Link to article: https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2020/12/egypt-open-consulate-western-sahara-morocco-polisario.html A Moroccan news source announced on December 21st that Egypt plans to open a consulate in the disputed territory of Western Sahara. The news source reported that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was going to send Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry to Rabat, the capital of Morocco, with the intention of beginning talks about opening an Egyptian… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2021/1/5/oil-climbs-5-on-saudi-voluntary-oil-production-cut Saudi Arabia announced that it will cut its oil production by one million barrels per day. This choice was an attempt to deter other members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC, an IGO) away from raising their own quotas. Many member countries have been anxious to raise their production levels to stimulate their… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/6/sudan-says-it-signed-abraham-accords-with-us It was announced Wednesday that Justice Minister Nasredeen Abdulbari of Sudan recently signed the Abraham Accords while US official Steven Mnuchin was visiting the country. The Abraham Accords is a joint statement between the US, Israeli, and the UAE dedicated to bringing peace to the Middle East. The Popular Congress Party of Sudan had originally announced… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/14/irans-rouhani-no-conditions-or-negotiations-on-nuclear-deal Iran refuses to negotiate its nuclear missiles program as President-elect Joe Biden moves to reinstate the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). President Donald Trump abandoned the agreement in 2018 and levied harsh economic sanctions against Iran instead. Hassan Rouhani, Iran’s president, said he is sure that Trump’s economic sanctions will be lifted once Biden takes… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/10/israel-morocco-agree-to-normalise-relations-in-us-brokered-deal Thursday, December 10th, a US-brokered deal led Morocco and Israel to agree to normalize their relationship. Morocco has agreed to set aside hostilities with Israel after Donald Trump said he would recognize Morocco’s control of the disputed Western Sahara territory. Morocco has Jewish lineage and history, so it is not surprising that Morocco has decided to… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-23/uae-abolishes-requirement-for-local-partners-in-firms-national Companies operating in the United Arab Emirates are no longer required to have UAE shareholders. The new business regulations will come into effect on December 1st. The previous regulations required companies to give at least 51% of ownership to locals to continue their business in the country, as well as for the board of directors positions… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/18/the-failed-diplomacy-between-morocco-and-polisario There was violence in Western Sahara between Polisario (the militia fighting to end Moroccan presence in Western Sahara) and Morocco on Nov 13th. The recent attack marks the end of a 29-year ceasefire created with a 1991 agreement that included a UN-supported buffer area between the two warring groups. Western Sahara is a disputed territory currently… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-18/uae-escalates-opec-dispute-as-tensions-on-output-quotas-mount There has been tension between UAE and Saudi Arabia after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) breached its OPEC quota. The daily quota had been lowered to 2.59 million barrels per day in response to a decrease in oil demand as a result of Covid-19. For perspective, 4 million barrels is the country’s daily production capability. The… Read more »
Link to article: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1MD11Y11qP The Palestinian Authority (PA) recently resumed civil cooperation with Israel. Mussein al-sheikh, the acting head of the PA’s General Authority of Civil Affairs, announced on Tuesday that their decision was made after Israel agreed to be more lenient with control over the West Bank territories. Six months ago, the PA president, Mahmoud Abbas, decided to cut… Read more »
