Gulf and Red Sea Regions

Saudi air defense crews also intercepted eight mined drones launched by the rebel Houthi movement from Yemen.

In line with the regional and international efforts to bring peace to Yemen, Saudi Arabia’ foreign minister, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud, announced yesterday an initiative to end the war in Yemen. The initiative comes at a tense time for the Saudis as the Houthis upscale their attacks on vital energy and logistics infrastructure in the Kingdom. In Yemen itself, no side is winning in the multiple front lines across Yemen and the ramifications on the populations could not be worse.

The European Parliament recently adopted a toughly worded resolution on the human rights situation in Bahrain focusing in particular on the cases of death row inmates and human rights defenders. The resolution exposed the dilemmas in Europe as the EU seeks closer relations with the Gulf states, but where concerns about the human rights situation in the region remain high.

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is witnessing 17 days of open-air light installations that highlight not only extensive artistry but also the advent of the Kingdom’s push for a greater creative economy. The works feature both local and international artists. 

Saudi Arabia and Egypt have started addressing outstanding issues with Qatar as they rebuild relations with the Gulf state. Riyadh and Cairo have taken a more pragmatic approach towards Qatar, and have moved faster than the UAE and Bahrain in resuming diplomatic relations with Doha, according to Reuters.

The recent military campaign in the Yemeni province of Marib threatens local populations first and foremost. The military operations, which mostly are hit and run operations, threaten to displace at least 385,000 people, said the UN migration agency. Marib is home to about 800,000 IDPs who fled during various stages of the 5 six-year-old conflict.

Leaders of the Somalia federal government will meet this Sunday (21 March) with the leaders of the federal member states to discuss the dispute in the electoral process, according to Garowe Online. Heads of federal states are already engaging in meetings with foreign ambassadors in Mogadishu.

As part of the various reforms currently being implemented in Saudi Arabia, the sponsorship system for foreign labour, also known as the "Kafala" system, has been scrapped as of Sunday 14 March. The change was introduced as part of the Labour Reform Initiative (LRI) announced last November.

A new book donation and distribution in Darfur aims to consolidate peace and contribute to post-conflict recovery in Sudan. Estella Gaetano, novelist and storyteller from South Sudan launched the initiative called "Make a difference with a book."