The United Arab Emirates, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, is scaling back its military presence there as worsening US-Iran tensions threaten security closer to home, four western diplomatic sources said.

The UAE has pulled some troops from the southern port of Aden and Yemen`s western coast, two of the diplomats said, areas where the Gulf state has built up and armed local forces who are leading the battle against the Iran-aligned Houthi group along the Red Sea coast.

Three of the diplomats said Abu Dhabi preferred to have its forces and equipment on hand should tension between the United States and Iran escalate further after attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf and Tehran`s downing of a US unmanned drone.

"It is true that there have been some troop movements ... but it is not a redeployment from Yemen," a senior Emirati official told Reuters, adding that the UAE remains fully committed to the military coalition and "will not leave a vacuum" in Yemen.

The official would not provide details on the movements, the numbers involved or specify whether it was happening inside or outside Yemen, where the alliance intervened in 2015 to try to restore the government ousted from power by the Houthis.

It is not clear how many Emirati forces are in Yemen. One Western diplomat said the UAE withdrew "a lot" of forces from the Arabian Peninsula nation over the last three weeks.

Asked whether tensions with Iran were behind the move, the Emirati official said the decision was more related to a holding ceasefire in Yemen`s main port city of Hodeidah, now held by the Houthis, under a UN-led peace pact reached last December.

"This is a natural progression," the official said, reiterating the UAE`s support for UN efforts to implement the deal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis, to pave the way for talks to end the war.

The United Arab Emirates, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, is scaling back its military presence there as worsening US-Iran tensions threaten security closer to home, four western diplomatic sources said.

The United Arab Emirates, a key member of the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen, is scaling back its military presence there as worsening US-Iran tensions threaten security closer to home, four western diplomatic sources said. The UAE has pulled some troops from the southern port of Aden and Yemen`s western coast, two of the diplomats said, areas where the Gulf state has built up and armed local forces who are leading the battle against the Iran-aligned Houthi group along the Red Sea coast. Three of the diplomats said Abu Dhabi preferred to have its forces and equipment on hand should tension between the United States and Iran escalate further after attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf and Tehran`s downing of a US unmanned drone. "It is true that there have been some troop movements ... but it is not a redeployment from Yemen," a senior Emirati official told Reuters, adding that the UAE remains fully committed to the military coalition and "will not leave a vacuum" in Yemen. The official would not provide details on the movements, the numbers involved or specify whether it was happening inside or outside Yemen, where the alliance intervened in 2015 to try to restore the government ousted from power by the Houthis. It is not clear how many Emirati forces are in Yemen. One Western diplomat said the UAE withdrew "a lot" of forces from the Arabian Peninsula nation over the last three weeks. Asked whether tensions with Iran were behind the move, the Emirati official said the decision was more related to a holding ceasefire in Yemen`s main port city of Hodeidah, now held by the Houthis, under a UN-led peace pact reached last December. "This is a natural progression," the official said, reiterating the UAE`s support for UN efforts to implement the deal in Hodeidah, a lifeline for millions of Yemenis, to pave the way for talks to end the war.

UAE scales down military presence in Yemen as Gulf tensions flare

The US special envoy for Iran on Sunday urged "all nations to use their diplomatic effort to urge <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-warns-war-would-spread-across-gulf-threaten-us-troops-229757">Iran</a> to de-escalate and meet diplomacy with diplomacy" amid soaring tensions in the Gulf.

"We are not interested in... military conflict against Iran, we have enhanced our forces' postures in the region for purely defensive purposes," Brian Hook told journalists in Kuwait City.

In mid-June, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-is-ready-to-go-dont-mistake-our-discretion-for-weakness-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-tells-iran-229716">United States</a> said it would deploy 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, after a series of tanker attacks in the Gulf it has blamed on Iran despite Tehran's denials of involvement.

The US moves came as Iran set a 10-day countdown for world powers to fulfil their commitments under a nuclear deal abandoned by Washington, saying it would otherwise surpass the uranium stockpile limit mandated by the accord.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-lawmakers-chant-death-to-america-as-us-called-terrorist-229678">Iran lawmakers chant 'Death to America' as US called 'terrorist'</a>

Hook said his talks in Kuwait focused "how to de-escalate tensions that in the region have been driven by Iran and we discussed how we can deepen our cooperation especially around the area of maritime security".

Watch: Trump announces 'major' sanctions amid tensions on Iran

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/trump-announces-major-sanctions-amid-tensions-on-iran-229662/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The Iranian regime is a threat to freedom of navigation and all nations of the world share an interest in the free flow of commerce and there is much work to be done together," he said.

"We need Iran to behave more like a normal nation and less like a revolutionary cause. And if we can imagine a peaceful Iran, then we can imagine the peaceful Middle East," he added.

On Friday in Saudi Arabia, the US envoy said Iran has no right to respond to diplomacy "with military force", a day after Tehran shot down a US reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic waterway for the world's oil transits.

The US special envoy for Iran on Sunday urged "all nations to use their diplomatic effort to urge Iran to de-escalate and meet diplomacy with diplomacy" amid soaring tensions in the Gulf.

The US special envoy for Iran on Sunday urged "all nations to use their diplomatic effort to urge Iran to de-escalate and meet diplomacy with diplomacy" amid soaring tensions in the Gulf. "We are not interested in... military conflict against Iran, we have enhanced our forces' postures in the region for purely defensive purposes," Brian Hook told journalists in Kuwait City. In mid-June, the United States said it would deploy 1,000 additional troops to the Middle East, after a series of tanker attacks in the Gulf it has blamed on Iran despite Tehran's denials of involvement. The US moves came as Iran set a 10-day countdown for world powers to fulfil their commitments under a nuclear deal abandoned by Washington, saying it would otherwise surpass the uranium stockpile limit mandated by the accord. Also read: Iran lawmakers chant 'Death to America' as US called 'terrorist' Hook said his talks in Kuwait focused "how to de-escalate tensions that in the region have been driven by Iran and we discussed how we can deepen our cooperation especially around the area of maritime security". Watch: Trump announces 'major' sanctions amid tensions on Iran "The Iranian regime is a threat to freedom of navigation and all nations of the world share an interest in the free flow of commerce and there is much work to be done together," he said. "We need Iran to behave more like a normal nation and less like a revolutionary cause. And if we can imagine a peaceful Iran, then we can imagine the peaceful Middle East," he added. On Friday in Saudi Arabia, the US envoy said Iran has no right to respond to diplomacy "with military force", a day after Tehran shot down a US reconnaissance drone over the Strait of Hormuz — a strategic waterway for the world's oil transits.

US envoy calls on international community to ‘urge Iran to de-escalate’

Any conflict in the Gulf region may spread uncontrollably and threaten the lives of US&nbsp;troops, a senior Iranian military commander said on Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he would impose further sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

While flagging more sanctions, Trump had also said on Saturday he wanted to make a deal to bolster Iran`s economy in an apparent move to defuse tensions following the shooting down of an unmanned US drone this week by the Islamic Republic.

Trump has said he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran`s downing of the drone because it could have killed 150 people.&nbsp;

"Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-army-is-ready-to-go-dont-mistake-our-discretion-for-weakness-us-national-security-advisor-john-bolton-tells-iran-229716">mistake US&nbsp;prudence and discretion for weakness</a>. No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East," US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday during a visit to Israel.

Iran has said it would respond firmly to any threat against it and warned on Sunday of the risks of a military confrontation.

"If a conflict breaks out in the region, no country would be able to manage its scope and timing," Major General Gholamali Rashid said, according to the semi-official news agency Fars.&nbsp;

"The American government must act responsibly to protect the lives of American troops by avoiding misconduct in the region."

Tensions in the region began to worsen significantly when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. The sanctions had been lifted under the pact in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme.

Iran is feeling the effects of the sanctions, Bolton told reporters, adding Iran would never be allowed nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

"Iran`s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, its threats to exceed the limits set in the failed Iran nuclear deal in the coming days ... are not signs of a nation seeking peace," Bolton said.

"Sanctions are biting, and more added last night," he said. "Iran can never have nuclear weapons - not against the USA and not against the world."

US&nbsp;ally Israel, which has itself long threatened strikes against Iran`s disputed nuclear programme, signalled backing for Trump`s stance.

"With all due respect to the fact that 150 Iranians were spared a cruel fate, the real major thing is the American policy (which) absolutely serves the interests of the world and of Israel in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weaponry," Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio.

Nuclear deadline running out

Tensions in the Gulf can only be addressed politically and priority should be de-escalation and dialogue, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday.

"Crisis long in the making requires collective attention; primarily to de-escalate and to find political solutions through dialogue and negotiations," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a Twitter post.

Iran may further scale back compliance with its nuclear deal in two weeks unless European countries shield it from US&nbsp;sanctions through a trade mechanism, the head of Tehran`s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said.

"If Europeans don`t take measures within the 60-day deadline (announced by Iran in May), we will take new steps," the semi-official news agency ISNA quoted Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister, as saying.&nbsp;

"It would be a positive steps if they put resources in (the planned European trade mechanism) Instex and ...make trade possible," Kharazi said. "We have to see in the next two week whether they only make promises or they take practical steps."&nbsp;

Kharazi was speaking after meeting Britain’s Middle East minister Andrew Murrison, who visited Tehran for "frank and constructive" talks and to call for urgent de-escalation in the region, according to the Foreign Office.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Iranian lawmakers chanted "Death to America" during a parliament session on Sunday after a speaker accused the United States of being the "real world terrorist".

"America is the real terrorist in the world by spreading chaos in countries, giving advanced weapons to terrorist groups, causing insecurity, and still it says `Come, let`s negotiate`," the parliament`s deputy speaker, Masoud Pezeshkian, said at the start of a session broadcast live on state radio.

"Death to America," chanted many lawmakers.

The chants, often repeated since the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed Shah, came weeks after Trump said in a US&nbsp;television interview: "They (Iranians) haven`t screamed `death to America` lately."&nbsp;

Any conflict in the Gulf region may spread uncontrollably and threaten the lives of US troops, a senior Iranian military commander said on Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he would impose further sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

Any conflict in the Gulf region may spread uncontrollably and threaten the lives of US troops, a senior Iranian military commander said on Sunday after US President Donald Trump said he would impose further sanctions on the Islamic Republic. While flagging more sanctions, Trump had also said on Saturday he wanted to make a deal to bolster Iran`s economy in an apparent move to defuse tensions following the shooting down of an unmanned US drone this week by the Islamic Republic. Trump has said he aborted a military strike to retaliate for Iran`s downing of the drone because it could have killed 150 people. "Neither Iran nor any other hostile actor should mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness. No one has granted them a hunting license in the Middle East," US National Security Adviser John Bolton said on Sunday during a visit to Israel. Iran has said it would respond firmly to any threat against it and warned on Sunday of the risks of a military confrontation. "If a conflict breaks out in the region, no country would be able to manage its scope and timing," Major General Gholamali Rashid said, according to the semi-official news agency Fars. "The American government must act responsibly to protect the lives of American troops by avoiding misconduct in the region." Tensions in the region began to worsen significantly when Trump pulled out of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six powers and reimposed sanctions on the country. The sanctions had been lifted under the pact in return for Tehran curbing its nuclear programme. Iran is feeling the effects of the sanctions, Bolton told reporters, adding Iran would never be allowed nuclear weapons. "Iran`s continued pursuit of nuclear weapons, its threats to exceed the limits set in the failed Iran nuclear deal in the coming days ... are not signs of a nation seeking peace," Bolton said. "Sanctions are biting, and more added last night," he said. "Iran can never have nuclear weapons - not against the USA and not against the world." US ally Israel, which has itself long threatened strikes against Iran`s disputed nuclear programme, signalled backing for Trump`s stance. "With all due respect to the fact that 150 Iranians were spared a cruel fate, the real major thing is the American policy (which) absolutely serves the interests of the world and of Israel in preventing Iran from getting nuclear weaponry," Regional Cooperation Minister Tzachi Hanegbi told Israel Radio. Nuclear deadline running out Tensions in the Gulf can only be addressed politically and priority should be de-escalation and dialogue, a senior United Arab Emirates official said on Sunday. "Crisis long in the making requires collective attention; primarily to de-escalate and to find political solutions through dialogue and negotiations," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said in a Twitter post. Iran may further scale back compliance with its nuclear deal in two weeks unless European countries shield it from US sanctions through a trade mechanism, the head of Tehran`s Strategic Council on Foreign Relations said. "If Europeans don`t take measures within the 60-day deadline (announced by Iran in May), we will take new steps," the semi-official news agency ISNA quoted Kamal Kharazi, a former foreign minister, as saying. "It would be a positive steps if they put resources in (the planned European trade mechanism) Instex and ...make trade possible," Kharazi said. "We have to see in the next two week whether they only make promises or they take practical steps." Kharazi was speaking after meeting Britain’s Middle East minister Andrew Murrison, who visited Tehran for "frank and constructive" talks and to call for urgent de-escalation in the region, according to the Foreign Office. Meanwhile, Iranian lawmakers chanted "Death to America" during a parliament session on Sunday after a speaker accused the United States of being the "real world terrorist". "America is the real terrorist in the world by spreading chaos in countries, giving advanced weapons to terrorist groups, causing insecurity, and still it says `Come, let`s negotiate`," the parliament`s deputy speaker, Masoud Pezeshkian, said at the start of a session broadcast live on state radio. "Death to America," chanted many lawmakers. The chants, often repeated since the 1979 Islamic revolution which toppled the US-backed Shah, came weeks after Trump said in a US television interview: "They (Iranians) haven`t screamed `death to America` lately."

Iran warns war would spread across Gulf, threaten US troops

Tensions Escalate In The Gulf As Iran Shoots Down U.S. Drone. Here's What Happened?

