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كورونا باقية إلى الأبد

متين خالد  آن الأوان لأن تكشف الحكومة ومنظمة الصحة العالمية للعالم أنّ طفرات فيروس كورونا تعني أن جهاز المناعة لدى سبعة مليارات نسمة سيكون عرضةً للتقلبات الجزيئية في شيفرته الجينية. وخلاصة القول أنّ نهاية جائحة كورونا، التي افترضناها جميعًا بعد وصول اللقاحات في شهر تشرين الثاني/نوفمبر الماضي، هي ضربٌ من الخيال. مع ذلك، أقرّ بأنني اكتسبت ما أعرفه عن علم الأحياء البشري بمجهودٍ شخصي من خلال التداول بأسهم التكنولوجيا الحيوية وأسهم شركات الأدوية الكبرى.  إنّ دول الهند وجنوب أفريقيا والبرازيل هي خير دليل على أن متحور دلتا من فيروس […]

AfPak takes on a new meaning

James Dorsey Recent attacks on Kabul’s international airport by the Islamic State’s Afghan affiliate raise multiple questions as well as the spectre of paradigm shifts in the drivers and expanding geography of political violence. The attacks have called into question the Taliban’s ability to maintain security and keep a lid on the activities of multiple militant groups in Afghanistan. Long at war with the Islamic State (IS), […]

Singapore Convention Week 2021 Brings Together Global Legal And Business Community

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 31 August 2021 – The upcoming Singapore Convention Week (SC Week) 2021 will bring together leaders from the legal, business and government sectors in the international dispute resolution scene. Themed ‘A World in Transition’, the global legal conference will be held virtually from 6 to 10 September 2021. Participants will discuss the latest trends and innovations in international dispute resolution amidst a […]

Double-edged sword for Pakistan, China

James M Dorsey Pakistani efforts to exploit the Taliban victory in Afghanistan threaten to reinforce ultra-conservative inclinations in Pakistan itself, the world’s second-most populous Muslim majority country, long accused of supporting militant religious groups. The notion that religious ultra-conservatism may not remain contained to Afghanistan may be one reason why US President Joe Biden decided to effectively abandon Central Asia with his withdrawal of US forces from […]

Afghanistan debacle puts UAE on the spot

James M Dorsey Afghanistan is showing the United Arab Emirates the downside of being a haven for deposed leaders and exiled politicians whose wealth is reportedly parked without question in Emirati financial institutions. The latest arrival in the UAE, former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, denied this week allegations by Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tajikistan, Zahir Aghbar, that he had stolen US$169 million from state coffers and an assertion by the Russian […]

A fox in charge of the chicken coop?

By James M Dorsey Abu Omar Khorasani was taken from Kabul’s Pul-i-Charkhi prison and unceremoniously shot. The first and only person to have been executed since the Taliban gained full control of Afghanistan, Mr. Khorasani was the head of the Islamic State in South Asia until he was arrested by government forces last year. The precise circumstances of his execution are not known. His killing was, however, […]

Israeli bid to allay diaspora fears

James M Dorsey Israel’s first post-Netanyahu government is seeking to rebuild fractured relations with the Jewish Diaspora and rebrand the country as a liberal rather than an illiberal democracy against the backdrop of uncertainty about future US policy towards the Middle East and continued unconditional backing of the Jewish state. Uncertainty about US reliability has been reinforced by the US negotiation with the Taliban and subsequent withdrawal […]

80% rise in Emaar Malls profit

Arabian Post Staff Emaar Malls recorded an increase in net profit by 80 per cent to AED 622 million (US$ 169 million) during the first six months (January to June) of 2021, compared to a net profit of AED 345 million (US$ 94 million), during the same period in 2020. Revenue for H1 2021 amounted to AED 2.048 billion (US$ 558 million), an increase of 23 per […]

Saudi residential market performs better

Performance across Saudi Arabia’s various real estate market asset classes remains mixed. However, the residential market continues to outperform, according to the latest quarterly Saudi Arabia Real Estate Market Review by global property consultants, Knight Frank. Knight Frank notes that the number of residential transactions in Riyadh are up 77%, year on year and a similar story is playing out on the Red Sea coastal city of […]

Afghanistan a bellwether for Iran-Saudi rivalry

James Dorsey Boasting an almost 1,000-kilometer border with Iran and a history of troubled relations between the Iranians and Sunni Muslim militants, including the Taliban, Afghanistan could become a bellwether for the future of the rivalry between the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia. Had the United States withdrawn from Afghanistan several years earlier, chances would have been that Saudi Arabia would have sought to exploit military advances […]

