Oman is one among several GCC states that has recently reduced state subsidies on gasoline in response to the decline in oil prices, which is at its lowest since 2003. Gasoline prices for both premium and regular fuel will increase by about a third and a fourth, respectively. Less general government spending is expected to[…]
According to the Ministry of Interior (MOI), “skirmishes” took place around the Al-Marzouq religious center in Sitra, Bahrain, on January 11, 2016. The MOI said that gunfire mistakenly damaged some of the center’s facilities. Eyewitnesses reported that around 3:00 a.m., a black vehicle opened fire at the Al-Marzouq center, damaging some of the center’s windows[…]
Saudi news outlets have referred to the recently executed Saudi activist Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as a pro-Iranian terrorist, a Muslim extremist, and a Hezbollah leader; meanwhile, international commentators have painted al-Nimr as an opposition leader, activist, and prominent religious figure. To provide a better understanding of Sheikh Nimr, Toby Matthiesen offers an in-depth account of[…]
Netsweeper, a Canadian company, has offered to provide the Bahraini government with internet censorship technology. In exchange for $1,175,000, the company will supply the Bahraini government with a “national website filtering solution.” Netsweeper has been involved in a number of questionable partnerships in recent years. Last year, researchers criticized the company for providing the Houthi[…]
Salim al-Aradi is a dual Libyan-Canadian citizen who was arrested without charge in the UAE approximately 17 months ago. The Canadian government is currently facing allegations that they have were aware that the Emirati authorities tortured al-Aradi and yet failed to inform his family. According to Dan McTeague, a former Canadian MP, the government does not have[…]