[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
Saudi and UAE oil ministers defend Opec response to falling prices The Saudi and Emirati ministers of oil assert that their countries will maintain current production levels despite the price slump.
Oil price drop weakens Saudi’s foes Joseph Kechichian analyzes Saudi Arabia’s motivation to lower the prices of oil.
Qatar and Egypt officials discuss reconciliation – sources Egyptian and Qatari intelligence officials meet in Cairo to discuss reconciliation.
Saudi-sponsored summit to mend ties between Egypt and Qatar Ahmad Jamaleddine reflects on the Saudi efforts to bridge the differences between Qatar and Egypt.
Bahrain, Kuwait sign cooperation accord Bahrain and Kuwait sign three agreements on social insurance, youth and sports, and higher education.
GCC endured its worst diplomatic crisis in 2014 Habib Toumi reflects on relations among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2014.
Reports and Opinions
Two women referred to ‘terror’ court for driving in Saudi Arabia The Saudi authorities refer Loujain al-Hathloul and Maysa al-Amoudi to a court established to try crimes of terrorism.
Kuwaiti MP calls for end to country’s concert ban Nabeel Al Fadhl calls for lifting restrictions imposed a decade ago on holding concerts and musical shows in the country.
Saudi projects SR145b budget deficit in 2015 due to oil price slump Siddesh Suresh Mayenkar reports on the 2015 Saudi budget.
Repression in Bahrain
Bahrain`s main opposition movement re-elects current president Al-Wifaq National Islamic Society reelects Ali Salman as a secretary-general.
Bahrain detains the head of the main al-Wefaq opposition group The Bahraini regime arrests Ali Salman after he was summoned for questioning over unspecified violations.
Crisis in Yemen
Yemen: Al-Qaeda `in a war of attrition` Saeed Al Batati argues that conflict in Yemen may turn into an all-out sectarian war.
Yemen`s language institute shut over unrest Charlene Anne reports on the closure of universities and schools in Yemen due to political unrest.
Five bombs explode in Yemeni capital, killing one Five blasts in Sanaa left one person dead.
Al Houthi expansion puts Yemen on edge The advance of the Houthis into the heartland of Yemen has galvanized support for al-Qa‘ida among Sunnis.
Tribes in Yemen’s Mareb gear up for Al Houthi advance Tribes in Marib hold parades to intimidate the advancing Houthi rebels.
Yemen’s children starve as governance weakens Kareem Fahim report on the two-million malnourished children in Yemen.
Migrant Workers
Death toll among Qatar’s 2022 World Cup workers revealed Owen Gibson and Pete Pattisson claim that Nepalese migrants have been dying at the rate of one every two days in 2014.
Human Rights
Letter to Human Rights Defenders from Abdulhadi Alkhawaja The Gulf Center for Human Rights addresses a letter of support from Abdulhadi al-Khawaja.
Saudi Arabia: Maysaa Al-Amodi and Lujain Al-Hathlol to appear before the Terrorism Court for driving a car The Gulf Center for Human Rights condemns the Saudi authorities’ decision to refer al-Luijain and al-Hathlol to a special court for crimes of terrorism.
NGOs Call for the Immediate Release of Al-Wefaq General-Secretary Shaikh Ali Salman The Bahrain Center for Human Rights urges the Bahraini authorities to release Ali Salman.
Bahrain: NGOs Condemn Refoulement of Ali Haroun The Bahrain Center for Human Rights deplores the Thai authorities’ decision to extradite Ali Haroun to Bahrain.
Bahrain: The regime takes revenge on peaceful activists—Nader AbdelImam faces a new charge for founding a human rights organisation “Ensaf” The Bahrain Center for Human Rights expresses concern over the treatment of the activist Nader AbdelImam.
Media
Qatar shuts down pro-Islamist TV channel in thaw with Egypt Ian Black and Patrick Kingsley report on the Qatari authorities’ decision to shut down Al Jazeera Affiliate, Egypt Direct.
Australian foreign minister hopeful Egypt will release Al Jazeera journalist The Australian foreign minister announces that the release of the jailed Australian journalist is “under consideration.”
Is Al Jazeera changing its tune on Syria? Wissam Kanaan examines the change in Al Jazeera’s position on Syria.
New minister highlights plans to improve media sector The Bahraini minister of information asserts that the media needs to keep pace with the political and economic developments taking place in the country.
Citizenship and Statelessness
Kuwaiti MP pushes for granting citizenship to non-Muslims A Kuwaiti lawmaker is challenging an article in the Nationality Law that bans the naturalization of non-Muslims.
Arabic
البحرين: حين لامست «الثورة» أطراف الخليج
A news report on the fourth anniversary of the uprising in Bahrain.
الوفاق تعيد انتخاب أمينها العام
البحرين: التحقيق مع أعضاء في الجمعية بعد مسيرة حاشدة
Bahrain’s al-Wifaq National Islamic Society reelects its general secretary, Ali Salman.
البحرين: توقيف الأمين العام لـ الوفاق
The Bahraini authorities arrest Ali Salman shortly after his reelection.
الخطاب السعودي مع نهاية العام 2014
Mustafa al-Labad examines conservative Islamic Saudi rhetoric from the 1950s until the present.
اليمن: مسودة الدستور الجديد خلال أيام
A news report on the new draft of the Yemeni constitution.
«أنصار الله» والمستنقع اليمني الصعب: الحوثيّون يصنعون «اليمن الجديد»
Muhammad Obeid writes on the Houthis’ efforts to build a “new Yemen.”
صنعاء: قتيلان وجريح في انفجار عبوات ناسفة
Two gunmen kill a leader in the Houthi movement in Sanaa.
أنصار الله تحمّل «القاعدة» مسؤولية خطف المراني
The Houthis blame the kidnapping of Yahya al-Murani on al-Qa’ida.
السعوديون الشيعة وجدليات الانتماء والولاء
Mohammed Mahfouz analyzes the dialectics of belonging and loyalty among the Saudi Shi`as.
مصالحة بين متشابهين
Amer Mohsen analyzes the reconciliation of differences among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
قمة مصالحة مصرية – قطرية في السعودية
A reconciliation summit between Qatar and Egypt, brokered by Saudi Arabia, will be held soon.
رحلات سرية بين إسرائيل والإمارات!
A news report on secret flights between Tel Aviv and Abu Dhabi.
مشاهدات رجل عمل لدى عائلات سعودية
Samir Saad reviews Akli Bellabiod’s The Secrets of Grand Families in Saudi Arabia.
معارضون مصريون يستبعدون ترحيلهم من الدوحة
Members of the Egyptian opposition living in Doha rule out the possibility of their deportation following the Qatari-Egyptian rapprochement.
موازنة السعودية 2015: العجز الأول
The Saudi regime approves the 2015 budget.
قطر تتسلم أولى طائرات إيرباص إيه 350
Airbus delivers its first A350 airplane to Qatari Airlines.