Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood government will hope to provide job opportunities for as many Egyptians as possible, whether internally or in Saudi Arabia, Libya or Qatar. It will also probably strive to avoid any deterioration of relations between possible mass-employer Libya and media and financial supporter Qatar, between whom it could act as a bridge. If Egypt’s Brotherhood succeeds in smoothing out relations and directing both nations’ significant financial capabilities into joint projects in Egypt and the region, it would have scored a major diplomatic and strategic coup. Read more »
Muslim Brotherhood
Morsi’s Win Is Al Jazeera’s Loss
Al Jazeera Arabic today is actively taking part in reconstructing the image of the Arab “dictator leader” that Arabs have gotten used to since the 1950s, where the media is instructed not to criticise the president or monarch. Morsi’s much-deserved win isn’t only Al Jazeera Arabic’s loss but a major blow to the channel’s credibility and a loss to its viewers. Read more »
Will Egypt’s new president rebuild ties with the UAE?
Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Mursi has a lot of electoral promises to live up to. There’s an ailing economy to deal with, dwindling foreign reserves, growing unemployment, a drying-up of the tourist industry and a stagnation of foreign investments — each of which must be tackled first and tackled now. Read more »
Nayef’s demise: Relief for the Brothers?
The demise of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef will have significant repercussions not only in the Gulf but also on the whole region, including Egypt. Over the past 18 months, both Saudi Arabia and Egypt have seen major developments: the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak, the death of former Saudi Crown Prince Sultan, a new Egyptian Parliament and its recent dissolution, the death of the second Saudi crown prince and now a new Brotherhood president in Egypt. While one country has seen changes induced by a popular uprising, the other was the result of divine intervention. Read more »
The Brotherhood goes to Saudi
Unlikely circumstances came together in the past few days to mend ties between Saudi Arabia and Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. Since the fall of Hosni Mubarak and the rise of the Brotherhood in Egypt, relations between the two states stagnated before spiraling following the arrest in Saudi Arabia of an Egyptian human rights lawyer, Ahmed al-Gizawy. Read more »
Saudi-Egyptian breakdown: What’s at stake?
The sooner Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states realize that the “new Egypt” is here to stay and that the Mubarak days are long gone — and adjust their policies accordingly — the sooner they will be able to rebuild their bonds, this time not with the regime, but with the people, whose votes will decide the regime in place. Read more »