Kuwait arrests 6 over alleged Hezbollah plot to assassinate leaders Kuwait said the individuals were plotting to carry out assassinations against officials, while Qatar and the UAE have also announced the dismantling of networks allegedly tied to Hezbollah and Iran’s IRGC. Kuwait
Analysis Iran war drives Turkey-Gulf defense alignment, but not alliance Despite accelerated cooperation as a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, structural and political constraints would make a formal military alliance unlikely. By Barin Kayaoglu In Ankara, reporting on geopolitics and national security
US fast-tracks $16.5B arms sales to UAE, Jordan, Kuwait amid Iran attacks Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued emergency waivers to bypass the normal congressional review period for the sales, the administration said, as Iran signaled its ability to open a new front with strikes on Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coast. United States
Analysis Iran war tests Gulf dealmaking as foreign investors assess risks A multibillion-dollar pipeline sale in Kuwait has emerged as one of the early signs that the Gulf’s dealmaking machine is taking a hit from the US-Israel-Iran war. By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis Alternative supply routes emerge as Iran war tests Gulf food security By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Kuwait PM proposes drastically scaling back expat population Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid Al Sabah suggested the country reduce its number of foreign residents from 70% to 30%. Kuwait
COVID-19 crisis returns spotlight to Gulf migrant communities Contract migration schemes make citizenship acquisition nearly impossible for migrant workers in the Gulf, and recent economic and health crises make any imminent changes further unlikely. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: State Department approves $1.4 billion upgrade for Kuwait’s missile defenses The US State Department approved Kuwait’s request for $1.425 billion in upgrades for the Gulf country’s Patriot missile defense systems. Kuwait
Kuwait reduces its lockdown to 12 hours as virus cases continue to climb Kuwait previously instituted a 24-hour curfew to stop the spread of COVID-19. Kuwait
Kuwait threatens jail for flouting face mask order Kuwait will now begin jailing those who leave their homes without a face mask. Kuwait
Gulf’s megaprojects face delays, reassessment Saudi Arabia has cut capital expenditure for a number of Vision 2030 projects amid a drop in oil prices and Chinese investment. Will other Gulf states follow suit? Saudi Arabia
Kuwait sees coronavirus jump as lockdown holds Kuwait has registered 947 coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours as the country continues its total lockdown. Kuwait
Kuwait announces full curfew as other countries ease restrictions Kuwait announced a "total curfew" will start Sunday to fight the coronavirus, but did not yet specify details. Kuwait
Saudi Arabia braces for economic impact Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council states must make dramatic cuts in spending, and not just on megaprojects, as unsustainably large annual deficits have arrived. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Trump calls on Qatar to work toward resolving Gulf dispute President Donald Trump has asked Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to take steps to resolve the ongoing dispute with Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, which blockaded Qatar in 2017. Legacy: Gulf
Intel: Pompeo and Gulf ministers coordinate on Iran, COVID-19 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a flurry of phone calls on Thursday with his counterparts in Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates to discuss Iran and the COVID-19 pandemic. United Arab Emirates
How COVID-19 will change GCC labor markets A siren is blaring for local labor markets as the global pandemic and falling oil revenues begin to upend the Gulf states' economies. Saudi Arabia
![A British Royal Air Force Harrier GR7 groundcrew member cycles along the apron infront of a Patriot Missile defence system on his base in Kuwait April 6, 2003. [U.S. troops have a tight control on Baghdad airport and will move out from there in all directions, Jim Wilkinson, a spokesman for U.S. commander General Tommy Franks, said on Sunday.] - PBEAHUOQIBA](/sites/default/files/styles/article_header/public/almpics/2020/05/RTXLWAK.jpg/RTXLWAK.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=Rlh7RZgw)