Gravitas: Iran shoots down U.S drone as tensions intensify in the gulf

Iran is ready to engage in a dialogue with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to address the issue of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-does-not-presently-believe-in-mediation-with-us-plays-down-chances-of-a-military-clash-222345">escalating tensions with the United States</a> in the Arabian Gulf, authorities said on Tuesday.

The remarks by Abbas Araqchi, Iran`s deputy foreign minister came on his visit to Qatar where he met foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha.

Qatar`s foreign ministry, in a statement cited by Al Jazeera, said both sides "expressed their concern about escalations and problems in the region."

Tensions have risen between Iran, on one side, along with the US and its Gulf allies, on the other.&nbsp;

Washington, earlier this month, deployed a carrier strike group and bombers in the Arabian Gulf and announced plans to deploy additional 1,500 troops to the region, prompting fears of a conflict.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump`s National Security Adviser John Bolton arrived in the UAE on Tuesday before talks scheduled for Wednesday.

"Just landed in the UAE. Looking forward to meeting with our Emirati allies tomorrow to discuss important and timely regional security matters," Bolton tweeted.

A war of words between Iran and the US escalated after Tehran-backed Houthis of Yemen launched armed drone attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf region this month.&nbsp;

Washington blamed the attacks on Iran, which, however, denied the accusations.

Last week, Bolton said that the US had "deep and serious" intelligence on threats posed by Iran, but did not provide details.

Iran`s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier hit out at the US after Trump said Washington was not looking for regime change in Iran but was only interested in preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons.&nbsp;

Iran is ready to engage in a dialogue with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to address the issue of escalating tensions with the United States in the Arabian Gulf, authorities said on Tuesday.

Iran is ready to engage in a dialogue with the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to address the issue of escalating tensions with the United States in the Arabian Gulf, authorities said on Tuesday. The remarks by Abbas Araqchi, Iran`s deputy foreign minister came on his visit to Qatar where he met foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha. Qatar`s foreign ministry, in a statement cited by Al Jazeera, said both sides "expressed their concern about escalations and problems in the region." Tensions have risen between Iran, on one side, along with the US and its Gulf allies, on the other. Washington, earlier this month, deployed a carrier strike group and bombers in the Arabian Gulf and announced plans to deploy additional 1,500 troops to the region, prompting fears of a conflict. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump`s National Security Adviser John Bolton arrived in the UAE on Tuesday before talks scheduled for Wednesday. "Just landed in the UAE. Looking forward to meeting with our Emirati allies tomorrow to discuss important and timely regional security matters," Bolton tweeted. A war of words between Iran and the US escalated after Tehran-backed Houthis of Yemen launched armed drone attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf region this month. Washington blamed the attacks on Iran, which, however, denied the accusations. Last week, Bolton said that the US had "deep and serious" intelligence on threats posed by Iran, but did not provide details. Iran`s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif earlier hit out at the US after Trump said Washington was not looking for regime change in Iran but was only interested in preventing it from obtaining nuclear weapons.

Iran ready to talk to Gulf countries amid tension with US

By Tony Walker

The last thing the world needs at a moment of significant trade tensions between the United States and China is a Middle East crisis that would further imperil global growth.

Yet this is what is threatening in the Persian Gulf, where the US and its Arab allies are edging towards a showdown with Iran in a contested waterway through which 20 per cent&nbsp;of the world’s tradeable oil passes daily.

In coordination with its Arab allies, notably Saudi Arabia, and with Israel, the US is ratcheting up pressure on Iran to wind back its support for what it terms “bad actors” in the region.

This includes Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, radical groups in the Palestinian territories, including Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, and disaffected anti-regime elements in the Gulf.

While the US denies it is seeking to bring about regime change in Iran, this clearly is its hope.

Conflict is not inevitable, but risks are elevated by combative talk – and actions – from a Washington that seems bent on engaging in the sort of brinkmanship that threatens more serious conflict in a region already on edge.

Washington’s deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and B-52 bombers in the Gulf region is amplifying concerns.

President Donald Trump is not helping; to the contrary.

On one hand, he invites Iran’s leaders to talk. On the other, he warns of that country’s annihilation.

This sort of bombast, the antithesis of wielding a big stick and talking softly, coincides with tightening US sanctions that are doing significant damage to Iran’s economy.

These measures include sanctions imposed this month on Iran’s industrial metals sector. This sector accounts for about 10 per cent&nbsp;of its export economy.

How Tehran responds to these harsh assaults on its economic lifelines is anyone’s guess, but what is certain is that its response will not be passive.

Already this month we have witnessed two sets of terrorist attacks on Gulf oil interests Iran, or its proxies, are blamed for an assault on four ships in which explosives damaged the hulls. Two of these vessels are Saudi-owned. In the second, Iran proxies are blamed for drone strikes on a Saudi Arabian oil pipeline.

In response to terrorist threats to its eastern oil-rich provinces, Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled media have begun calling for “surgical strikes” against Iranian interests.

Such action would provoke a wider conflagration.

What tends to be overlooked in all of this is the ease with which Iran, on a previous occasion, stifled oil shipments from the Gulf.

In 1984, Iran was widely believed to have been responsible for rolling second world war mines into Gulf waterways in the so-called “tanker war” with Iraq. This destroyed several vessels and brought tanker traffic to a halt for weeks.

Adding to jitters are recent reports that a Katyusha rocket fell near the American embassy in central Baghdad. Iranian-backed militias, with their strongholds across the Tigris River in the east of the city, are suspected of launching the rocket.

Washington had already ordered non-essential US personnel out of Baghdad. Oil giant ExxonMobil has begun moving employees out of the region. The US has warned commercial air traffic of increased risks in the Gulf.

This is a movie we have seen before, in the first Gulf War and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Iran proved to be a significant beneficiary of the chaos that resulted from a destabilisation of the Middle East following the US-led invasion.

None of this is contributing to a stable oil market, on which the global economy rests.

On top of punitive sanctions against Iran, sanctions on Venezuela and disruptions in Libya caused by a civil war have unsettled markets.

Dramatic cuts in Iran’s oil shipments due to US-imposed sanctions followed Washington’s withdrawal last year from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at forestalling Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Until sanctions started to bite, Iran was the second-largest exporter among Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), behind Saudi Arabia. At their peak, Iranian exports were about 3 million barrels a day.

That number has now slid to 500,000 barrels or less, according to oil market analysts. But in its attempts to skirt US sanctions, Iran is no longer reporting production to OPEC and is not providing definitive information on exports.

As things stand, US sanctions are being adhered to by most importers of Iranian crude, with the likely exceptions being China and India. The US removed waivers on countries accepting Iran’s oil in November after withdrawing from the JCPOA in May 2018.

The 2015 agreement, negotiated by the Obama administration in partnership with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, froze Iran’s nuclear program for 15 years. The agreement was designed to provide an opportunity for the West to take counter-measures in case Iran upscaled its production of fissionable material.

By withdrawing from the JCPOA without a fallback position beyond punitive sanctions and threats of military action, the US has separated itself from its allies and left itself few options beyond further sanctions – or military threats.

That is, unless Trump’s offers of direct negotiations with Iran’s leaders bear fruit. At this stage, a tense standoff in the world’s most volatile region is not only dangerous, it could have been avoided by the US adhering to an agreement that was far from perfect, but better than the alternative.

That alternative is estrangement from its allies on Iran, and now real risks of a further security deterioration in the volatile Gulf.

Philip Gordon, a Middle East specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, summed up the dilemma for US policy and that of its allies rendered anxious by risks of adventurism in the Gulf in pursuit of an American goal of regime change in Tehran. He wrote that barring something extraordinary such as the collapse of the Iranian regime, "It’s hard to see how this current conflict could end without the United States backing down or with a further and very dangerous escalation. The Trump administration should have considered all this before it walked away from the nuclear deal in the first place."

(Tony Walker is Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University)

&nbsp;(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/trouble-in-the-gulf-as-us-iran-dispute-threatens-to-escalate-into-serious-conflict-117081">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

By Tony Walker The last thing the world needs at a moment of significant trade tensions between the United States and China is a Middle East crisis that would further imperil global growth.

By Tony Walker The last thing the world needs at a moment of significant trade tensions between the United States and China is a Middle East crisis that would further imperil global growth. Yet this is what is threatening in the Persian Gulf, where the US and its Arab allies are edging towards a showdown with Iran in a contested waterway through which 20 per cent of the world’s tradeable oil passes daily. In coordination with its Arab allies, notably Saudi Arabia, and with Israel, the US is ratcheting up pressure on Iran to wind back its support for what it terms “bad actors” in the region. This includes Syria, Hezbollah in Lebanon, radical groups in the Palestinian territories, including Hamas, the Houthis in Yemen, and disaffected anti-regime elements in the Gulf. While the US denies it is seeking to bring about regime change in Iran, this clearly is its hope. Conflict is not inevitable, but risks are elevated by combative talk – and actions – from a Washington that seems bent on engaging in the sort of brinkmanship that threatens more serious conflict in a region already on edge. Washington’s deployment of an aircraft carrier battle group and B-52 bombers in the Gulf region is amplifying concerns. President Donald Trump is not helping; to the contrary. On one hand, he invites Iran’s leaders to talk. On the other, he warns of that country’s annihilation. This sort of bombast, the antithesis of wielding a big stick and talking softly, coincides with tightening US sanctions that are doing significant damage to Iran’s economy. These measures include sanctions imposed this month on Iran’s industrial metals sector. This sector accounts for about 10 per cent of its export economy. How Tehran responds to these harsh assaults on its economic lifelines is anyone’s guess, but what is certain is that its response will not be passive. Already this month we have witnessed two sets of terrorist attacks on Gulf oil interests Iran, or its proxies, are blamed for an assault on four ships in which explosives damaged the hulls. Two of these vessels are Saudi-owned. In the second, Iran proxies are blamed for drone strikes on a Saudi Arabian oil pipeline. In response to terrorist threats to its eastern oil-rich provinces, Saudi Arabia’s state-controlled media have begun calling for “surgical strikes” against Iranian interests. Such action would provoke a wider conflagration. What tends to be overlooked in all of this is the ease with which Iran, on a previous occasion, stifled oil shipments from the Gulf. In 1984, Iran was widely believed to have been responsible for rolling second world war mines into Gulf waterways in the so-called “tanker war” with Iraq. This destroyed several vessels and brought tanker traffic to a halt for weeks. Adding to jitters are recent reports that a Katyusha rocket fell near the American embassy in central Baghdad. Iranian-backed militias, with their strongholds across the Tigris River in the east of the city, are suspected of launching the rocket. Washington had already ordered non-essential US personnel out of Baghdad. Oil giant ExxonMobil has begun moving employees out of the region. The US has warned commercial air traffic of increased risks in the Gulf. This is a movie we have seen before, in the first Gulf War and in the 2003 invasion of Iraq to remove Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. Iran proved to be a significant beneficiary of the chaos that resulted from a destabilisation of the Middle East following the US-led invasion. None of this is contributing to a stable oil market, on which the global economy rests. On top of punitive sanctions against Iran, sanctions on Venezuela and disruptions in Libya caused by a civil war have unsettled markets. Dramatic cuts in Iran’s oil shipments due to US-imposed sanctions followed Washington’s withdrawal last year from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) aimed at forestalling Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Until sanctions started to bite, Iran was the second-largest exporter among Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), behind Saudi Arabia. At their peak, Iranian exports were about 3 million barrels a day. That number has now slid to 500,000 barrels or less, according to oil market analysts. But in its attempts to skirt US sanctions, Iran is no longer reporting production to OPEC and is not providing definitive information on exports. As things stand, US sanctions are being adhered to by most importers of Iranian crude, with the likely exceptions being China and India. The US removed waivers on countries accepting Iran’s oil in November after withdrawing from the JCPOA in May 2018. The 2015 agreement, negotiated by the Obama administration in partnership with the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, froze Iran’s nuclear program for 15 years. The agreement was designed to provide an opportunity for the West to take counter-measures in case Iran upscaled its production of fissionable material. By withdrawing from the JCPOA without a fallback position beyond punitive sanctions and threats of military action, the US has separated itself from its allies and left itself few options beyond further sanctions – or military threats. That is, unless Trump’s offers of direct negotiations with Iran’s leaders bear fruit. At this stage, a tense standoff in the world’s most volatile region is not only dangerous, it could have been avoided by the US adhering to an agreement that was far from perfect, but better than the alternative. That alternative is estrangement from its allies on Iran, and now real risks of a further security deterioration in the volatile Gulf. Philip Gordon, a Middle East specialist at the Council on Foreign Relations, summed up the dilemma for US policy and that of its allies rendered anxious by risks of adventurism in the Gulf in pursuit of an American goal of regime change in Tehran. He wrote that barring something extraordinary such as the collapse of the Iranian regime, "It’s hard to see how this current conflict could end without the United States backing down or with a further and very dangerous escalation. The Trump administration should have considered all this before it walked away from the nuclear deal in the first place." (Tony Walker is Adjunct Professor, School of Communications, La Trobe University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Trouble in the Gulf as US-Iran dispute threatens to escalate into serious conflict

The new government at the Centre, after May 23, will soon be called to address the emerging challenges in the Gulf. The Trump administration has tightened sanctions against Iran, moved its military naval ship from Cairo to the Gulf and kept its military base in Qatar and navy in the Arabian Sea on the high alert to meet any threatening contingencies from Iran.&nbsp;

The USA has further withdrawn the sanction waiver to India, China and Turkey, which had allowed them to import the oil from Iran.&nbsp;

This has prompted Iranian Foreign Minister to visit the capital of India, Turkey, China and Japan to elicit assurance from these countries to continue to import the Iranian oil despite the US withdrawal of sanction waiver. These countries are the biggest buyers of Iranian oıl and the sudden drop in the export of oil to these countries would adversely affect the already fragile economy of Iran.&nbsp;

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz with a warning. If Iran is not allowed to sell its oil, ıt will not allow other countries in the region to sell their oils. This was followed by an attack on the UAE and Saudi oil tankers; both of them have accused Iran. As a result, a real war situation has emerged in the Gulf. &nbsp;

Traditionally, India has played the role of the bystander in Gulf Conflicts; mostly appealing them to resolve the issue peacefully and kept equip distance with party in conflict-whether Iran-Iraq War or the cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However this time India cannot remain a distant spectator to the emerging conflicts in the Gulf. In terms of investment, remittances, oil, gas, the flow of FDI, its diaspora, India has a greater stake in relations with Saudi-Arabia- UAE than Iran.&nbsp;

Also, India needs the USA and Israel to outset the influence of China-Pakistan axis. Given this precarious situation, India must try hard first to resolve the issues amicably and work for the stability of the Gulf. However, if the diplomacy failed, India needs to closely align with the Saudi- UAE Axis against Iran.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The new government at the Centre, after May 23, will soon be called to address the emerging challenges in the Gulf. The Trump administration has tightened sanctions against Iran, moved its military naval ship from Cairo to the Gulf and kept its military base in Qatar and navy in the Arabian Sea on the high alert to meet any threatening contingencies from Iran.

