As objectionable as it may seem to many, it’s becoming increasingly likely that Donald Trump will be the Republican Party’s presidential nominee. It is also no longer a remote possibility for Trump to become the 45th president of the United States come next January. What would a Trump presidency mean for the oil-rich Gulf Arab states? Read more »
The Gulf’s New Social Contract
To cope with the loss in oil revenue, most GCC states have introduced indirect taxation, including municipal and road taxes, and have openly discussed the introduction of Value Added Tax in the near future. The traditional Gulf social contract has never been more fragile, and attempts to drastically rewrite it by GCC governments no doubt comes with its risks. Taxation in exchange for ensuring the security of citizens in an increasingly dangerous neighborhood might be the new accepted social contract, but Gulf states should tread carefully nonetheless. Read more »
Global Art Forum 10: The Future Was Space
A panel discussion involving Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi commemorates the golden jubilee of the founding of the United Arab Emirates in 2021 in the context of Dubai’s Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre’s probe launch to Mars. Read more »
Economic Integration can Ease Regional Tensions
The New Year has seen relations in the region spiral out of control with Saudi Arabia cutting off diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Sectarian tensions mounted following the execution of prominent Saudi Shi’a cleric Nimr al-Nimr and the subsequent attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran. With a resurgent Iran, emboldened by the lifting of sanctions and the recognition of global powers of its nuclear program, and a young, ambitious leadership in Saudi Arabia, it is likely that such diplomatic stand-offs will be a common occurrence in the near future. Read more »
On Donald Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims
Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi on CNN on Donald Trump’s proposed ban on Muslims and the long term damage that will caused by his rhetoric. Read more »
جلسة الحرب الإلكترونية
Sultan Al Qassemi speaks about issues surrounding press in the UAE at The Emirati Media Forum in 2015, organized by the Dubai Press Club and the Government of Dubai. Read more »