Polistratics [News•Watch•Weekly] 028

In This Week's Edition: #DubaiUnlocked: Terror And Weapons And Drugs, Oh My! Is It The End Of "The Line" For Saudi Arabia? And Qatar Appears As The New Master Of The Great Game - And Other MENA News!

News stories we’re following this week …

• #DubaiUnlocked: Businessmen ‘funding terrorist groups and aiding Iran’s military’ make millions off Dubai properties. (The Times)

• #DubaiUnlocked: Mass money laundering in UAE property market exposed. (The New Arab)

• Dinner with the Qataris — the Great Game’s new masters. (The Times)

• Saudi Arabia’s The Line Megadevelopment Gets A Lot Shorter. (Dwell)

• UAE’s defense giant expands in Asia with a new ammo production line in Indonesia. (Breaking Defense)

• America Should Downsize in the Middle East. (National Review)

• Chinese companies win licensing bids to explore Iraq oil and gas fields. (Reuters)

• Arab League calls for UN peacekeepers in occupied Palestinian territory. (Aljazeera)

• Bahrain erects Assad portraits and Syria flags for Arab Summit, causing uproar. (The New Arab)

• China’s investment in UAE rose 16% to $1.3bn in 2023 as ties strengthen. (The National)

• EXPLAINER OF THE WEEK: Does India risk US sanctions over Iran’s Chabahar Port deal? (Aljazeera)

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‘In other news’

Dr. Mahmoud Sabha (left) and one of his patients, Yassin (right) [NBC-DFW]

I’m an American doctor stuck in Gaza. As Israel moves into Rafah, where will physicians and our patients go? (Los Angeles Times)

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On Social-Media …

@MarioNawfal [X.com]

More obstacles for Egypt as it sees the worst relationship with Israel in almost half a century starting to deteriorate even further.

In other ‘posts’ …

Bombardment relentless in Gaza during Israel’s court remarks …

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