The new government at the Centre, after May 23, will soon be called to address the emerging challenges in the Gulf. The Trump administration has tightened sanctions against Iran, moved its military naval ship from Cairo to the Gulf and kept its military base in Qatar and navy in the Arabian Sea on the high alert to meet any threatening contingencies from Iran. The USA has further withdrawn the sanction waiver to India, China and Turkey, which had allowed them to import the oil from Iran. This has prompted Iranian Foreign Minister to visit the capital of India, Turkey, China and Japan to elicit assurance from these countries to continue to import the Iranian oil despite the US withdrawal of sanction waiver. These countries are the biggest buyers of Iranian oıl and the sudden drop in the export of oil to these countries would adversely affect the already fragile economy of Iran. Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz with a warning. If Iran is not allowed to sell its oil, ıt will not allow other countries in the region to sell their oils. This was followed by an attack on the UAE and Saudi oil tankers; both of them have accused Iran. As a result, a real war situation has emerged in the Gulf. Traditionally, India has played the role of the bystander in Gulf Conflicts; mostly appealing them to resolve the issue peacefully and kept equip distance with party in conflict-whether Iran-Iraq War or the cold war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However this time India cannot remain a distant spectator to the emerging conflicts in the Gulf. In terms of investment, remittances, oil, gas, the flow of FDI, its diaspora, India has a greater stake in relations with Saudi-Arabia- UAE than Iran. Also, India needs the USA and Israel to outset the influence of China-Pakistan axis. Given this precarious situation, India must try hard first to resolve the issues amicably and work for the stability of the Gulf. However, if the diplomacy failed, India needs to closely align with the Saudi- UAE Axis against Iran. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How India should address emerging challenges in the Gulf

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday issued a stark warning of the dangers of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf, as tensions between the United States and Iran soar.

Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/two-saudi-tankers-came-under-sabotage-attack-off-uae-no-casualties-218248"> oil tankers were damaged </a>in "sabotage attacks" in the Gulf, with its arch-rival Iran calling for an investigation and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security.

The region is already on edge because of the standoff between Washington and Tehran over the Iran nuclear deal, and Hunt said he would share Britain's concerns with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels on Monday.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-iran-standoff-the-sequence-of-events-217608/embed" width="560" height="350" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" autoplay=1 allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

"We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"I think what we need is a period of calm, to make sure everyone understands what the other side is thinking and most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to denuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers.&nbsp;"This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction."

The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage of the emirate of Fujairah. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday issued a stark warning of the dangers of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf, as tensions between the United States and Iran soar.

British foreign minister Jeremy Hunt on Monday issued a stark warning of the dangers of conflict erupting "by accident" in the Gulf, as tensions between the United States and Iran soar. Saudi Arabia said Monday that two of its oil tankers were damaged in "sabotage attacks" in the Gulf, with its arch-rival Iran calling for an investigation and warning of "adventurism" by foreign players to disrupt maritime security. The region is already on edge because of the standoff between Washington and Tehran over the Iran nuclear deal, and Hunt said he would share Britain's concerns with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Brussels on Monday. "We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended on either side but ends with some kind of conflict," Hunt said as he arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers. "I think what we need is a period of calm, to make sure everyone understands what the other side is thinking and most of all we must make sure we don't end up putting Iran back on the path to denuclearisation, because if Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. "This is already the most unstable region in the world and it would be a massive step in the wrong direction." The UAE said on Sunday that four commercial vessels of various nationalities had been targeted by acts of sabotage of the emirate of Fujairah. Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said the two tankers suffered "significant damage" but there were no casualties or any oil spill.

Worried about risk of conflict happening by accident in Gulf region: UK foreign minister Jeremy Hunt

The United States' military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now it is an opportunity, a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The US military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/b-52-bombers-to-be-part-of-us-forces-sent-to-middle-east-over-iran-concerns-216934"> B-52 bombers, to the Middle East</a> to counter what US officials have said are “clear indications” of threats from Iran to its forces there.

The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month.

"An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now...the threats have switched to opportunities," Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division said.

He added, "If (the Americans) make a move we will hit them in the head."

The commander of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said in a parliament session on Sunday that the United States has started a psychological war in the region, according to a parliamentary spokesman.

"Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter,” said Behrouz Nemati in a summary of the Salami's comments, according to parliament's ICANA news site.

Salami was appointed head of the Guards last month.

Separately, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday that US&nbsp;national security adviser John Bolton had made plans for the United States to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and take a more aggressive posture toward the Islamic Republic even before he took up his current post.

Zarif tweeted a link to a 2017 National Review article written by Bolton with the headline "How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal."

"A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talks—only phone numbers were not included," Zarif wrote in the tweet.

CNN reported on Friday that the White House had passed a telephone number to the Swiss for contacting US President Donald Trump in case Iranian officials want to hold talks.

The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents US interests in the Islamic Republic.

The United States' military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now it is an opportunity, a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA).

The United States' military presence in the Gulf used to be a serious threat but now it is an opportunity, a senior commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said on Sunday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA). The US military has sent forces, including an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers, to the Middle East to counter what US officials have said are “clear indications” of threats from Iran to its forces there. The USS Abraham Lincoln is replacing another carrier rotated out of the Gulf last month. "An aircraft carrier that has at least 40 to 50 planes on it and 6,000 forces gathered within it was a serious threat for us in the past but now...the threats have switched to opportunities," Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Guards' aerospace division said. He added, "If (the Americans) make a move we will hit them in the head." The commander of the Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, said in a parliament session on Sunday that the United States has started a psychological war in the region, according to a parliamentary spokesman. "Commander Salami, with attention to the situation in the region, presented an analysis that the Americans have started a psychological war because the comings and goings of their military is a normal matter,” said Behrouz Nemati in a summary of the Salami's comments, according to parliament's ICANA news site. Salami was appointed head of the Guards last month. Separately, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a tweet on Sunday that US national security adviser John Bolton had made plans for the United States to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal and take a more aggressive posture toward the Islamic Republic even before he took up his current post. Zarif tweeted a link to a 2017 National Review article written by Bolton with the headline "How to Get Out of the Iran Nuclear Deal." "A detailed blueprint for #FakeIntelligence, #ForeverWar and even empty offers for talks—only phone numbers were not included," Zarif wrote in the tweet. CNN reported on Friday that the White House had passed a telephone number to the Swiss for contacting US President Donald Trump in case Iranian officials want to hold talks. The Swiss embassy in Tehran represents US interests in the Islamic Republic.

US military presence in Gulf is 'an opportunity': Iran Revolutionary Guards' commander

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering.

So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history.

Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies.

In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of &nbsp;President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya.

Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government.

In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran.

The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf.

Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti.

The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia.

The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard.

The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey.

Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled.

Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour.

Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows.

Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president.

Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony.

Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events.

The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011.

Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state.

Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts.

Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process.

Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings.

Much of the Middle East’s recent turmoil stems from internecine Middle Eastern rivalries spilling onto third country battlefields and Saudi and United Arab Emirates-led efforts to roll back the achievements of the 2011 popular Arab revolts and pre-empt further uprisings. This week’s successful toppling of ailing Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and months of anti-government demonstrations that have put Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on the defensive suggest that the Saudi-UAE effort may be faltering. So does the record of the past eight years. The counterrevolution’s one success, Egypt, has produced some of the harshest repression in the country’s history. Saudi and UAE intervention in Yemen has sparked one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, tarnished the image of the two Gulf states, and provided an opportunity to Iran to expand its network of regional proxies. In a twist of irony, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, who justify the Yemen war by pointing to an invitation by the internationally recognised exile government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, support the rebel forces of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar in Libya. Haftar’s forces are poised to march on Tripoli, the seat of the United Nations-recognised government of Libya, two weeks after the field marshal met with King Salman in Saudi Arabia. The fighting in Libya has turned into a proxy war between Gulf rivals with Qatar supporting the Islamist-dominated Tripoli government. In Syria, rivals Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, who exasperated the country’s eight-year-long devastating civil war by backing rival rebel forces, are back to square one: the man they wanted to remove from office, president Bashar al-Assad, has gained the upper hand with the support of Russia and Iran. The protests in Algeria and Sudan suggest that the social, economic and political grievances that fuelled the 2011 protests continue to hover just below the surface in a swath of land that stretches from the Atlantic coast of Africa to the Gulf. Like in 2011, protests in the Middle East are not isolated incidents but the most dramatic part of a more global wave prompted by a loss of public confidence in leaders and political systems that have sparked anti-government demonstrations in countries as far-flung as Zimbabwe and Haiti. The Algerian and Sudanese protests come on the back of a wave of smaller, political and socio-economic protests since 2011 that suggested that the Middle Eastern counterrevolution amounted to putting a lid on a pot that could boil over at any moment. Protests have erupted in recent years in a host of countries, including Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. The protests also suggest the fragility of hopes of Middle Eastern autocrats that China’s model of successfully growing the economy, creating jobs and opportunity, and delivering public goods coupled with increased political control and suppression of rights would prove to be a sustainable model in their own backyard. The fragility of the model is enhanced by the tendency of autocrats to overreach in ways that either distract from their core goals or pursue objectives like the creation of a ‘new man’ that ultimately have failed in countries like Turkey. Turkey’s Islamist Justice and Development Party (AKP) has been in power for the better part of two decades. Its success suggests that the effort to create a secular New Turk by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of the Ottoman empire almost a century ago, has stumbled. Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Chinese leader Xi Jinping have taken control and civilisationalism to new extremes by seeking not only absolute political power but also the ability to shape culture and dictate personal behaviour. Al-Sisi recently ordered his officials to dictate the themes and scripts of Egyptian soap operas, a popular regional staple, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. A military-linked production company has taken charge of some of Egypt’s biggest and most successful shows. Film directors have been instructed to focus on shows that praise the military and law enforcement and demonize the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that has been brutally targeted by Al-Sisi as well as the UAE that together with Saudi Arabia backed his 2013 military coup. The coup toppled Mohammed Morsi, a Brother and Egypt’s first and only democratically elected president. Xi’s hopes to promote ‘core socialist values’ such as patriotism, harmony and civility amounts to an effort to counter individualism, materialism and hedonism. The campaign involves blurring piercings and jewellery worn by male pop stars during performances on television and the Internet, obliging soccer players to wear long sleeves to cover their tattoos, and ensuring that women conference hosts raise their necklines and rappers restrict their lyrics to the promotion of peace and harmony. Saudi Arabia has argued that journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul six months ago by rogue government operatives who are currently standing trial in a process that lacks transparency and has called into question the kingdom’s version of events. The overreach suggests that Middle Eastern autocrats are unlikely to respond to the protests in Algeria and Sudan any differently than they did in 2011. Analyst Giorgio Cafiero predicts that in the wake of Bouteflika’s resignation, Saudi Arabia is likely to support efforts to maintain control by what Algerians call Le Pouvoir (The Power) or the deep state, a cabal of military and security officials and business tycoons, The same is likely to be true for the UAE. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and the UAE alongside Egypt continue to back Al-Bashir although he is on the defensive after months of protests that have rocked the East African state. Whether Algeria’s ancient regime backed by Gulf states is able to retain power may well be dependent on what conclusions protesters draw from the experience of the 2011 revolts. Like the protesters then, Algerian demonstrators need to decide whether Bouteflika’s resignation is a sufficient enough success to justify the surrender of their street power and return to a structured political process. Indications are that the protesters have learnt their lesson. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Middle Eastern rivalries spilling on the battlefields

It is paradoxical that while the Arab world cried for democracy during the Arab Spring, the Algerian street was silent. Today the street of Algeria erupted again with a consequence that its incumbent President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, had to forego his claim for Presidency for a fifth term.

For the past several weeks, thousands of Algerians took to the streets after President Bouteflika announced his decision to run in April’s presidential elections despite his serious health conditions caused by a stroke in 2013. Bouteflika took to power in 1999 after presidential elections in which he was the only running candidate. The outrage among citizens is the result of increasing unemployment, inequality, precarious work conditions, inflation, deteriorating social and economic conditions etc. Among the protestors are mostly youth, teachers, workers, students etc.&nbsp;

The fall of Bouteflika symbolises the continuity of fall of many dictators during Arab Spring: Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi Libya, Saleh of Yemen. &nbsp;

Does this mean that eruption of Algerian street is likely to galvanize streets of another Arab world in the direction of democratic reforms? While it’s true that all regimes in the Arab world including the Gulf regimes have learnt the democratic lesson of Arab spring and accordingly introduced some cosmetic democratic reforms in their respective countries. 
 
