Political Risk

Iran's nuclear programme, and not its domestic political dynamics, are of primary concern to the West. With Tehran continuing to build up its uranium enrichment capabilities and President... 2009-07-14

The next six months will be a pivotal time period for Iraq. To say this may well be clichéd - when has Iraq not faced pivotal moments over the past six years? However, following... 2009-06-29

While the government appears to have brought the post-election protests to an end, its legitimacy has been severely dented and fissures appear to have opened up in the regime hierarchy,... 2009-06-25

Qatar is likely to remain politically stable for the foreseeable future and we see no change in the al-Thani family's continued rule. That said, the issue of foreign workers and foreign... 2009-06-19

It is always extremely hard to predict the demise of authoritarian governments. Consequently, any bold claims that the ongoing protests in Tehran will bring down the regime should... 2009-06-18

BMI View: The difficult economic conditions throw up a number of challenges for the government, but our core scenario is one of

BMI View: Despite modernizing instincts, there are signs that the government is taking an increasingly authoritarian stance towards civil

BMI View: Oman is aiming high in the international diplomacy stakes, with Muscat being sought out by a number of international players.

BMI View: An outbreak of protests in the south could presage worsening civil conflict, as secessionist forces challenge the authority of President Ali Abdullah

Though there is no smoking gun at this stage, several indications have led some to suspect that the Iranian presidential election could have been rigged. While we expect the post-election... 2009-06-15