Country Risk Rating

Saudi Arabia's pro-Western policies are, in general, exposing the Saudi authorities to a higher level of political risk than it would face otherwise. While this is not new, it could... 2008-11-26

The economic turmoil poses a significant risk to political stability, as increasing numbers are made unemployed by the real estate crisis. The latest company to announce job losses... 2008-11-25

Against the backdrop of yet another government resignation and probably early elections (at the time of writing), one way in which Kuwaiti politics could become more organised and... 2008-11-25

While some blame al-Qaeda and associated Sunni insurgents, there have been suggestions that Kurdish groups are responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Christians in Mosul, which has... 2008-11-06

Having played a crucial role in helping to secure May's Doha Agreement that has brought a measure of peace and stability to Lebanon, Qatar intends to continue playing the role of... 2008-10-24

In October, Australia became the latest foreign government to warn of the increasing risk of a terror strike in the UAE. It amended advice to travellers on the basis of 'new information',... 2008-10-24

Yemeni officials have rejected a report from Human Rights Watch, which claims that hundreds of people were unlawfully detained during a four-year insurgency by rebels in northern... 2008-10-24

The government's decision to hold off for two months the introduction of a 3% value-added tax brought to an end a week of strikes in Tehran's main bazaar on October 13. The extent... 2008-10-23

New housing rules recently announced by the Dubai authorities are causing consternation among many foreign workers. Earlier this month, Dubai Municipality announced that the sharing... 2008-09-30

Kuwait's relations with Sudan, which have been frosty since the latter supported Saddam Hussein in the 1991 Gulf War, are improving rapidly. Following Finance Minister Mustafa al-Shimali's... 2008-09-30