Israel goes to the polls for the second time this year on September 17. This happened after the PM Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a coalition government (he was elected as PM in April this year) the first time this had happened in Israel's history. What happens in this upcoming election is crucial for Netanyahu's Likud Party (officially the Liku...

Yemen is a quagmire for supporters of the Hadi regime, who are seeking to overthrow the Houthi rebels, in particular  Saudi Arabia and the UAE, although the latter had  largely pulled out of the war. President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, resides in Saudi Arabia and Aden has been the seat of power since he left the country in 2014. Yemen is a ...

The war in Yemen is not generating the positive outcome that Saudi Arabia wanted. It's aim was to rid the country of the Houthis (allegedly backed by Iran) and the secessionists. This has not happened, especially with the recent loss of the strategic port city of Aden. What does this mean for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman? by Bruce Riedel (Al Mo...

Qatar has had a rocky time since it was announced it would hold the World Cup 2022. The award was granted in 2010 amidst international criticism that the tournament should not be held there, not least because of the high temperatures. But at least November is slightly cooler than July. One concern is that Qatar is an alcohol-free state but visitors...

  Most of the economic forecasts, from the IMF and World Bank, to numerous global banks, project the global economy is slowing. But is it? And how quickly is it happening? This article looks at what the NZ Superfund projects. INVESTMENT ENVIRONMENT REPORT – AUGUST 2019 In this 'Investment Environment Report', NZ Super Fund Chief Economist Mike...

The four-year war in Yemen is slowing, now that the UAE is "abandoning" Saudi Arabia to continue the war there. War in Yemen is also not stopping people readying for Eid Al Adha (or the Festival of the Sacrifice), the longest Eid break and the one where Muslims go to Mecca to pay their respects. The article below (from Al Monitor) describes how Yem...

Turkey has taken in a large number of Syrian refugees and this is often mentioned in glowing terms by others. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has also made much of this. Turkey's willingness to take in refugees, along with Jordan and Lebanon which have established refugee camps, and to a lesser extent, Iraq, is changing. But then the much r...

Diversification of the UAE economy was the cornerstone of much of the UAE economic strategy throughout the second half of the 2000's and the following decade. It sounded great but it seems not to have worked, with a continued heavy reliance on oil. The emirate of Dubai has always been a logistic hub, since it has not much oil. Abu Dhabi has been oi...

The Middle East is usually at the centre of a political conflict, often involving Iran. In this case, what would happen to Israel were it to attack Iran? Here are some thoughts from the Daily Express in the UK. ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should calm tensions with Iran and belie his hawkish nature if he wants to avoid catastrophe in t...

This is not on the topic of the Middle East but it is topic I am interested in and write about. Here is today's writing. The rise and fall of Teresa May, as displayed in her body language Teresa May, Britain's former Prime Minister, swooped into Downing Street on 13 July 2016 a proud and confident woman, taking over from David Cameron, as leader of...

There's a lot of action in the Middle East, especially between Iran and the rest of the Arab world. Although there have been skirmishes between the UAE and Iran for many years it wasn't in anyone's interests for such skirmishes to hit the headlines. Now I read that Iran is warming to its Arab neighbours, or is it the other way round? "Warming" is p...

There is no doubt that the US has immense influence in the Middle East. The pact between Iran and Russia seeks to change that. The idea is that the Gulf Arab countries also see Russia as offering more interesting ideas. The recent pact will ensure that: "The states in the Middle East should be more careful about following Western advice ," former R...

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum (70), Dubai's ruler, can no longer keep his domestic affairs quiet. Now it's Princess Haya of Jordan, half-sister of Jordan's current king, King Abdullah II who is seeking to divorce him and is seeking a protection order for one of her children in London now. She married him in 2004 and rumour has it that King ...

I read this article on the UAE's involvement in the Yemeni war (UAE flag pictured) with a great deal of interest- not least because I lived in the UAE and have spent time in Yemen as well. At that time, the Civil War had ended and the South had separated from the North. Although kidnappings were still normal- the group I was travelling with wa...

I've been wondering what it would be like being in the Middle East, given that I was in New Zealand for four years and I'm now living in Vietnam. I would probably find this mounting tension hard to deal with, although it happens all the time. While I was living in the UAE, I was used to it. With tension in the region increasing all the time, especi...

The Iranian crisis continues with both the Iranians and the US trading insults. It looks as if war between the parties could be any day, particularly if either side makes a mistake, but this time it might happen. However, a settlement concerning the dispute might just be negotiated. Republican Senator Rand Paul (pictured) has made overtures to the ...

One of the issues that continues to recur is what Turkey will do about Syria. Will it invade or not? I've often thought about and I assume that it will, someday, especially stop the Kurds. That assumption may not be correct. I know Kurds who live in New Zealand, having escaped from Iran and Iraq, and I know Kurds from the Middle East. All they want...

I've been thinking a lot recently about religion and how it affects relationships and society. Just recently I've been made to feel inferior to a "religious" person even though I have paid for all of life's essentials- accommodation, food and transport. Clearly, however he is more superior because he is "religious". Is it not much the same in Iran?...

An increasing number of Gazans are entering into Israel each day to work, 2000 in fact. This number has just been improved by the Israeli government despite the fact that it is an election year and the right-wing is desperate to keep the fact that Hamas, seemingly, is being rewarded, quiet. Moving from Palestine to Israel is difficult - I've done i...

New Zealand has been in the news a lot recently. Latterly, it was the International Cricket World Cup and before that the shootings at the Christchurch mosque, during which 51 people were killed. Now, I'll put in a media release about which there will not be a lot of media coverage. Joint statement from NZ Super Fund, Russell Group and Lockwood Pro...