The United Arab Emirates Will Send an Unmanned Spacecraft to the Moon in 2024 On September 29th, 2020 the prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates said his country plans to send an unmanned spacecraft to the moon in 2024. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MAKTOUM, who is also the ruler of Continue Reading

The Evolution Of The Lasting Crisis In Lebanon Forming a government seems like an impossible task for Lebanon since the Prime Minister-designate Moustapha Adib quit on Saturday, September 26, 2020, after failing to line up a non-partisan cabinet, dealing a blow to the French plan aimed at rallying Continue Reading

Dissolution of the Jordanian Parliament On Sunday, September 27, 2020, the Jordanian King Abdullah II dissolved the Parliament through royal decree as of Sunday and with another royal decree, a new Senate was appointed, headed by former Prime Minister Faisal Al Fayez. The country was Continue Reading

Jordan in Favor of the Two-state Solution for Israel and the Palestinians, Amid Conciliation Talks between Fatah and Hamas The date of September 24th marked a turning point for Palestinians in the recent crisis generated by the normalization deals signed on September 15th between Israel and UAE and Bahrain, in a ceremony hosted by the US. On one hand, this Continue Reading

East Mediterranean Gas Forum Becomes An Organisation On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), headquartered in Cairo, was officially turned into a regional organization (through an online conference) by the seven-member states (Egypt, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, and the Palestinians). As such, the Continue Reading

Towards the Formation of a New Lebanese Government? Despite surpassing the deadline imposed by France for the formation of a new government (September 14, 2020), Lebanon has not yet reached a conclusion to the internal political crisis. On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, France’s foreign ministry warned Lebanon’s political Continue Reading

Refusal Of The Rotating Presidency Of The Arab League By Palestine On Tuesday, September 22, 2020, the Palestinian foreign minister declared that Palestine has quit its current chairmanship of Arab League meetings, condemning as dishonorable any Arab agreement to establish formal ties with Israel. This comes in the context in which Palestinians Continue Reading

US and the “Snapback” Provision in the JCPOA On Saturday, September 19, 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that all UN sanctions against Iran were “back in effect” under the “snapback” provision in the JCPOA. The claim came 30 days after Pompeo notified the UN Security Continue Reading

Stalemate Between France And Lebanon Over The Establishment Of A New Government As a result of Lebanon’s failure to form a new government by mid-September in accordance with a schedule laid out together with France, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed disappointment on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. The agreement from September 1st came in Continue Reading

The PM of the Libyan UN-supported Government Announces Resignation This week, the Prime Minister of Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj announced his resignation but will stay on in a caretaker capacity through negotiations for a new government in Geneva next month, according to officials familiar with him. With Continue Reading

The Signature Of The Israel - UAE And Israel - Bahrain Treaties “Normalization within the Middle East”, marking a “new dawn” for the region, as preached by the US, happened through the signature of the treaties - the Abraham Accords - between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain on Tuesday, September 15, Continue Reading

The Egypt - Cyprus Talks About Gas Pipeline Amid growing tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Egypt and Cyprus are intensifying talks to start building an offshore gas pipeline from the Aphrodite gas field to Cairo in preparation for re-export to Europe, in a more general context of the Continue Reading

Bahrain - Israel Deal Following the example of the UAE, on Friday, September 11, 2020, as expected by many Middle East specialists, Bahrain concluded a deal with Israel, under the auspices of the US. This agreement comes only after one month since the deal Continue Reading

Arab League Not Supportive Of The Palestinian Cause On Wednesday, September 9, 2020, the Arab League held a meeting via video conference at the Arab League headquarters, at the level of foreign ministers, to discuss Palestinian Authority’s request for an emergency meeting to reject the UAE’s normalization deal Continue Reading

The Russian Delegation’s Visit In Syria On Monday, September 7, 2020, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad received the visit of a Russian delegation in Damascus, led by the Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. President Bashar al-Assad said on Monday he wanted to Continue Reading

The 6th Summit Of The High-Level Cooperation Council Between Turkey And Iran On Tuesday, September 8, 2020, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his counterpart, the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani presided over the 6th reunion of the High-Level Cooperation Council between Turkey and Iran, held via video link due to the coronavirus Continue Reading