However, this democratic tokenism is unable to fulfil the aspiration of social media savvy Arab youth. Therefore, in hindsight, it appears that Algerian protests are likely to push qualitative democratic reforms in the Arab countries. However, much will depend on the nature of the crisis of legitimacy of Arab states as well as a decline in the Sunni Shia narratives of conflict in West Asia.&nbsp;

Notwithstanding the uncertainty over democratic transition in view of what is considered a&nbsp;failure of Arab spring, the protesting street of Algeria has expanded the life of “Arab spring” and put a question mark on what is called as “Arab winter”? Algeria since early 1990’s has undergone many ups and downs including the most intense civil war between 1990 and 2001 at the same time it has been one of the most progressive nations of Arab world. Historically, Algeria symbolises the most potent face of anti-imperialism, people’s struggle against the regime and therefore, the current ongoing protest has potential to recenter agenda of equality and democracy not only with Algeria but in the wider Arab world.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
 
 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

It is paradoxical that while the Arab world cried for democracy during the Arab Spring, the Algerian street was silent. Today the street of Algeria erupted again with a consequence that its incumbent President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, had to forego his claim for Presidency for a fifth term.

It is paradoxical that while the Arab world cried for democracy during the Arab Spring, the Algerian street was silent. Today the street of Algeria erupted again with a consequence that its incumbent President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, had to forego his claim for Presidency for a fifth term. For the past several weeks, thousands of Algerians took to the streets after President Bouteflika announced his decision to run in April’s presidential elections despite his serious health conditions caused by a stroke in 2013. Bouteflika took to power in 1999 after presidential elections in which he was the only running candidate. The outrage among citizens is the result of increasing unemployment, inequality, precarious work conditions, inflation, deteriorating social and economic conditions etc. Among the protestors are mostly youth, teachers, workers, students etc. The fall of Bouteflika symbolises the continuity of fall of many dictators during Arab Spring: Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Muammar Gaddafi Libya, Saleh of Yemen. Does this mean that eruption of Algerian street is likely to galvanize streets of another Arab world in the direction of democratic reforms? While it’s true that all regimes in the Arab world including the Gulf regimes have learnt the democratic lesson of Arab spring and accordingly introduced some cosmetic democratic reforms in their respective countries. However, this democratic tokenism is unable to fulfil the aspiration of social media savvy Arab youth. Therefore, in hindsight, it appears that Algerian protests are likely to push qualitative democratic reforms in the Arab countries. However, much will depend on the nature of the crisis of legitimacy of Arab states as well as a decline in the Sunni Shia narratives of conflict in West Asia. Notwithstanding the uncertainty over democratic transition in view of what is considered a failure of Arab spring, the protesting street of Algeria has expanded the life of “Arab spring” and put a question mark on what is called as “Arab winter”? Algeria since early 1990’s has undergone many ups and downs including the most intense civil war between 1990 and 2001 at the same time it has been one of the most progressive nations of Arab world. Historically, Algeria symbolises the most potent face of anti-imperialism, people’s struggle against the regime and therefore, the current ongoing protest has potential to recenter agenda of equality and democracy not only with Algeria but in the wider Arab world. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Algerian Spring: Will it change the Arab course?

By Bill Law

One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm.&nbsp;

One of those lost stories happened the weekend before the US president’s delayed State of the Union address, which he finally delivered on February 5.

On the preceding Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was following in Trump’s footsteps and pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). In what he called a “symmetrical response,” Putin signalled that a new nuclear arms race was underway: “Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the INF Treaty, and we are suspending it too. They said that they are engaged in research, development and design work, and we will do the same.”

It was a clever response, with Putin able to say that Russia was against the destruction of the treaty, but if that was what the US was going to do by walking away, then his country would mirror American actions step by step. You develop and build new nuclear weapons, we will too.

There was a time, not so long ago, when the world was striving to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. All of those Cold War decades of delicate and exquisitely challenging negotiations designed to stave off nuclear annihilation now seem somehow quaintly old-fashioned. In the macho world of the new authoritarians, led by President Trump, the bigger the weapons and the more you have, the tougher you are.

Trump’s reason for pulling out of the INF was that the Russians were non-compliant and were using the agreement as cover to get a leg up on America. That is undoubtedly the case but the treaty, even in violation, acted as a constraint. So, why would what is still the world’s greatest military superpower enable the Russians by walking away? And what are the implications for the Gulf and the wider Middle East as a new nuclear arms race emerges from Trump’s decision? 
 
Nuclear weapons in the Gulf

To the first question, one can only speculate, given the strange and troubling relationship that Trump has with what has been America’s greatest enemy: Russia. It is the second question, however, that should be of most concern. As the war rhetoric against Iran ratchets up, and as the nonproliferation environment weakens, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may push to arm Saudi Arabia with nuclear weapons.

Though he dismisses the Iranian military capacity in public, in private he must know that in any conventional war scenario, the battle-hardened Iranians would prevail on the ground. The Saudis may have sharpened their air expertise in Yemen at the expense of both the civilian population and the rebel Houthis, but it is ground forces that would ultimately decide the outcome. As the Yemen conflict has shown, Saudi Arabia’s ground troops are an incompetent and ill-prepared fighting force, hence the reliance on the air war to try subdue the Houthis.

In a conventional war, the Iranians would use Iraq as the pathway to attack Saudi Arabia along its northern border. They could be in the capital Riyadh in a matter of days. That is a sobering thought and one that could serve as a catalyst for securing the bomb. The logical place to turn to is Pakistan, which has possessed nuclear weapons since the mid-1980s. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is much beholden to the Saudis, even more so than his predecessors. Indeed, he came to the so-called “Davos in the Desert” in October 2018 with a begging bowl in hand, one the Saudis were happy to fill.

If Saudi Arabia acquired nuclear weapons, then it follows that Iran would do so as well. Indeed there are forces within Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have long advocated that to preserve and protect the revolution, their nation must have the bomb.

And here we come to the extraordinarily reckless and dangerous game that President Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are playing. Bolton, in particular, has long advocated for regime change in Iran. The harsh sanctions that America is imposing on the Iranians and demanding that the rest of the world follow are intended not so much to effect regime change in and of themselves, but rather to prevent the Iranians for a time from securing nuclear firepower.

The Saudis, in the meantime, will have picked up, off the shelve, nuclear weapons from Pakistan. Backed by a nuclear-armed Israel that shares the Saudi fear of Iran and with whom Mohammed bin Salman has forged a close relationship, the two together with other Gulf states will be the ones to force regime change backed by the nuclear muscle that Iran lacks. They and not the Americans. So the thinking goes.

That scenario is useful for Trump because the last thing his base wants is any more engagements in foreign places — and that is especially true of the Middle East. Hence, his oft-repeated and ill-thought-out vows to withdraw American troops. These are gambits, designed to shore up his support as he heads into what will undoubtedly prove for him a bruising and difficult re-election bid in 2020.

The Iranians, however, will not succumb. Indeed, such naked threats will only serve to pull the country’s often battling factions together. Iran will do whatever is necessary to acquire a nuclear counter-punch. And Vladimir Putin, burnishing his already significant power in the region, may be very happy to oblige.

A nuclear stand-off in the Gulf, with all that that implies, could be far closer than any of us realises. 
 
(Bill Law is an award-winning journalist. He has reported extensively from the Middle East since 2002)

(This article was originally published on the Fair Observer. Read the <a href="https://www.fairobserver.com/region/middle_east_north_africa/gulf-news-headlines-saudi-arabia-iran-inf-treaty-donald-trump-world-news-39871/">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By Bill Law One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm.

By Bill Law One of the many challenges of covering the impact of Donald Trump’s presidency on global affairs is that in the constant churn of stories generated by his Twitter outbursts and the abrupt policy decisions he makes, really important stories get lost in the storm. One of those lost stories happened the weekend before the US president’s delayed State of the Union address, which he finally delivered on February 5. On the preceding Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced he was following in Trump’s footsteps and pulling out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). In what he called a “symmetrical response,” Putin signalled that a new nuclear arms race was underway: “Our American partners announced that they are suspending their participation in the INF Treaty, and we are suspending it too. They said that they are engaged in research, development and design work, and we will do the same.” It was a clever response, with Putin able to say that Russia was against the destruction of the treaty, but if that was what the US was going to do by walking away, then his country would mirror American actions step by step. You develop and build new nuclear weapons, we will too. There was a time, not so long ago, when the world was striving to limit the spread of nuclear weapons. All of those Cold War decades of delicate and exquisitely challenging negotiations designed to stave off nuclear annihilation now seem somehow quaintly old-fashioned. In the macho world of the new authoritarians, led by President Trump, the bigger the weapons and the more you have, the tougher you are. Trump’s reason for pulling out of the INF was that the Russians were non-compliant and were using the agreement as cover to get a leg up on America. That is undoubtedly the case but the treaty, even in violation, acted as a constraint. So, why would what is still the world’s greatest military superpower enable the Russians by walking away? And what are the implications for the Gulf and the wider Middle East as a new nuclear arms race emerges from Trump’s decision? Nuclear weapons in the Gulf To the first question, one can only speculate, given the strange and troubling relationship that Trump has with what has been America’s greatest enemy: Russia. It is the second question, however, that should be of most concern. As the war rhetoric against Iran ratchets up, and as the nonproliferation environment weakens, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may push to arm Saudi Arabia with nuclear weapons. Though he dismisses the Iranian military capacity in public, in private he must know that in any conventional war scenario, the battle-hardened Iranians would prevail on the ground. The Saudis may have sharpened their air expertise in Yemen at the expense of both the civilian population and the rebel Houthis, but it is ground forces that would ultimately decide the outcome. As the Yemen conflict has shown, Saudi Arabia’s ground troops are an incompetent and ill-prepared fighting force, hence the reliance on the air war to try subdue the Houthis. In a conventional war, the Iranians would use Iraq as the pathway to attack Saudi Arabia along its northern border. They could be in the capital Riyadh in a matter of days. That is a sobering thought and one that could serve as a catalyst for securing the bomb. The logical place to turn to is Pakistan, which has possessed nuclear weapons since the mid-1980s. Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan is much beholden to the Saudis, even more so than his predecessors. Indeed, he came to the so-called “Davos in the Desert” in October 2018 with a begging bowl in hand, one the Saudis were happy to fill. If Saudi Arabia acquired nuclear weapons, then it follows that Iran would do so as well. Indeed there are forces within Iran, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who have long advocated that to preserve and protect the revolution, their nation must have the bomb. And here we come to the extraordinarily reckless and dangerous game that President Trump, National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are playing. Bolton, in particular, has long advocated for regime change in Iran. The harsh sanctions that America is imposing on the Iranians and demanding that the rest of the world follow are intended not so much to effect regime change in and of themselves, but rather to prevent the Iranians for a time from securing nuclear firepower. The Saudis, in the meantime, will have picked up, off the shelve, nuclear weapons from Pakistan. Backed by a nuclear-armed Israel that shares the Saudi fear of Iran and with whom Mohammed bin Salman has forged a close relationship, the two together with other Gulf states will be the ones to force regime change backed by the nuclear muscle that Iran lacks. They and not the Americans. So the thinking goes. That scenario is useful for Trump because the last thing his base wants is any more engagements in foreign places — and that is especially true of the Middle East. Hence, his oft-repeated and ill-thought-out vows to withdraw American troops. These are gambits, designed to shore up his support as he heads into what will undoubtedly prove for him a bruising and difficult re-election bid in 2020. The Iranians, however, will not succumb. Indeed, such naked threats will only serve to pull the country’s often battling factions together. Iran will do whatever is necessary to acquire a nuclear counter-punch. And Vladimir Putin, burnishing his already significant power in the region, may be very happy to oblige. A nuclear stand-off in the Gulf, with all that that implies, could be far closer than any of us realises. (Bill Law is an award-winning journalist. He has reported extensively from the Middle East since 2002) (This article was originally published on the Fair Observer. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The dangerous nuclear games in the Gulf

Unmistakable signs of an economic slowdown in the Gulf have started causing concern in our own country. After decades of carefree spending and burgeoning development cutbacks and laydowns have transmitted tremor waves signalling unprecedented threats. It may be premature to reach the conclusion that the boom has turned to bust but apprehensions about mutually beneficial shared future are not unjustified.

A quick look at the map reminds us how close UAE is. It is bordered by Saudi Arab to the West, Iran, Qatar and opens out to the Persian. It is buffeted by the power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arab and can't remain unaffected by the long-raging strife in the middle east-Iraq and Syria. What has eroded the wealth and self-confidence of the Sheikhs is a steady fall in oil and gas prices. When even Saudi Arabia is feeling the painful pinch the UAE can’t remain in denial. The era of tax-free incomes is over. Cuts in government spending have resulted in a sharp fall in real estate prices and rentals. Expensive and expansive plans for ambitious pursuit of grandeur are no longer on the anvil.

It is estimated that over 90 per cent of the population of UAE is immigrants most of them South Asians. Remittances from those working ‘overseas’ in the Gulf have in recent years contributed significantly to our foreign exchange reserves and also have had a very significant effect on living standards in villages in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu that have been major beneficiaries of the economic boom

Though Indians have traded with Arabs for millennia- much before the advent of Islam- very few Indians recognise the seven sultanates that comprise the United Arab Emirates as neighbours. What is quite ironical as ‘Duty-Free’ Dubai and Affluent Laid Back Abu Dhabi are among the most popular destinations for well healed Indian tourists and immigrants in search of lucrative jobs.&nbsp;

Doctors, engineers, managers, journalists and accountants along with skilled and unskilled workers have found a semi-permanent home away from home in the Gulf. The looming economic crisis has resulted in their dreams suddenly turning into a nightmare.&nbsp;

Till the mid-1960s these sultanates were British Protectorate and known as the Trucial States. Since then their transformation has been dramatic. From backward colonial dependencies in a desert wasteland, the Federation of Gulf states has emerged as a bustling hub of financial activity and a region of geopolitical significance. Indians, Nepali, Bangladeshi not to forget Pakistani have flocked to the Eldorado in the Gulf.

