Risk Watch
Kuwait’s parliament passed a law making blasphemy punishable by law. The law could be used to prosecute Shiites, potentially creating a serious long-term rift between Shiites and Sunnis....
Bahrain’s Shiites have called for mass protests against the decision to hold Formula One in the country....
Jordan’s prime-minister has narrowly survived an impeachment vote in parliament. However, situation in the country appears to be heading towards a political escalation....
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Sultan has left the country for medical treatment. The king has also relieved a key prince from this duties as head of the prime-minister’s court....
Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh remains defiant about his imminent return to Yemen. This indicates that the Saudis have still not been able to broker a deal. ...
Syria’s president has failed to appease protestors, as he promised to make political reforms. The situation appears to be escalating....
The Emir of Kuwait attacks parliament and threatens to heavily crackdown on dissenters....
Jordanians from the East Bank have held rare protests calling for political reform and improvement of their economic conditions....
The US has severely criticized Bahrain’s human rights record adding it to the list of countries of human rights abusers....
With the situation still unresolved, the return to normality will likely take longer as Yemen is gripped by mass protests, and parts of the country falling into the hands of militants....
Continuing and escalating mass protests in Syria have led to thousands of refugees leaving to Turkey....
Cracks have appeared within the pro-government supporters in the Kuwaiti parliament, possibly indicating increasing tensions within the ruling family....
Saudi Arabia has passed new labour laws aimed at increasing local employment and restricting expatriate employment....
Allegations of bribery and corruption against Qatar in its attempt to win the right to host the 2022 World Cup will likely have reputation as well as economic consequences....
Yemen has erupted into civil war with various parts of the country falling under the control of opposition groups, including AQAP....
Figures released by the UAE Central Bank indicate that bank deposits have reached their highest level in almost two years....
The GCC’s invitation to Jordan to join the GCC is a positive step for both the GCC and Jordan....
The new Kuwaiti government has been sworn in, immediately to face grilling requests from the opposition....
The killing of Saudi terrorist Osama Bin Laden will likely have implications for Yemen and the GCC, including Saudi Arabia....
The stagnation of the Yemeni crisis are significantly increasing the risk of a civil war....