Diplomatic Talks Between the Two Libyan Rival Sides In Morocco Morocco’s initiative of bringing together the rival Libyan political 5 member-delegations (the High Council of State based in Tripoli - Government of National Accord, GNA, and the Parliament based in Tobruk, Tunisia - Libyan National Army, LNA) in Bouznika for Continue Reading

The Follow-up Of The Muslim Brotherhood Leader’s Arrest In Egypt On August 28th, the Egyptian authorities arrested, acting head and military leader of the Muslim Brotherhood group or supreme leader, as stated by several media outlets, after over seven years on the run. In a statement, the Egyptian Interior Ministry Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia: Business Conditions in the Non-oil Private Sector Deteriorated in August After Stabilising in July A survey showed on September 1, 2020, presented that the non-oil private sector of Saudi Arabia’s economy saw a renewed drop in business conditions in August 2020, after stabilizing in July 2020. The economy fell back into a downturn as firms Continue Reading

Iran Nuclear Deal Parties Meet in Vienna Attempting to Save the JCPOA On September 1, 2020, the signatories to the Iran nuclear deal are meeting in Vienna as the US urges the reimposition of international sanctions on Tehran and the extension of the conventional arms embargo against it. All participants, including delegates from Continue Reading

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Appointed a New Cabinet Headed by Hussein ARNOUS On August 30, 2020, the Syrian President Bashar al-ASSAD signed the decree no. 210 for 2020 appointing a new cabinet headed by Hussein ARNOUS without changing the heads of so-called “sovereign” portfolios. According to the president’s chancellery, the new government will Continue Reading

LEBANON: Mustapha ADIB Set to Be Named Lebanon’s Prime Minister-Designate On August 31, 2020, Mustapha ADIB Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany was nominated by former Lebanese Premier Saad HARIRI to formal consultations to be the next prime minister. HARIRI said after a meeting with President Michel AOUN, the new government should be Continue Reading

Turkey: Erdogan Announced That Natural Gas Field Had Been Found Off the Turkish Black Sea Coast On August 21, 2020, Turkey’s President ERDOGAN announced that a sizeable natural gas field of 320 billion cubic meters of natural gas had been found off the Turkish Black Sea coast. Ibrahim KALIN presidential adviser and spokesman said: “It is only Continue Reading

Emmanuel MACRON Has Sent a Roadmap to Lebanon Outlining Political and Financial Reforms The French President Emanuel MACRON has sent a roadmap to the Lebanese politicians, containing political and financial reforms needed to unlock foreign aid and rescue the country from multiple crises. The document was delivered by the French ambassador to Beirut. Lebanon’s government Continue Reading

Iran: Iranians the Biggest Investors in the Real Estate Sector in Turkey According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, Iranians bought 3168 homes in Turkey during the first seven months of 2020, becoming the biggest investor in real estate in the neighboring country. Iraqis with 2747 houses purchased are in the second place, followed Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia: Aramco Reshuffles Its Senior Management and Created a Division Focused on “Portfolio Optimization” Saudi Aramco reshuffled its senior management and created a division focused on “portfolio optimization” as the world’s biggest oil producer adapts to low crude prices and seeks new ways to obtain cash. Over 98% of the company is owned by the Continue Reading

Iran and the UAE are Determined to Expand Business Ties Despite Their Political Disputes Iran and the UAE are determined to expand business ties, despite their political disputes, said Farshid FARZANEGAN head of Iran-UAE Chamber of Commerce. He said: “All spheres of bilateral engagements, including economic ties, are affected by the political climate. Iran and Continue Reading

The Iranian Nuclear Deal and the Crisis in the UN Security Council Introduction The United States has suffered an unprecedented defeat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in an attempt to extend the arms embargo on Iran. The resolution they tabled on 15 August received only two votes in favor (from the Continue Reading

The UAE Started the First Nuclear Power Plant In The Arab World On August 1st, 2020 the UAE announced that started operations in the first of four reactors at the Barakah nuclear power station. This nuclear plant is the first in the Arab world. The Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant is located in the Continue Reading