One Day Cricket, the popularity of Bollywood films have forged a strong bilateral relationship. But for those living in the Hindi Heartland, the UAE in recent past has registered as a blip on the mental radar where the dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim was holed up beyond the reach of Indian law enforcement agencies. It is difficult to understand the lack of awareness and interest in what for all practical purposes is a proximate neighbourhood of economic and strategic significance.&nbsp;

Perceptions need to change and fast. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Unmistakable signs of an economic slowdown in the Gulf have started causing concern in our own country. After decades of carefree spending and burgeoning development cutbacks and laydowns have transmitted tremor waves signalling unprecedented threats.

Unmistakable signs of an economic slowdown in the Gulf have started causing concern in our own country. After decades of carefree spending and burgeoning development cutbacks and laydowns have transmitted tremor waves signalling unprecedented threats. It may be premature to reach the conclusion that the boom has turned to bust but apprehensions about mutually beneficial shared future are not unjustified. A quick look at the map reminds us how close UAE is. It is bordered by Saudi Arab to the West, Iran, Qatar and opens out to the Persian. It is buffeted by the power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arab and can't remain unaffected by the long-raging strife in the middle east-Iraq and Syria. What has eroded the wealth and self-confidence of the Sheikhs is a steady fall in oil and gas prices. When even Saudi Arabia is feeling the painful pinch the UAE can’t remain in denial. The era of tax-free incomes is over. Cuts in government spending have resulted in a sharp fall in real estate prices and rentals. Expensive and expansive plans for ambitious pursuit of grandeur are no longer on the anvil. It is estimated that over 90 per cent of the population of UAE is immigrants most of them South Asians. Remittances from those working ‘overseas’ in the Gulf have in recent years contributed significantly to our foreign exchange reserves and also have had a very significant effect on living standards in villages in states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu that have been major beneficiaries of the economic boom Though Indians have traded with Arabs for millennia- much before the advent of Islam- very few Indians recognise the seven sultanates that comprise the United Arab Emirates as neighbours. What is quite ironical as ‘Duty-Free’ Dubai and Affluent Laid Back Abu Dhabi are among the most popular destinations for well healed Indian tourists and immigrants in search of lucrative jobs. Doctors, engineers, managers, journalists and accountants along with skilled and unskilled workers have found a semi-permanent home away from home in the Gulf. The looming economic crisis has resulted in their dreams suddenly turning into a nightmare. Till the mid-1960s these sultanates were British Protectorate and known as the Trucial States. Since then their transformation has been dramatic. From backward colonial dependencies in a desert wasteland, the Federation of Gulf states has emerged as a bustling hub of financial activity and a region of geopolitical significance. Indians, Nepali, Bangladeshi not to forget Pakistani have flocked to the Eldorado in the Gulf. One Day Cricket, the popularity of Bollywood films have forged a strong bilateral relationship. But for those living in the Hindi Heartland, the UAE in recent past has registered as a blip on the mental radar where the dreaded gangster Dawood Ibrahim was holed up beyond the reach of Indian law enforcement agencies. It is difficult to understand the lack of awareness and interest in what for all practical purposes is a proximate neighbourhood of economic and strategic significance. Perceptions need to change and fast. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Assessing the impact of economic slowdown in Gulf on India

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-optimistic-syria-kurds-turkey-can-be-protected-189910">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a> arrived in Qatar on Sunday pushing for an end to a diplomatic rift between Washington's Gulf allies on the latest leg of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-vows-to-expel-every-last-iranian-boot-from-syria-189438">his Middle East tour</a>.

The top US diplomat's visit to the small, energy-rich Gulf state comes amid a more than 18-month-old dispute pitting Riyadh and its allies against Doha.

"It is time for old rivalries to end for the sake of the greater good of the region," Pompeo said on Thursday in Cairo, where he laid out the Middle East strategy of US President Donald Trump's administration.

The secretary of state travelled to Doha from Abu Dhabi, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on Saturday.&nbsp;

Pompeo is later expected to head to Riyadh, where all eyes will be on a possible meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.&nbsp;

The visit comes just three months after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's Istanbul consulate.

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt — all US allies — cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and seeking closer ties to Saudi arch-rival Iran.&nbsp;

Qatar — also a US ally — denies the allegations and accuses the countries of seeking regime change.&nbsp;

Washington, which at first appeared to back the boycott, has so far been unsuccessful in trying to get the countries to set aside their differences in order to focus on Washington's regional priority — the fight against Iran.

Attempts at mediation have stalled, as highlighted by the recent resignation of US envoy Anthony Zinni — who quit because of an apparent "lack of will" on behalf of "regional leaders" for regional reconciliation.

For Washington, turning the page on the crisis is essential for the successful launch of the Strategic Alliance of the Middle East (MESA), which is a NATO-style security pact that includes Gulf countries as well as Egypt and Jordan.

"Today, we ask each of those countries to take the next step and help us solidify MESA," Pompeo said in Cairo.

Smiles with MBS

But the task is not going to be easy.&nbsp;

"It is complicated to put together, make no mistake about it because we're talking about a complex agreement among a number of nations where we're asking for significant commitments from them," Pompeo told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

"But I believe that there is a path forward where there's a set of common understandings."

In Doha, Pompeo is expected to meet with several senior government leaders, including Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani.

The two are expected to hold a joint press conference on Sunday.

Qatar's relationship with Iran is complicated as it shares the world's largest natural gas field with Tehran.

Gas has been responsible for transforming Qatar into one of the richest countries in the world since it first began exporting liquefied natural gas little more than 20 years ago.

It has also agreed to increase gas production since the beginning of the crisis.

Washington's call for regional unity is clouded by its relations with Saudi Arabia since the murder of Khashoggi in early October.&nbsp;

During Pompeo's previous visit to Riyadh at the height of the Khashoggi affair, his broad smiles with the crown prince had outraged some Americans.

Trump has said he wants to preserve the alliance with the Saudi kingdom, although the US Senate has clearly blamed Prince Mohammed for the murder.&nbsp;

"We will continue to work to ensure that all those responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are accountable," Pompeo said Friday on the US channel Fox News.&nbsp;

He reaffirmed that US-Saudi relations remain "incredibly important to Americans".&nbsp;

The top US diplomat's visit to the small, energy-rich Gulf state comes amid a more than 18-month-old dispute pitting Riyadh and its allies against Doha.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Qatar on Sunday pushing for an end to a diplomatic rift between Washington's Gulf allies on the latest leg of his Middle East tour. The top US diplomat's visit to the small, energy-rich Gulf state comes amid a more than 18-month-old dispute pitting Riyadh and its allies against Doha. "It is time for old rivalries to end for the sake of the greater good of the region," Pompeo said on Thursday in Cairo, where he laid out the Middle East strategy of US President Donald Trump's administration. The secretary of state travelled to Doha from Abu Dhabi, where he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed on Saturday. Pompeo is later expected to head to Riyadh, where all eyes will be on a possible meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The visit comes just three months after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in his country's Istanbul consulate. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt — all US allies — cut ties with Qatar in June 2017, accusing it of supporting terrorist groups and seeking closer ties to Saudi arch-rival Iran. Qatar — also a US ally — denies the allegations and accuses the countries of seeking regime change. Washington, which at first appeared to back the boycott, has so far been unsuccessful in trying to get the countries to set aside their differences in order to focus on Washington's regional priority — the fight against Iran. Attempts at mediation have stalled, as highlighted by the recent resignation of US envoy Anthony Zinni — who quit because of an apparent "lack of will" on behalf of "regional leaders" for regional reconciliation. For Washington, turning the page on the crisis is essential for the successful launch of the Strategic Alliance of the Middle East (MESA), which is a NATO-style security pact that includes Gulf countries as well as Egypt and Jordan. "Today, we ask each of those countries to take the next step and help us solidify MESA," Pompeo said in Cairo. Smiles with MBS But the task is not going to be easy. "It is complicated to put together, make no mistake about it because we're talking about a complex agreement among a number of nations where we're asking for significant commitments from them," Pompeo told reporters in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. "But I believe that there is a path forward where there's a set of common understandings." In Doha, Pompeo is expected to meet with several senior government leaders, including Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani. The two are expected to hold a joint press conference on Sunday. Qatar's relationship with Iran is complicated as it shares the world's largest natural gas field with Tehran. Gas has been responsible for transforming Qatar into one of the richest countries in the world since it first began exporting liquefied natural gas little more than 20 years ago. It has also agreed to increase gas production since the beginning of the crisis. Washington's call for regional unity is clouded by its relations with Saudi Arabia since the murder of Khashoggi in early October. During Pompeo's previous visit to Riyadh at the height of the Khashoggi affair, his broad smiles with the crown prince had outraged some Americans. Trump has said he wants to preserve the alliance with the Saudi kingdom, although the US Senate has clearly blamed Prince Mohammed for the murder. "We will continue to work to ensure that all those responsible for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are accountable," Pompeo said Friday on the US channel Fox News. He reaffirmed that US-Saudi relations remain "incredibly important to Americans".

Mike Pompeo to push for end to Gulf dispute during Qatar visit

The arrival of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf to deter Iran from further testing ballistic missiles is likely to dampen Indian hopes that the Trump administration’s exemption of the port of Chabahar from sanctions against the Islamic republic would help it tighten economic relations with Central Asia and further regional integration.

The group’s presence in the Gulf, the first by a US aircraft carrier in eight months, came amid mounting tension between the United States and Iran following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear programme and the imposition of harsh sanctions against the Islamic republic. It raised the spectre of a potential military conflagration.

The deployment for a period of two months coincided with a suicide attack on a Revolutionary Guards headquarters in Chabahar that killed two people and wounded 40 others.

Saudi and Iranian media reported that Ansar al-Furqan, a shadowy Iranian Sunni jihadi group that Iran claims is supported by the kingdom as well as the United States and Israel, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Saudi pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat asserted that the attack “reflects the anger harboured by the (city’s Baloch) minority against the government.” The paper said the Iranian government had expelled thousands of Baloch families from Chabahar and replaced them with Persians in a bid to change its demography. It asserted that Iran was granting nationality to Afghan Shiites who had fought in Syria and Iraq and was moving them to Chabahar.

The paper went on to say that “anti-regime Baloch movements have recently intensified their operations against Tehran in an attempt to deter it from carrying out its plan to expel and marginalise the Baloch from their ancestral regions.”

Saudi Arabia, a staunch supporter of the US’s confrontational approach towards Iran, has pumped large amounts of money into militant, ultraconservative Sunni Muslim anti-Shiite and anti-Iranian religious seminaries along the border between the Pakistani province of Balochistan and the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan that is home to Chabahar, according to militants.

The funding was designed to create the building blocks for a potential covert effort to destabilise Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities.

The deployment was, according to US officials in response to Iran’s test-firing of a ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads. The US sanctions are in part designed to force Iran to drop its development of ballistic missiles. Iranian officials insist the missiles program is defensive in nature.

&nbsp;“We are accumulating risk of escalation in the region if we fail to restore deterrence,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

The spectre of increased military tension in the Gulf with the arrival of the aircraft carrier group and of potentially Saudi and US-backed political violence in Iran and a troubling security situation in Afghanistan threatened to diminish the impact of Washington’s granting Indian investment in Chabahar an exemption from its economic sanctions against Iran.

Indian and Iranian officials fear that the United States’ stepped up military posture and heightened tensions could undermine their efforts to turn Chabahar, which sits at the top of the Arabian Sea, into a hub for trade between India and Central Asia rendering the US waiver worthless.

The officials have their hopes pinned on efforts to engineer a peace process in Afghanistan. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad alongside representatives of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met this week with the Taliban. The talks are intended to negotiate an end to Afghanistan’s 17-year old war.

An Afghan government delegation, in what diplomats saw as a sign of progress, hovered in the corridors but did not take part in the meeting because of the Taliban’s insistence that it will only talk to the United States. Talks with the Taliban have so far stalled because of the group’s insistence on a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan.

US officials said the aircraft carrier group, beyond seeking to deter Iran, would also support the US war effort in Afghanistan where the United States has ramped up airstrikes in an effort to press the Taliban into peace talks.

The talks were an opportunity, particularly for Saudi Arabia, whose utility as an ally is being questioned by the US Congress in the wake of the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Pakistan, which the United States accuses of supporting the Taliban, to demonstrate their utility.

US President Donald Trump asked Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan in a letter earlier this month to help bring the Taliban to the negotiating table.

While Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have an interest in using their close ties to the Taliban to help forge an end to the Afghan war, it's not immediately clear that they want to see reduced tensions facilitate the emergence of Chabahar as an Indian-backed hub.

A Saudi think tank, the Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies (AGCIS) renamed the International Institute of Iranian Studies that is believed to be backed by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, argued in a study last year that Chabahar posed “a direct threat to the Arab Gulf states” that called for “immediate countermeasures.”

Written by Mohammed Hassan Husseinbor, identified as an Iranian political researcher, the study warned that Chabahar posed a threat because it would enable Iran to increase greater market share in India for its oil exports at the expense of Saudi Arabia, raise foreign investment in the Islamic republic, increase government revenues, and allow Iran to project power in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Noting the vast expanses of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province, Husseinbor went on to say that “It would be a formidable challenge, if not impossible, for the Iranian government to protect such long distances and secure Chabahar in the face of widespread Baluch opposition, particularly if this opposition is supported by Iran’s regional adversaries and world powers.”

Similarly, Pakistan is heavily invested in Gwadar, the Chinese-backed port in Balochistan that is a crown jewel of the $45 billion-plus China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a pillar of the People’s Republic’s Belt and Road initiative. Gwadar is a mere 70 kilometres up the coast from Chabahar.

"Pakistan sees India as an existential threat and the idea of India being in any way present on Pakistan's western flank in Afghanistan will always raise alarm bells in Islamabad," said South Asia scholar Michael Kugelman.

