On December 2, 2010, the UAE began celebrating the countdown to its 40th anniversary as a federation. It is going to welcome its fifth decade in a few months as a mature diplomatic nation, due to a new phenomenon in the form of soft diplomacy. This report will review some of the recent milestones the UAE has witnessed in this field. Read more »
Aafaq Al Mustaqbal
The Civil Society Movement in the Arab Gulf States
At first glance it seems as though the six Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies have no civil society movements to speak of, but scratching the surface unveils a complex layer of organisations that exist side by side with the governments and in some cases have been merged into governmental structures. In fact because of the relative young age of these states many of those who were active against the British presence in the Gulf prior to independence became themselves government officials and can be found in government circles until today. Read more »
عن أحوال المجتمع المدني في الخليج
In this important Arabic language article, Sultan discusses the realities facing civil society in the Gulf. Read more »