On June 17 Farah Al-Nakib, director of the Center for Gulf Studies at the American University of Kuwait, and Diane Singerman, associate professor in the Department of Government at American University, joined AGSIW for a discussion moderated by Senior Resident Scholar Kristin Smith Diwan, on the new dynamic younger generation rising in the Gulf, and its role in remaking of the region's cities. Click here for the event video
While there are many ways to describe Muscat, Oman, "The Big City," is hardly one of them. The Omani capital is a quiet seaside mosaic of shops, small offices, and government ministries. The city, with its population of just over 600,000, is a far cry from other, hypermodern capitals of the Arabian Gulf like Abu Dhabi, Manama, and Doha. Yet for many Omanis, rapid development and new opportunities make Muscat an exciting place to be. College students, young professionals, and others from Oman's interior have begun making a commute between the capital and heir hometown. During the week they live and work in Muscat. However, they often return home on weekends to their villages and families. This "Muscat Commute" has brought conflicting sets of values between the interior and the capital into stark contrast. It is forcing the next generation of Omanis to reconcile tradition and modernity in new ways. Read More
In the Media
AGSIW Executive Vice President Ambassador Stephen Seche spoke with BCC World News about the killing of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) leader Nasser Al-Wuhayshi. Seche said, while he thinks the killing is important, he didn't want to "overstate the importance, or long-term impact it will have." He note the organization's resilience and said "we need to maintain the pressure on AQAP."
Speaking to the New York Times, Seche addressed the U.S. intelligence and logistical support to the Saudi Arabian-led air campaign in Yemen, which is putting the United States in the position of attacking AQAP and the group's Houthi rivals at the same time. Seche mentioned the limited ability of the United States to mitigate the violence of and political stalemate in Yemen forcing the Obama administration to focus on counterterrorism operations.
Seche also joined Al-Hurra for a discussion on the war on the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIL). Seche commented on the United States' plan to combat ISIL, specifically in Iraq.
On the third anniversary of the arrest of Saudi activist and blogger Raif Badawi, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibishspoke to Newsweek about Badawi's sentencing. He noted, "There are people in Saudi Arabia who would argue that whatever the state wanted to communicate has been done, that's enough and Badawi should be released. I believe the King will commute the sentence. I do not believe Badawi will receive the flogging. The point is to make the point, then they can back off."
Ramadan Greetings
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington extends its best wishes to our Muslim colleagues and friends around the world on the beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan.
معهد دول الخليج العربية في واشنطن يعرب عن أطيب تمنياته للزملاء والأصدقاء
المسلمين في مختلف أنحاء العالم بمناسبة حلول شهر رمضان المبارك