If the arrival of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf heralds heightened tension, Pakistan may have less reason to worry. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The arrival of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf to deter Iran from further testing ballistic missiles is likely to dampen Indian hopes that the Trump administration’s exemption of the port of Chabahar from sanctions against the Islamic republic would help it tighten economic relations with Central Asia and further regional integration.

The arrival of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf to deter Iran from further testing ballistic missiles is likely to dampen Indian hopes that the Trump administration’s exemption of the port of Chabahar from sanctions against the Islamic republic would help it tighten economic relations with Central Asia and further regional integration. The group’s presence in the Gulf, the first by a US aircraft carrier in eight months, came amid mounting tension between the United States and Iran following the Trump administration’s withdrawal from the 2015 international agreement that curbed Iran’s nuclear programme and the imposition of harsh sanctions against the Islamic republic. It raised the spectre of a potential military conflagration. The deployment for a period of two months coincided with a suicide attack on a Revolutionary Guards headquarters in Chabahar that killed two people and wounded 40 others. Saudi and Iranian media reported that Ansar al-Furqan, a shadowy Iranian Sunni jihadi group that Iran claims is supported by the kingdom as well as the United States and Israel, had claimed responsibility for the attack. Saudi pan-Arab daily Asharq Al-Awsat asserted that the attack “reflects the anger harboured by the (city’s Baloch) minority against the government.” The paper said the Iranian government had expelled thousands of Baloch families from Chabahar and replaced them with Persians in a bid to change its demography. It asserted that Iran was granting nationality to Afghan Shiites who had fought in Syria and Iraq and was moving them to Chabahar. The paper went on to say that “anti-regime Baloch movements have recently intensified their operations against Tehran in an attempt to deter it from carrying out its plan to expel and marginalise the Baloch from their ancestral regions.” Saudi Arabia, a staunch supporter of the US’s confrontational approach towards Iran, has pumped large amounts of money into militant, ultraconservative Sunni Muslim anti-Shiite and anti-Iranian religious seminaries along the border between the Pakistani province of Balochistan and the Iranian province of Sistan and Baluchistan that is home to Chabahar, according to militants. The funding was designed to create the building blocks for a potential covert effort to destabilise Iran by stirring unrest among its ethnic minorities. The deployment was, according to US officials in response to Iran’s test-firing of a ballistic missile capable of carrying multiple warheads. The US sanctions are in part designed to force Iran to drop its development of ballistic missiles. Iranian officials insist the missiles program is defensive in nature. “We are accumulating risk of escalation in the region if we fail to restore deterrence,” said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. The spectre of increased military tension in the Gulf with the arrival of the aircraft carrier group and of potentially Saudi and US-backed political violence in Iran and a troubling security situation in Afghanistan threatened to diminish the impact of Washington’s granting Indian investment in Chabahar an exemption from its economic sanctions against Iran. Indian and Iranian officials fear that the United States’ stepped up military posture and heightened tensions could undermine their efforts to turn Chabahar, which sits at the top of the Arabian Sea, into a hub for trade between India and Central Asia rendering the US waiver worthless. The officials have their hopes pinned on efforts to engineer a peace process in Afghanistan. US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad alongside representatives of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan met this week with the Taliban. The talks are intended to negotiate an end to Afghanistan’s 17-year old war. An Afghan government delegation, in what diplomats saw as a sign of progress, hovered in the corridors but did not take part in the meeting because of the Taliban’s insistence that it will only talk to the United States. Talks with the Taliban have so far stalled because of the group’s insistence on a timetable for the withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan. US officials said the aircraft carrier group, beyond seeking to deter Iran, would also support the US war effort in Afghanistan where the United States has ramped up airstrikes in an effort to press the Taliban into peace talks. The talks were an opportunity, particularly for Saudi Arabia, whose utility as an ally is being questioned by the US Congress in the wake of the October 2 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, and Pakistan, which the United States accuses of supporting the Taliban, to demonstrate their utility. US President Donald Trump asked Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan in a letter earlier this month to help bring the Taliban to the negotiating table. While Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have an interest in using their close ties to the Taliban to help forge an end to the Afghan war, it's not immediately clear that they want to see reduced tensions facilitate the emergence of Chabahar as an Indian-backed hub. A Saudi think tank, the Arabian Gulf Centre for Iranian Studies (AGCIS) renamed the International Institute of Iranian Studies that is believed to be backed by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, argued in a study last year that Chabahar posed “a direct threat to the Arab Gulf states” that called for “immediate countermeasures.” Written by Mohammed Hassan Husseinbor, identified as an Iranian political researcher, the study warned that Chabahar posed a threat because it would enable Iran to increase greater market share in India for its oil exports at the expense of Saudi Arabia, raise foreign investment in the Islamic republic, increase government revenues, and allow Iran to project power in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. Noting the vast expanses of Iran’s Sistan and Baluchistan province, Husseinbor went on to say that “It would be a formidable challenge, if not impossible, for the Iranian government to protect such long distances and secure Chabahar in the face of widespread Baluch opposition, particularly if this opposition is supported by Iran’s regional adversaries and world powers.” Similarly, Pakistan is heavily invested in Gwadar, the Chinese-backed port in Balochistan that is a crown jewel of the $45 billion-plus China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a pillar of the People’s Republic’s Belt and Road initiative. Gwadar is a mere 70 kilometres up the coast from Chabahar. "Pakistan sees India as an existential threat and the idea of India being in any way present on Pakistan's western flank in Afghanistan will always raise alarm bells in Islamabad," said South Asia scholar Michael Kugelman. If the arrival of the USS John C Stennis aircraft carrier group in the Gulf heralds heightened tension, Pakistan may have less reason to worry. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Chabahar port: Stepped up US military posture in Gulf threatens India's interests

Qatar called Saturday for a new regional alliance following the failure of the four-decade-old Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve an 18-month rift between the emirate and its neighbours.

Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the boycott imposed on the emirate by Saudi Arabia and its allies had irreparably damaged the existing six-nation structure set up at the height of the Iran-Iraq war in 1981.

"The regional alliance has been undermined by the crisis," Sheikh Mohammed told policymakers at the two-day Doha Forum.

"Therefore the alliance that existed needs to be reshaped and redesigned to ensure future stability and security of the region."

His comments came after Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, stayed away from the GCC's annual summit in Riyadh last Sunday despite receiving an invitation from its Saudi hosts.

The Qatari minister lashed out at the reasons advanced by Saudi Arabia and its allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates for imposing their sweeping boycott.

"It was based on lies, it was based on crimes... it was based on creating propaganda to create fear among the people," he said.

Riyadh and its allies accused Doha of supporting "terrorist groups", including the Muslim Brotherhood which they blacklist but with which Qatar has longstanding ties.

They also accused the emirate of advocating improved relations with Saudi arch-rival Iran, with which Qatar shares important offshore gas fields.

They set out their complaints in a 13-point list of demands that have been rejected by Doha as an assault on its sovereignty and its right to conduct an independent foreign policy.

In his opening remarks to the forum, the emir said Qatar's Gulf partners needed to show respect for its independence.

"Lifting the blockade is based on mutual recognition and non-interference," he said.

Qatar called Saturday for a new regional alliance following the failure of the four-decade-old Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve an 18-month rift between the emirate and its neighbours.

Qatar called Saturday for a new regional alliance following the failure of the four-decade-old Gulf Cooperation Council to resolve an 18-month rift between the emirate and its neighbours. Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the boycott imposed on the emirate by Saudi Arabia and its allies had irreparably damaged the existing six-nation structure set up at the height of the Iran-Iraq war in 1981. "The regional alliance has been undermined by the crisis," Sheikh Mohammed told policymakers at the two-day Doha Forum. "Therefore the alliance that existed needs to be reshaped and redesigned to ensure future stability and security of the region." His comments came after Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, stayed away from the GCC's annual summit in Riyadh last Sunday despite receiving an invitation from its Saudi hosts. The Qatari minister lashed out at the reasons advanced by Saudi Arabia and its allies Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates for imposing their sweeping boycott. "It was based on lies, it was based on crimes... it was based on creating propaganda to create fear among the people," he said. Riyadh and its allies accused Doha of supporting "terrorist groups", including the Muslim Brotherhood which they blacklist but with which Qatar has longstanding ties. They also accused the emirate of advocating improved relations with Saudi arch-rival Iran, with which Qatar shares important offshore gas fields. They set out their complaints in a 13-point list of demands that have been rejected by Doha as an assault on its sovereignty and its right to conduct an independent foreign policy. In his opening remarks to the forum, the emir said Qatar's Gulf partners needed to show respect for its independence. "Lifting the blockade is based on mutual recognition and non-interference," he said.

Qatar says Gulf alliance needs replacing

Nearly 10 workers from India died every day in Gulf countries during the last six years, which translates to 117 deaths for every billion USD remitted to the country from there, a voluntary group said based on analysis of RTI responses.

Venkatesh Nayak from Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) had sought data from External Affairs Ministry about the death of Indian workers in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from January 1, 2012, to about mid-2018.

The data was provided by Indian missions in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia but the Embassy in the UAE refused to give information. The Indian embassy referred to data on their website which was only 2014 onwards.

In order to fill gaps, Nayak used data provided in Parliamentary questions in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

“Available data indicate, at least 24,570 Indian Workers died in the six Gulf countries between 2012 and mid-2018. This number could increase if the complete figures for Kuwait and UAE are made available publicly. This amounts to more than 10 deaths per day during this period,” he said.

He said Indians working in Gulf countries accounted for more than half of the remittance that India received from all over the world between 2012 and 2017.

“While India received a total of USD 410.33 billion in remittances from the world over, remittances from the Gulf countries accounted for USD 209.07 billion,” he said.

His analysis showed there were more than 187 deaths for every USD billion received from Oman during 2012-17, more than 183 deaths for every USD billion received from Bahrain and 162 deaths for every USD billion received from Saudi Arabia.

Qatar accounted for more than 74 deaths for every USD billion received while the lowest figure of 71 deaths for every USD billion received was from UAE, he said.

“The above comparison is not an attempt to label the remittances from the Gulf as blood money. Instead, the purpose of this comparative analysis is to highlight the shockingly large number of deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf countries. This phenomenon requires urgent examination,” he said.

Nearly 10 workers from India died every day in Gulf countries during the last six years, which translates to 117 deaths for every billion USD remitted to the country from there, a voluntary group said based on analysis of RTI responses.

Nearly 10 workers from India died every day in Gulf countries during the last six years, which translates to 117 deaths for every billion USD remitted to the country from there, a voluntary group said based on analysis of RTI responses. Venkatesh Nayak from Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) had sought data from External Affairs Ministry about the death of Indian workers in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates from January 1, 2012, to about mid-2018. The data was provided by Indian missions in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia but the Embassy in the UAE refused to give information. The Indian embassy referred to data on their website which was only 2014 onwards. In order to fill gaps, Nayak used data provided in Parliamentary questions in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. “Available data indicate, at least 24,570 Indian Workers died in the six Gulf countries between 2012 and mid-2018. This number could increase if the complete figures for Kuwait and UAE are made available publicly. This amounts to more than 10 deaths per day during this period,” he said. He said Indians working in Gulf countries accounted for more than half of the remittance that India received from all over the world between 2012 and 2017. “While India received a total of USD 410.33 billion in remittances from the world over, remittances from the Gulf countries accounted for USD 209.07 billion,” he said. His analysis showed there were more than 187 deaths for every USD billion received from Oman during 2012-17, more than 183 deaths for every USD billion received from Bahrain and 162 deaths for every USD billion received from Saudi Arabia. Qatar accounted for more than 74 deaths for every USD billion received while the lowest figure of 71 deaths for every USD billion received was from UAE, he said. “The above comparison is not an attempt to label the remittances from the Gulf as blood money. Instead, the purpose of this comparative analysis is to highlight the shockingly large number of deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf countries. This phenomenon requires urgent examination,” he said.

Nearly 10 workers died every day in Gulf during last six years: Report

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that it will give Lebanon`s armed forces $200 million (162.5 million euros) in aid to help "stabilise" the country.

The foreign ministry said that $100 million would go to the army and $100 million to other state security services in Lebanon, which borders war-torn Syria.

The oil-rich Gulf country said its support was a "continuation of efforts made for the stability and prosperity of (Lebanon`s) people."

The "resilience and strength" of Lebanon`s military and security institutions was a priority given the region`s "delicate circumstances", the statement said.

At a mid-March meeting in Rome, the international community pledged to help strengthen the Lebanese army.

France, in particular, said it would release a credit line of 400 million euros ($492 million).

On Friday, the international community announced it would provide more than $11 billion to modernise Lebanon`s economy and strengthen its stability, threatened by regional crises, particularly the war in neighbouring Syria.

The loans and donations, announced at a conference in Paris aimed at supporting the Lebanese economy, are intended to help finance investment projects over the next five years.

Fears of an economic crisis have hovered over the small Middle Eastern country since the crisis in Syria began more than seven years ago, pushing more than one million refugees to flee across the border into Lebanon.

The foreign ministry said that $100 million would go to the army and $100 million to other state security services in Lebanon, which borders war-torn Syria

The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that it will give Lebanon`s armed forces $200 million (162.5 million euros) in aid to help "stabilise" the country. The foreign ministry said that $100 million would go to the army and $100 million to other state security services in Lebanon, which borders war-torn Syria. The oil-rich Gulf country said its support was a "continuation of efforts made for the stability and prosperity of (Lebanon`s) people." The "resilience and strength" of Lebanon`s military and security institutions was a priority given the region`s "delicate circumstances", the statement said. At a mid-March meeting in Rome, the international community pledged to help strengthen the Lebanese army. France, in particular, said it would release a credit line of 400 million euros ($492 million). On Friday, the international community announced it would provide more than $11 billion to modernise Lebanon`s economy and strengthen its stability, threatened by regional crises, particularly the war in neighbouring Syria. The loans and donations, announced at a conference in Paris aimed at supporting the Lebanese economy, are intended to help finance investment projects over the next five years. Fears of an economic crisis have hovered over the small Middle Eastern country since the crisis in Syria began more than seven years ago, pushing more than one million refugees to flee across the border into Lebanon.

