senior al-Qa‘ida leader on Sunday.
At least three killed in suicide attack on Shi`ites in Yemen A suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden car into a checkpoint guarded by Houthi fighters in Jawf.
Migrant Workers
N.Y.U. Apologizes to Any Workers Mistreated on Its Abu Dhabi Campus Ariel Kaminer reports on the apology that New York University’s president issued to construction workers who were mistreated while building its Abu Dhabi campus.
Dubai workers for British firm beaten by police over strike Tom South and Archie Bland report on the ill treatment of workers in a major British construction company in Dubai.
Migrant workers: Qatar cleans up its act A Guardian editorial on the Qatari government’s announcement that it will change its controversial labor system.
Saudi Arabia and Philippines investigating alleged scalding of maid The two governments are investigating a report that a Filipina maid in Saudi Arabia was left with severe burns after her employer poured boiling water on her.
Human Rights
Yemen: Migrants Held at ‘Torture Camps’ Human Rights Watch deplores the treatment of African migrants at the hands of traffickers in Yemen.
Bahrain: BCHR and GCHR Welcome Back Prominent Human Rights Defender Nabeel Rajab The Gulf Center for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights issue a joint statement, welcoming the release of the human rights activist.
Bahrain: Yasser Abdulla Khalil at Imminent Risk for Torture The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses its concern over the transfer of Yasser Khalil from a clinic at the headquarters of the ministry of interior to the Criminal Investigations Department.
Bahrain: 14 Year-Old Shot And Killed By Police The Bahrain Center for Human Rights condemns the extra judicial killing of a fourteen-year-old boy by security forces last week.
Media
Yemen`s media in transition Murad Alazzany and Robert Sharp examine how the media landscape in Yemen has changed since the 2011 uprising.
Al Jazeera staff appear in Egypt court Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy, and Baher Mohamed appear before court for the ninth time to face charges of assisting “a terrorist organization.”
Al Jazeera: Egypt endangering reporter`s life Al Jazeera’s lawyers address a letter to several individuals and institutions, urging them to secure the release of Abdullah Elshamy.
Arabic
البرلمان اليمني يُنذر الحكومة
The Yemeni parliament issues an ultimatum to the government because of the shortage in oil products and the lack of security.
الأمن اليمني يضبط سعودياً من «القاعدة» جنوب البلاد
The Yemeni security forces arrest a Saudi national suspected of being an al-Qa`ida member.
عدن: الآلاف يتظاهرون للمطالبة بـ«استقلال» الجنوب
Thousands of separatists in the city of Aden rallied last week, demanding the independence of southern Yemen, on the twenty-fourth anniversary of the unification of the two Yemens.
الوضع الاقتصادي يهيمن على دوافع الوحدة ودعوات الإنفصال
Khalid al-Hamadi argues that the economic situation is a major factor in the motivations for unity and invitations for separation in Yemen.
اليمن: 25 قتيلا في معارك بين الجيش والحوثيين
Clashes between the Yemeni army and Houthi fighters leave at least eleven soldiers and fourteen fighters dead.
مقتل جنديين في حضرموت
Two soldiers die in Hadramawt in an ambush by al-Qa`ida fighters.
البحرين: مقتل فتى في صدامات مع الشرطة
Bahraini troops kill a fifteen-year-old boy during protests in the village of Sutra last week.
السعودية: أحكام مخففة بحق أشخاص دربهم "القاعدة"
A Saudi court sentences nineteen people to prison on charges of receiving training from al-Qa`ida.
الإمارات: محاكمة «خلية للقاعدة» تدعم «النصرة» في سوريا
The trial of an al-Qa`ida cell, accused of supporting Syria`s Jabhat al-Nusra, started in the United Arab Emirates.
الكويت: الحكومة لن تتحمل تكاليف ‘دولة الرفاه’ وحدها
A news report on a possible fiscal deficit in Kuwait`s 2017 budget, and the likelihood of the end of the welfare state.
محكمة كويتية تؤيّد حبس مغرد عامين بتهمة ‘العيب في الذات الأميرية’
A Kuwait court sentences A`yad al-Harbi for two years in prison for "insulting the emir" in his tweets.
‘التعاون الخليجي’ يحتفل بالذكرى الـ 33 لتأسيسه في ظل أزمة بين دوله
The Gulf Cooperation Council marks the thirty-three anniversary of its establishment amid a crisis among its members.
أمير الكويت يزور إيران في نهاية أيار الحالي
The Iranian foreign minister says that the Kuwaiti emir’s upcoming visit to Tehran will turn “a new page in bilateral relations."
الإمارات والسعودية تؤلفان لجنة لمواجهة التحديات الإقليمية
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates form a committee charged with dealing with regional challenges.
سؤال يرهق قادة ‘الخليجي’: كيف نضمن عدم ‘تمرد أو تنمر’ السيسي؟ وصفقة ‘الدولة العميقة’ مع الجهاد الإسلامي تؤسس لنافذة إيرانية
Bassam al-Badareen argues that the Gulf statesmen are preoccupied with the question of how to guarantee that as Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will not "rebel against" or "disobey" the policy of the Gulf states.
يأمل باستعادة استثمارات لوحقت قضائيا بعد الثورة: استقبال ‘رئاسي’ للوليد بن طلال خلال لقاء بالسيسي
A news report on Prince Walid bin Talal`s visit to Egypt and his meeting with Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
صمت المشير وحزب الله: في انتظار سعود الفيصل!
Ahmed Jamal al-Din argues that Abdel Fattah al-Sisi`s silence on relations with Lebanon`s Hizballah is due to the Egyptian presidential candidate`s desire to wait for the results of the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement.