Kuwait

As King Charles and Prince William roll out the red carpet, human rights campaigners say they must press for reformsThe royal family is being deployed by the UK government to roll out the red carpet for the autocratic leaders of Gulf states, amid hopes of a trade deal with the oil-rich countries.This week will see King Charles welcome the emir of Qatar, […]

Amira Al Shammari says they have no other options as she describes horror of 21-year-old Dina’s deathA mother from a stateless Arab minority say she and her family have no choice but to try to cross the Channel again despite the death last month of her eldest daughter on a previous attempt.Dina Al Shammari, 21, was travelling with her parents and three […]

Claimants who were onboard BA149 claim airline and Thatcher’s government knew of risk before they landed in 1990British Airways (BA) passengers and crew taken hostage in Kuwait and used as human shields during Saddam Hussein’s invasion are suing the airline and the UK government.The claimants, who were subjected to torture, including mock executions, […]

More than 50 people also injured in fire, which broke out in a six-storey building housing foreign workersAt least 49 people, all Indian nationals, have been killed in a fire which swept through a building housing foreign workers in Kuwait.More than 50 others were injured in the blaze, which broke out in the six-storey building south of Kuwait City at dawn […]

Denounced as giving a ‘veneer of legality to slaveholding’ and despite claims of reform, kafala laws persist, allowing bosses to abuse women, who vanish from society. This is their testimony, gathered over two years in a Guardian investigationCondemned as dangerous and abusive, the kafala labour system not only disregards migrant workers’ rights but […]

Tit-for-tat attacks present Sunni monarchies with complicated choices over region’s futureIran’s missile and drone attack on Israel had, by the end of this week, become one of the most interpreted events in recent modern history. Then, in the early hours of Friday, came reports of Israel’s riposte. As in June 1914, when Archduke Franz Ferdinand and […]

As the photographer turns 80, we look back as some of his most striking images from around the world. A selection of his work can be seen at Flowers Gallery, Cork Street, London, 16 March to 15 AprilPhotographer Sebastião Salgado at 80: ‘They say I was an aesthete of misery’ Continue reading...

My friend and former colleague Richard Muir, who has died aged 81, was a diplomat central to the process of sustaining and nurturing the skein of relationships between Britain and the Sultanate of Oman.These go back centuries but have grown exponentially since the renaissance of Oman from 1970 onwards under Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Richard and I were both […]

Death of Sheikh Nawaf, who had been emir of oil-rich Gulf state since 2020, announced on state TV Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has died aged 86, according to the royal court.The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Workers contracted to work for western brands in Saudi Arabia have described conditions as ‘like jail’Revealed: Amazon linked to trafficking of workers in Saudi ArabiaCorporations are paying for worker abuse audits that are ‘designed to fail’, say insidersOver the years the world’s most powerful fast-food chain, McDonald’s, has twice […]

Terakes, who plays a character whose gender is never mentioned in the film, called the decision ‘targeted and dehumanising’The hit Australian horror film Talk To Me has been banned from screening in Kuwait, reportedly solely over the casting of non-binary trans actor Zoe Terakes, who plays a character whose gender identity is never mentioned in the […]

Country with rich football history was at 1982 World Cup but has seen Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar leave it behindMoney flowing out of the Gulf region has changed the face of football. Fans in the United Arab Emirates have seen Manchester City become the best team in the world, supporters in Qatar have had the World Cup and counterparts in Saudi Arabia […]

They may be cheaper and less trouble, but they’ll never have the gravitas, the engagement or the raised eyebrow of reporters like me“The news is … there is no news.” With those words, outside St Mary’s Hospital in London awaiting the birth of Prince George in July 2013, my reporting for the BBC went viral on the internet. My somewhat testy […]

Kuwait News introduced Fedha, promising that it could read online news in the futureA Kuwaiti media outlet has unveiled a virtual news presenter generated using artificial intelligence, with plans for it to read online bulletins.“Fedha” appeared on the Twitter account of the Kuwait News website on Saturday as an image of a woman, hair uncovered, wearing […]

Arab teams’ performances have changed the mood among Doha’s recent foes who had refused to share in its excitement Before the biggest event the Middle East has ever hosted, few regional states seemed to share in its neighbour’s excitement.As the host country, Qatar, frantically completed its plans, there were even hints of glee as finishing touches […]

The monarchies are hopeful of stronger UK ties under King Charles, but plans for the ceremony have not gone down wellDeath of the Queen and King Charles’s accession - latest updatesFrom Oman in the east to Morocco in the west, Middle East and north African royalty have been closely monitoring plans for the Queen’s funeral, but with days to go until the […]

Death toll rises during violent clashes between rival Shia groups after Muqtada al-Sadr resigns from politicsExplainer: why are Shia groups fighting each other in Iraq? Supporters of the powerful Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have heeded his call to return to their homes after a day of clashes that left at least 30 people dead, wounded hundreds and sparked […]

UAE scaled back ties with the Islamic republic after Iranian protests over Saudi Arabia’s execution of cleric Nimr al-NimrThe United Arab Emirates said on Sunday that its ambassador to Tehran would resume duties within days, six years after ties were downgraded in support of Saudi Arabia.Ambassador Saif Mohammed al-Zaabi “will resume his duties at the […]

Pentecostalism is quietly thriving, with pastors saying churches are helping low-paid workers in crisisEvangelical Christianity is quietly flourishing among migrant groups in the Gulf as churches provide low-paid workers facing horrific abuse with aid in times of crisis, according to pastors and parishioners across the region.About 30 million migrant […]

Notes from late 1990s show UK government believed it was due contract in recognition of defence of KuwaitTony Blair urged Kuwait to buy the UK’s latest artillery as payback for supporting the country during the Gulf war, newly released papers reveal.Blair lobbied Crown Prince Sheikh Sa’ad between 1998 and 1999, including calling in on him during a brief […]