UAE pledges $200 million to support Lebanon armed forces

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax from Monday, a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system.

Saudi Arabia compounded the New Year blow for motorists with an unannounced hike of up to 127 per cent in petrol prices with immediate effect from midnight.

They are the latest in series of measures introduced by Gulf oil producers over the past two years to boost revenues and cut spending as a persistent slump in world prices has led to ballooning budget deficits.

The five per cent sales tax applies to most goods and services and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2.0 per cent of GDP.

But it marks a major change for two super-rich countries where the mall is king. Dubai has long held an annual shopping festival to draw bargain hunters from around the world to its glitzy retail palaces.

Saudi Arabia has deposited billions of dollars in special accounts to help needy citizens face the resulting rise in retail prices.

The other four Gulf states -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- are also committed to introducing VAT but have decided to delay the move until early in 2019.

The hike in fuel duty in Saudi Arabia was the second in two years.

But it still leaves petrol prices as some of the lowest in the world.

High-grade petrol rose 127 per cent from 24 cents a litre ($1.09 a gallon) to 54 ($2.46), while low-grade petrol rose 83 per cent from 20 cents a litre (91 cents a gallon) to 36.5 ($1.66).&nbsp;

Duty on diesel and kerosene remained unchanged.

Saudi Arabia has introduced a raft of measures to raise revenue and cut spending as it bids to balance its books.

Last month, it slashed the government subsidy on electricity supply, leading to a sharp rise in bills.

Riyadh posted budget deficits totalling $260 billion over the past four fiscal years and does not expect to balance its books before 2023.

To finance its mounting public debt, the kingdom has withdrawn around $250 billion from its reserves over the past four years, reducing them to $490 billion.

It has also borrowed around $100 billion from the international and domestic markets.

Saudi Arabia compounded the New Year blow for motorists with an unannounced hike of up to 127 per cent in petrol prices with immediate effect from midnight

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates introduced value-added tax from Monday, a first for the Gulf which has long prided itself on its tax-free, cradle-to-grave welfare system. Saudi Arabia compounded the New Year blow for motorists with an unannounced hike of up to 127 per cent in petrol prices with immediate effect from midnight. They are the latest in series of measures introduced by Gulf oil producers over the past two years to boost revenues and cut spending as a persistent slump in world prices has led to ballooning budget deficits. The five per cent sales tax applies to most goods and services and analysts project that the two governments could raise as much as $21 billion in 2018, equivalent to 2.0 per cent of GDP. But it marks a major change for two super-rich countries where the mall is king. Dubai has long held an annual shopping festival to draw bargain hunters from around the world to its glitzy retail palaces. Saudi Arabia has deposited billions of dollars in special accounts to help needy citizens face the resulting rise in retail prices. The other four Gulf states -- Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar -- are also committed to introducing VAT but have decided to delay the move until early in 2019. The hike in fuel duty in Saudi Arabia was the second in two years. But it still leaves petrol prices as some of the lowest in the world. High-grade petrol rose 127 per cent from 24 cents a litre ($1.09 a gallon) to 54 ($2.46), while low-grade petrol rose 83 per cent from 20 cents a litre (91 cents a gallon) to 36.5 ($1.66). Duty on diesel and kerosene remained unchanged. Saudi Arabia has introduced a raft of measures to raise revenue and cut spending as it bids to balance its books. Last month, it slashed the government subsidy on electricity supply, leading to a sharp rise in bills. Riyadh posted budget deficits totalling $260 billion over the past four fiscal years and does not expect to balance its books before 2023. To finance its mounting public debt, the kingdom has withdrawn around $250 billion from its reserves over the past four years, reducing them to $490 billion. It has also borrowed around $100 billion from the international and domestic markets.

Saudi, UAE introduce VAT in first for Gulf

Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia snubbed its former regional ally Qatar at the annual summit Tuesday of regional monarchies as King Salman stayed away despite the presence of the Qatari emir.

The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit was going ahead in Kuwait City but amid uncertainty over which leaders from among Riyadh and its allies would join their Qatari rival for the talks.

The future of the six-nation GCC -- formed 36 years ago to bring together energy-rich Sunni Arab Gulf states -- appeared to be hanging in the balance.

This year&#39;s meeting comes with Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a bitter dispute with fellow GCC member Qatar, in the worst crisis ever to hit the bloc.

Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accepted an invitation to attend, but with only hours before talks were due to begin, Saudi King Salman sent his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in his stead.

Bahrain sent its deputy prime minister and Emirati media said the state minister for foreign affairs would represent Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;

Those three Gulf states, together with Egypt, cut all ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing the gas-rich emirate of supporting Islamist extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh&#39;s arch-rival.&nbsp;

Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite a change of regime in Doha.

Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts within the GCC to resolve the crisis, but so far with little success.

Casting further doubt on the group&#39;s future, the UAE said Tuesday it was forming a new military and economic committee with Saudi Arabia separate from the GCC.&nbsp;

The committee &quot;will coordinate between the two countries in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields,&quot; according to a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.

Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic union grouping Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as well as Oman and Kuwait.

Dominated by Riyadh, it has been a regional counterweight to Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia&#39;s Shiite rival across the Gulf.&nbsp;

On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attended round-table talks ahead of the gathering, in their first such encounter since the diplomatic crisis erupted in June.

Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yussef bin Alawi sat between them at the meeting which the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait also attended.

After cutting off all ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands to have it lifted.

Bahrain in October called for Qatar&#39;s membership of the GCC to be suspended until it accepted the demands.

Experts warn that the crisis could lead to the demise of the once-powerful GCC.

&quot;The justifications for the existence of the GCC bloc amidst the continued crisis are no longer present like before,&quot; said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. &quot;As long as our enemy has changed from Iran to Qatar, the GCC will not continue.&quot;

The failure of the GCC members to solidify long-delayed plans for economic unity may also threaten its future.

The Gulf states have approved a customs union, a common market, a single currency and a single central bank, but most of these have yet to be implemented.

Speaking at Monday`s meeting, Kuwait&#39;s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the determination of member states to preserve the GCC.

&quot;The GCC is a continuous project in which the will of member states meets to build a unified Gulf body,&quot; he said.

The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit which was going ahead in Kuwait City witnessed the absence of the Saudi King

Gulf powerhouse Saudi Arabia snubbed its former regional ally Qatar at the annual summit Tuesday of regional monarchies as King Salman stayed away despite the presence of the Qatari emir. The crisis-hit Gulf Cooperation Council summit was going ahead in Kuwait City but amid uncertainty over which leaders from among Riyadh and its allies would join their Qatari rival for the talks. The future of the six-nation GCC -- formed 36 years ago to bring together energy-rich Sunni Arab Gulf states -- appeared to be hanging in the balance. This year's meeting comes with Saudi Arabia and its allies engaged in a bitter dispute with fellow GCC member Qatar, in the worst crisis ever to hit the bloc. Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani accepted an invitation to attend, but with only hours before talks were due to begin, Saudi King Salman sent his foreign minister, Adel al-Jubeir, in his stead. Bahrain sent its deputy prime minister and Emirati media said the state minister for foreign affairs would represent Abu Dhabi. Those three Gulf states, together with Egypt, cut all ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing the gas-rich emirate of supporting Islamist extremists and of being too close to Shiite Iran, Riyadh's arch-rival. Qatar denies the allegations and has accused the Saudi-led bloc of aiming to incite a change of regime in Doha. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts within the GCC to resolve the crisis, but so far with little success. Casting further doubt on the group's future, the UAE said Tuesday it was forming a new military and economic committee with Saudi Arabia separate from the GCC. The committee "will coordinate between the two countries in all military, political, economic, trade and cultural fields," according to a decree issued by UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. Founded in 1981, the GCC is a political and economic union grouping Qatar with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates as well as Oman and Kuwait. Dominated by Riyadh, it has been a regional counterweight to Iran, Sunni Saudi Arabia's Shiite rival across the Gulf. On Monday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Qatar attended round-table talks ahead of the gathering, in their first such encounter since the diplomatic crisis erupted in June. Omani Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Yussef bin Alawi sat between them at the meeting which the foreign ministers of the UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait also attended. After cutting off all ties with Qatar, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a land, sea and air blockade of the emirate and issued a list of 13 demands to have it lifted. Bahrain in October called for Qatar's membership of the GCC to be suspended until it accepted the demands. Experts warn that the crisis could lead to the demise of the once-powerful GCC. "The justifications for the existence of the GCC bloc amidst the continued crisis are no longer present like before," said Sami al-Faraj, head of the Kuwait Center for Strategic Studies. "As long as our enemy has changed from Iran to Qatar, the GCC will not continue." The failure of the GCC members to solidify long-delayed plans for economic unity may also threaten its future. The Gulf states have approved a customs union, a common market, a single currency and a single central bank, but most of these have yet to be implemented. Speaking at Monday`s meeting, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Sabah stressed the determination of member states to preserve the GCC. "The GCC is a continuous project in which the will of member states meets to build a unified Gulf body," he said.

Saudi, allies snub Qatar at crisis-hit Gulf summit

&nbsp;A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation&rsquo;s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement.

The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013.

QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement.

Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel&rsquo;s board after the settlement of the sale.

The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June.

The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies.

Qatar&rsquo;s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits.

It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany &amp; Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players.

JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to &ldquo;neutral&rdquo; from &ldquo;underweight&rdquo;, saying the fundamentals for large players in were &ldquo;falling in place sooner than expected&rdquo;.

?A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation?s recent stake sales in foreign companies.

A Qatari investor sold its entire 5 percent stake in top Indian telecoms carrier Bharti Airtel on Wednesday for 96 billion rupees ($1.48 billion), adding to the sanctions-hit Gulf nation’s recent stake sales in foreign companies. An affiliate of the Qatar Foundation Endowment (QFE) sold about 199.9 million shares in the phone carrier at 481 rupees each via a block trade, it said in a statement. The sale price was a 6.4 percent discount to Bharti Airtel’s Tuesday closing price, but will still give the Qatari investor a significant return over its 68 billion-rupee investment in the Indian company in May 2013. QFE will reinvest the proceeds from Bharti Airtel stake sale as part of the growth of its global portfolio and diversification, it said in the statement. Rashed Fahad Al-Noaimi, chief executive of investments at Qatar Foundation will step down from Bharti Airtel’s board after the settlement of the sale. The sale comes at a time when other Qatari firms, including its sovereign wealth fund, are cutting stakes in foreign companies to raise cash and withstand pressure on the economy, which has been hit by sanctions imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt since early June. The Gulf countries cut diplomatic and transport ties with Doha on June 5, accusing it of backing terrorism, a charge which Doha denies. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority, has responded to the crisis by pumping billions of dollars into local banks to shore up their deposits. It has also reduced its stake in upscale jeweller Tiffany & Co, Russian energy giant Rosneft and Swiss bank Credit Suisse. Bharti Airtel shares closed 3.7 percent down at 495.30 rupees. Still, the stock is up 62 percent in 2017 on signs of an end to a bruising price war in the Indian telecoms space and hopes that industry consolidation would benefit established players. JPMorgan on Wednesday upgraded the stock to “neutral” from “underweight”, saying the fundamentals for large players in were “falling in place sooner than expected”.

Qatari investor sells $1.5 billion stake in Bharti Airtel

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of &quot;business as usual&quot; for vital gas exports.

Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country.&nbsp;

Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis, there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump.

Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and says it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qataris out of their countries within 14 days.

Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, a special adviser to Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, told AFP the decision to sever ties would not prove successful.

&quot;I think this is not about counter-terrorism, it&#39;s not about terror financing,&quot; he said.

&quot;I think it is about an orchestrated campaign against my country to pressure my country to change its active, independent foreign policy.

&quot;This policy of domination and control is not going to work.&quot;

&quot;When it comes to terrorism, Qatar has never supported terrorism, Qatar does not support terrorism, Qatar will not support terrorism,&quot; Qahtani said.

The crisis has raised major concerns of instability in the region, and on Sunday Kuwait&#39;s foreign minister said his country would continue its mediation efforts.

State media reported late Saturday Doha would &quot;not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country&quot;.

No gas interruption&nbsp;

This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar.

Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people in all the countries affected.&nbsp;

&quot;For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear,&quot; Amnesty International has said.

Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering &quot;suitable measures&quot; to help families with mixed citizenships, but provided few details.

Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified natural gas have not been interrupted.

&quot;Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual&nbsp;throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and&nbsp;operations, and in all activities across all of QP&#39;s world-class facilities,&quot; a statement read.

Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the world&#39;s richest countries, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which Qatar will host.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday said he was confident the crisis posed no threat to the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar&#39;s rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states&#39; arch-rival Shiite-dominated Iran -- claims that Doha has also denied.

Iranian officials said Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it.

Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five aircraft carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days.

&quot;We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand,&quot; Noushabadi added, without saying if these were commercial exports or aid.

Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave Iran for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Mixed US signals

Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their &quot;blockade&quot; of Qatar.

Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar&#39;s position as a key ally and host to the region&#39;s largest US airbase.

While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had &quot;historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level&quot;.

Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has led mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue.

The African Union chairman, Guinean President Alpha Conde whose country has close ties with Saudi Arabia, has also offered himself as a mediator.

