In an attempt to strengthen bilateral relations in West Asia, Russian president Vladimir Putin visited Saudi Arabia and the UAE on December 6.
According to a letter by over 20 rights groups, 58 detainees are being held by the UAE authorities despite their prison sentences being over, in some cases for years, in clear violation of international law
The 51 are part of a larger group of people who were convicted of conspiring to overthrow the government in what is known as the UAE94 case. In 2011, they had signed a petition calling on the government to introduce democratic and political reforms in the country
The US announced the sale of over USD 5 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia and the UAE on the same day that the UN announced the extension of the truce in Yemen for two more months
The strike held on Tuesday was the second such strike by food delivery workers in the UAE, a rare occurrence in the tightly-run Gulf state
In a strongly worded statement, the UNSC labelled the Houthis as a ‘terrorist’ group despite human rights groups warning against such a move due to its adverse humanitarian and diplomatic consequences for the civilian population in Yemen
A year ago, the Joe Biden administration had announced the end of US’ role in the Saudi Arabia and UAE-led war in Yemen which has killed hundreds of thousands and caused the world’s largest humanitarian crisis
UAE, a partner in the Saudi coalition waging a war in Yemen, has demanded the US to redesignate the Houthis as a terrorist orgnization
The arms deal included the sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets, 18 armed reaper drones, air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions and other advanced weaponry by the US to the UAE
The court also ordered the government body responsible for implementing the country’s National Conventional Arms Control Act to publicly disclose the names of all South African companies that have obtained permits to export weapons to the two Arab countries
The Joe Biden administration had earlier suspended its predecessor’s decision, pending review, to sell USD 23 billion worth of arms including 50 advanced F-35 fighter jets and 18 MQ 9-B unmanned Aerial Systems to the UAE
According to the UN official, three human rights activists have been subject to conditions inside the UAE prisons amounting to torture