US, China misguided approach in Middle East

James M. Dorsey A recent analysis of Middle Eastern states’ interventionist policies suggests that misguided big power approaches have fueled a vicious cycle of interference and instability over the last decade. Those approaches are abetted, if not encouraged by US and Chinese strategies that are similar, if not essentially the same, just labelled differently. The United States has long opted for regime stability in the Middle East rather than […]

Trump aide indictment mars UAE’s lobbying success

James M Dorsey This month’s indictment of a billionaire, one-time advisor and close associate of former US President Donald J. Trump, on charges of operating as an unregistered foreign agent in the United States for the United Arab Emirates highlights the successes and pitfalls of a high-stakes Emirati effort to influence US policy. The indictment of businessman Thomas  J. Barrack, who maintained close ties to UAE Crown Prince […]

Greater Middle East target for Chinese military power

James Dorsey China may have no short-term interest in contributing to guaranteeing security in parts of a swath of land stretching from Central Asia to the East coast of Africa, but that does not prevent the People’s Republic from preparing for a time when it may wish to build on long-standing political and military relationships in various parts of the world to project power and maintain an […]

World oil deficit can only worsen

I believe Brent’s 6% plunge last night to close below 70 for the first time since May is an ideal opportunity to accumulate high beta shale drillers and oil services shares that were gutted by 20 to 25% in the brutal correction since the past month. The world oil market is tight and has a deficit of 2.4 MBD. So it made perfect political sense for OPEC […]

Doha beats Dubai in flight ticket bookings for first half

In the battle to be the pre-eminent travel hub in the Middle East, the latest research from ForwardKeys, which has the world’s freshest and most comprehensive fight booking data, reveals that in the first half of 2021, Doha seized and consolidated a lead over Dubai. In the period 1st January to 30th June, the volume of air tickets issued for travel via Doha was 18% higher than it was […]

Muslim-Evangelical alliance strives for middle ground

James M Dorsey A recent unprecedented alliance between Muslims and Evangelicals takes on added significance in a world in which human rights are on the defensive, religious groups tend to forge political as well as ideational partnerships, and the role of the clergy in multiple Muslim-majority countries has come under scrutiny. The alliance potentially could create a platform for voices in the Muslim world, particularly the Middle East, […]

UAE oil policy clashes with Saudi, Russian line

Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was not only the founder of the most successful political federation in the modern history of the Arab World but also the architect of the UAE’s innovative, globalised oil and gas sector. The late UAE President defied the populist trend in OPEC in the 1970’s to nationalise the assets of foreign oil companies. Instead, he signed joint ventures and concession agreements […]

Defining moderate Islam: Muslims and Evangelicals forge an alliance

James M Dorsey A major Muslim and Evangelical organization joined forces this week to significantly advance hitherto state-backed ceremonial inter-faith dialogues that seldom go beyond platitudes and lofty statements. This week’s launch at a Washington DC mosque of an inter-faith alliance and a book published by the Institute for Humanitarian Islam and the Germany-based World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) as well as the Center for Shared Civilizational Values constitutes an […]

World’s recoverable oil 9% slimmer

Rystad Energy’s world’s energy landscape review for 2021 deals a major blow for the size of the world’s remaining recoverable oil resources – but it also shows that oil production and consumption can align with climate goals. Rystad Energy now estimates total recoverable oil resources at 1,725 billion barrels, a significant reduction of last year’s estimate of 1,903 billion barrels. Out of this total, which shows our […]

Dubai Collection launches first art partnership

Arabian Post Staff Dubai Collection has announced details of the first artworks to be accepted into the recently launched initiative, designed to build an institutional art collection for the Emirate of Dubai through a new and innovative partnership model. Dubai Collection is a community-led and collaborative scheme that allows patrons to lend their works while retaining legal ownership, in addition to benefitting from expert advice to support […]

Fuel divide among Gulf states

by James M. Dorsey Personality as well as the conflation of genuine national interest with personal ambition contribute to the widening gap between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. It was only a matter of time before Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would want to come out on his own and no longer be seen as the protégé of his erstwhile mentor and Emirati counterpart, […]

Pak PM’s ultra-conservative inklings

By James M Dorsey Widely seen as a populist with ultra-conservative inklings, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan increasingly appears to reinforce widespread traditionalist attitudes that reject religious tolerance as well as the rights of women and minorities. In doing so, Mr. Khan is aligning Pakistan in religious and social terms closer to Turkey than his country’s traditional allies, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Turkish President […]

Saudi Arabia’s Social Development Bank lent $427m in H1 2021

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Social Development Bank (SDB) provided financing of SR1.6 billion ($426.6 million) to 30,000 beneficiaries during the first half of this year.SDB provided financial and

Saudi deputy defense minister discuses Yemen, Horn of Africa with US

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met with the US National Security Council’s coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk and US Envoy to Yemen