This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar

Qatar moved Sunday to avoid an escalation of its feud with Gulf neighbours by telling their citizens they are welcome to stay, while boasting of "business as usual" for vital gas exports. Iran also announced it had sent tonnes of vegetables to Qatar, which has seen food imports threatened after its neighbours cut air, sea and land links with the country. Nearly a week after Saudi Arabia and several of its allies severed ties with Qatar in an unprecedented Gulf diplomatic crisis, there were no signs of the bitter dispute being resolved. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and others accused Qatar of supporting extremist groups, an assertion since backed by US President Donald Trump. Qatar strongly rejects the allegations and says it is open to talks on ending the dispute, which also saw the three Gulf states order all Qataris out of their countries within 14 days. Mutlaq Al-Qahtani, a special adviser to Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, told AFP the decision to sever ties would not prove successful. "I think this is not about counter-terrorism, it's not about terror financing," he said. "I think it is about an orchestrated campaign against my country to pressure my country to change its active, independent foreign policy. "This policy of domination and control is not going to work." "When it comes to terrorism, Qatar has never supported terrorism, Qatar does not support terrorism, Qatar will not support terrorism," Qahtani said. The crisis has raised major concerns of instability in the region, and on Sunday Kuwait's foreign minister said his country would continue its mediation efforts. State media reported late Saturday Doha would "not take any measures against residents of Qatar who hold the nationalities of countries that severed diplomatic ties... on the back of hostile and tendentious campaigns against the country". No gas interruption This will come as a relief to the more than 11,000 people from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain living in Qatar. Concerns have been raised for the impact of these measures on people in all the countries affected. "For potentially thousands of people across the Gulf, the effect of the steps imposed in the wake of this political dispute is suffering, heartbreak and fear," Amnesty International has said. Saudi Arabia said Sunday it was ordering "suitable measures" to help families with mixed citizenships, but provided few details. Despite the unprecedented sanctions, Qatar says that its crucial exports of liquified natural gas have not been interrupted. "Qatar Petroleum... is conducting business as usual throughout all its upstream, midstream and downstream businesses and operations, and in all activities across all of QP's world-class facilities," a statement read. Gas has helped transform the tiny emirate into one of the world's richest countries, fuelling its rise into a major regional player and helping fund huge infrastructure projects such as the 2022 football World Cup, which Qatar will host. FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Sunday said he was confident the crisis posed no threat to the 2022 World Cup. Qatar's rivals have also accused Doha of being too close to the Sunni Arab Gulf states' arch-rival Shiite-dominated Iran -- claims that Doha has also denied. Iranian officials said Sunday that tonnes of vegetables had been sent from Iran to Qatar since the measures were taken against it. Iran Air spokesman Shahrokh Noushabadi said five aircraft carrying around 90 tonnes of vegetables each had been sent to Qatar in recent days. "We will continue deliveries as long as there is demand," Noushabadi added, without saying if these were commercial exports or aid. Three ships loaded with 350 tonnes of fruit and vegetables were also set to leave Iran for Qatar, the Tasnim news agency reported. Mixed US signals Moscow on Saturday joined other nations in calling for dialogue, after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to ease their "blockade" of Qatar. Washington has sent mixed signals on the crisis, despite Qatar's position as a key ally and host to the region's largest US airbase. While Tillerson and others have called for an easing of tensions, Trump on Friday said Qatar had "historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level". Kuwait, which has not joined its neighbours against Qatar, has led mediation efforts and on Sunday Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khaled Al-Sabah said that would continue. The African Union chairman, Guinean President Alpha Conde whose country has close ties with Saudi Arabia, has also offered himself as a mediator.

Gulf citizens can stay despite crisis: Qatar

The Saudi Arabian government has <a href="http://www.khaleejtimes.com/region/saudi-arabia/saudi-to-remove-all-expats-from-govt-departments-ministries">announced plans</a> to remove all expatriates from the public sector over the next three years. This is part of the Saudization 2020 plan to ensure more jobs for locals in the kingdom.

According to estimates from the International Labor Organization, 5.5% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia was unemployed in 2016. Here&#39;s a chart showing unemployment rates for the rest of the countries in the Persian Gulf:

&nbsp;

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If we look at what those percentages mean in actual&nbsp;numbers, it comes to around 695,000 Saudis being unemployed.

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This move to Saudise the public sector by 2020 could particularly affect South Asia, which has over 6.5 million migrants in South Asia.

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Saudi Arabia wants to 'Saudise' its public sector by 2020 to ensure more jobs for locals. So how many of them don't have jobs?

The Saudi Arabian government has announced plans to remove all expatriates from the public sector over the next three years. This is part of the Saudization 2020 plan to ensure more jobs for locals in the kingdom. According to estimates from the International Labor Organization, 5.5% of the labour force in Saudi Arabia was unemployed in 2016. Here's a chart showing unemployment rates for the rest of the countries in the Persian Gulf: If we look at what those percentages mean in actual numbers, it comes to around 695,000 Saudis being unemployed. This move to Saudise the public sector by 2020 could particularly affect South Asia, which has over 6.5 million migrants in South Asia.

Infographic: Unemployment hits Saudi Arabia, govt aims at 'Saudization'

Thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia after the plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs, activists and officials said on Tuesday. 
 
Some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, said Garry Martinez, chairman of the Migrante group which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide. 
 
&quot;Some of them have nothing to eat and have to go through the garbage for food,&quot; said Martinez. 
 
India said on Monday it was negotiating with Saudi authorities to repatriate thousands of its own nationals after they lost their jobs, leaving them with no money to return home. 
 
Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament in New Delhi she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages. 
 
In Manila, Migrante coordinator Gilbert Saludo, who returned from Saudi Arabia last month after two years working there said as many as 20,000 Filipinos could be affected. Saludo said that while Manila had extended financial aid to them so far, it was not clear how long this could last. The labour problem appeared likely to worsen, he added. &quot;It will get much worse because so much of the income of Saudi Arabia comes from oil... so their budget for infrastructure and other projects will not be met and more people will be affected,&quot; Saludo told AFP. 
 
The Philippine Labour Department said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello had visited Saudi Arabia last month to address the problem but would not elaborate. 
 
Pakistan said 8,520 of its nationals in Saudi Arabia had not been receiving their salaries for several months. A foreign ministry statement said that &quot;most of the workers want to leave these companies but only after settling their dues&quot;. The Pakistan embassy had set up special centres and a fund to provide aid, food, medicine and shelter. &quot;The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned,&quot; the office of the prime minister said. 
 
&quot;We stand by our hardworking workers who are away from their homeland to earn a living for their families. They are our strength and pride. We will help them out in all possible ways,&quot; Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. 
 
The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week but repatriation has been complicated by restrictive labour regulations. Swaraj cited a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country. 
 
In Manila, the Migrante officials also said Filipinos could not leave because they lacked proper permits or were still awaiting months of back pay. 
 
(AFP)

Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuse

Thousands of jobless Indians, Filipinos and Pakistanis are stranded and destitute in Saudi Arabia after the plunge in oil prices sparked construction layoffs, activists and officials said on Tuesday. Some Filipinos are forced to beg or sift through garbage to survive after going unpaid for months, said Garry Martinez, chairman of the Migrante group which works for the millions of Filipino overseas workers worldwide. "Some of them have nothing to eat and have to go through the garbage for food," said Martinez. India said on Monday it was negotiating with Saudi authorities to repatriate thousands of its own nationals after they lost their jobs, leaving them with no money to return home. Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament in New Delhi she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 Indian workers had been left to starve. Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages. In Manila, Migrante coordinator Gilbert Saludo, who returned from Saudi Arabia last month after two years working there said as many as 20,000 Filipinos could be affected. Saludo said that while Manila had extended financial aid to them so far, it was not clear how long this could last. The labour problem appeared likely to worsen, he added. "It will get much worse because so much of the income of Saudi Arabia comes from oil... so their budget for infrastructure and other projects will not be met and more people will be affected," Saludo told AFP. The Philippine Labour Department said Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello had visited Saudi Arabia last month to address the problem but would not elaborate. Pakistan said 8,520 of its nationals in Saudi Arabia had not been receiving their salaries for several months. A foreign ministry statement said that "most of the workers want to leave these companies but only after settling their dues". The Pakistan embassy had set up special centres and a fund to provide aid, food, medicine and shelter. "The (Pakistani) embassy has further informed that Saudi King has issued a decree for urgent payment of dues to workers by the concerned," the office of the prime minister said. "We stand by our hardworking workers who are away from their homeland to earn a living for their families. They are our strength and pride. We will help them out in all possible ways," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement. The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week but repatriation has been complicated by restrictive labour regulations. Swaraj cited a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country. In Manila, the Migrante officials also said Filipinos could not leave because they lacked proper permits or were still awaiting months of back pay. (AFP)

Thousands of jobless Asians including Indians stranded in Saudi

India said today it is negotiating with authorities in Saudi Arabia to repatriate thousands of migrant workers after they lost their jobs, leaving them destitute and with no money to return home. 
 
Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 workers had lost their jobs and been left to starve. 
 
Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages, with no channels for redress. 
 
Many of the companies employing them have suffered from the drop in oil revenues from falling prices, prompting a downturn in construction and layoffs. 
 
The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week, but Swaraj said the situation could not be allowed to continue. 
 
&quot;This can&#39;t be a permanent solution, we will have to bring them back,&quot; Swaraj told the lower house of the parliament Monday. 
 
However that is being hampered by a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country, she said. 
 
Junior minister VK Singh will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday to try to sort the situation out, she said. 
 
Among those stranded are some 2,450 workers laid off by Saudi Oger, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon&#39;s billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri. 
 
&quot;No jobless Indian will sleep hungry. If they want to come back home, the government will ensure their safe return...we have a collective responsibility towards our citizens,&quot; Swaraj said. 
 
Nearly three million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, according to the foreign ministry, one of the largest populations outside of India. In November 2014, Gulf and Asian labour ministers agreed on a series of initiatives aimed at boosting protection and improving conditions of employment for foreign workers in the Gulf. 
 
(AFP)

Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses

India said today it is negotiating with authorities in Saudi Arabia to repatriate thousands of migrant workers after they lost their jobs, leaving them destitute and with no money to return home. Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj told parliament she was sending a junior minister to Riyadh after reports that around 10,000 workers had lost their jobs and been left to starve. Indians are among millions of poor Asians working in the Gulf states, where human rights groups say many suffer exploitation and abuses including non-payment of wages, with no channels for redress. Many of the companies employing them have suffered from the drop in oil revenues from falling prices, prompting a downturn in construction and layoffs. The Indian consulate in Jeddah has been providing free food for its nationals since their plight came to light last week, but Swaraj said the situation could not be allowed to continue. "This can't be a permanent solution, we will have to bring them back," Swaraj told the lower house of the parliament Monday. However that is being hampered by a Saudi requirement that workers provide a no-objection certificate from their employers before they can leave the country, she said. Junior minister VK Singh will travel to Riyadh on Tuesday to try to sort the situation out, she said. Among those stranded are some 2,450 workers laid off by Saudi Oger, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon's billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri. "No jobless Indian will sleep hungry. If they want to come back home, the government will ensure their safe return...we have a collective responsibility towards our citizens," Swaraj said. Nearly three million Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, according to the foreign ministry, one of the largest populations outside of India. In November 2014, Gulf and Asian labour ministers agreed on a series of initiatives aimed at boosting protection and improving conditions of employment for foreign workers in the Gulf. (AFP)

India plans to bring back thousands of migrant workers stranded in Saudi

Kuwait has set a minimum wage for its hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian domestic staff, the first country in the Gulf to do so, local media reported today.&nbsp; 
 
A decree issued by Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Sabah set the minimum wage at 60 dinars ($200) a month and also granted domestic staff a raft of other rights, Al-Anbaa newspaper reported. 
 
Kuwait is the first country in the Gulf to regulate the work conditions of domestic staff and Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have urged others to follow suit to tackle widespread abuses. 
 
The decree, which implements landmark legislation adopted by parliament last year, also requires employers to pay overtime for any extra hours worked. 
 
It grants domestic workers the right to a weekly day off, 30 days of annual paid leave, a 12-hour working day with rest, and an end-of-service benefit of one month a year at the end of contract. 
 
The estimated 600,000 maids in Kuwait are among at least 2.4 million working across the Gulf. They are not covered by ordinary labour legislation. 
 
Human Rights Watch and other groups have documented widespread abuses, including non-payment of wages, long working hours with no rest days, physical and sexual assault, and no clear channels for redress. 
 
In its 2016 Trafficking in Persons report, the US State Department upgraded Kuwait from tier 3, the worst level, to tier 2 while keeping it on watch list, citing an improvement in its treatment of migrant workers. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have urged other countries in Gulf to follow suit to tackle widespread abuses

Kuwait has set a minimum wage for its hundreds of thousands of mostly Asian domestic staff, the first country in the Gulf to do so, local media reported today. A decree issued by Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammad Khaled Al-Sabah set the minimum wage at 60 dinars ($200) a month and also granted domestic staff a raft of other rights, Al-Anbaa newspaper reported. Kuwait is the first country in the Gulf to regulate the work conditions of domestic staff and Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have urged others to follow suit to tackle widespread abuses. The decree, which implements landmark legislation adopted by parliament last year, also requires employers to pay overtime for any extra hours worked. It grants domestic workers the right to a weekly day off, 30 days of annual paid leave, a 12-hour working day with rest, and an end-of-service benefit of one month a year at the end of contract. The estimated 600,000 maids in Kuwait are among at least 2.4 million working across the Gulf. They are not covered by ordinary labour legislation. Human Rights Watch and other groups have documented widespread abuses, including non-payment of wages, long working hours with no rest days, physical and sexual assault, and no clear channels for redress. In its 2016 Trafficking in Persons report, the US State Department upgraded Kuwait from tier 3, the worst level, to tier 2 while keeping it on watch list, citing an improvement in its treatment of migrant workers. (AFP)

Kuwait becomes first country in Gulf to set minimum wages for domestic staff: Local media

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