In this co-authored article with Prof. Abdullah Baabood for The Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), we trace the burgeoning ambitions and vision of Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tareq. Slightly over a year after taking the reins of power, the double whammy of an oil price collapse and a pandemic provided more — and…

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In this co-authored piece with Hamad Albloshi for The Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), we assessed the Kuwaiti political scene four months after the passing of Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad (in September 2020). The transition of Emiri power was swiftly followed by parliamentary elections, but the sequence of political events exhibit more continuity than…

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Amid the the panic and inward-looking policies as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, I diagnosed the factors behind the expat exodus in the Gulf. Long seen as a transient segment of the population, a virus gave the authorities ample reason for a demographic shake-up. This, despite previous measures taken to improve the flawed kafala…

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I gave my comments in the latest Al Jazeera article by Sebastian Castelier, concerning the ability of Kuwaiti leadership in managing external pressures. I remarked that Kuwait’s foreign policy will be in “a direction of continuity,” and the country has very able hands. To name a few, Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid has vast…

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Several hours ago, I came to learn, with a heavy heart, that Kuwait’s ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, had passed on. I have since conveyed my deepest condolences to my Kuwaiti friends. Emir Sabah was widely regarded as a dedicated statesman, a father of a nation, and an influential, calming voice in the Arab world.…

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In the September 2020 issue of the Cambridge Middle East and North Africa Forum’s (CMENAF) publication, I weighed in on the stateless bidoon community of the Gulf. A protracted problem, in particular for Kuwait, the stateless could plug occupational gaps in Gulf states where a demographic readjustment is taking place. Yet, more needs to be…

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