In places like Yemen, Sudan, and Somalia, which all have long coastlines along key maritime routes, the authority of the state and its institutions needs to overcome the forces of disorder.
In Yemen, Somalia, and Sudan, the state has ceased to function as it should. This has led to problems not just on land but at sea, making this trio one big and urgent international issue.
Riyadh wants to help Yemen's various southern factions come up with creative solutions. It wants a unified Yemen, but other parties have a different agenda, complicating efforts to hold a conference.
The Yemeni novelist and computer science professor speaks to Al Majalla about science, uncertainty, and the role of fiction in questioning inherited narratives of progress
The UAE backs southern Yemenis who want secession, while Saudi Arabia wants a unified Yemen. Egypt also favours unity, but is close to both Gulf states, putting it in a difficult position.
Overcoming Yemen's fragmentation requires more support for the Riyadh-led path—one that rejects secession, all militias and institutionalises the state
The Iran war exposed the risks of being too closely tied to US military posture, which is why some Gulf states are repositioning themselves not merely as consumers of security but as architects of it
Supporting Israel used to help politicians get elected, but with Americans far more critical of Tel Aviv's influence on US policy, it has now become a liability at the ballot box
Sliman Mansour, the renowned Palestinian painter who used clay from his land to make his works after deciding to boycott art materials produced by Israel, has died at the age of 79