An assertive KSA is in regional interest (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

The Saudi Arabia that US President Barack Obama witnessed on his official visit to Riyadh to attend the 2nd GCC-US summit, is one that is undergoing profound change, just as the Saudi-US relationship is changing too.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/914796

Dilma in hot water (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

Brazilians are experiencing unprecedented political tension as the impeachment process against President Dilma Rousseff moves swiftly ahead. On Thursday, the Supreme Court met in a special session for eight hours to hear the government’s petition to have the impeachment stopped. The court in the end voted 8-2 to allow the process to go forward.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/911446

Fostering Arab unity (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

The ongoing state visit by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman to Egypt is emblematic of the importance of what are today the two most central countries of the Arab world. Egypt with nearly 93 million citizens is the most populous Arab country, with the largest military in the region, while Saudi Arabia is the leader of the Muslim world and has the region’s largest economy. With much of the Arab world in such disarray, it is only natural that these two countries should strengthen and expand historic ties and look for ways to rescue countries in our region that are at war.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/908281

Effects of Obama’s ME paralysis (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

The election of Barack Obama to the US presidency in 2008 was a great relief to most of the world horrified by the US military interventions during the two terms of President George W. Bush. The former Illinois senator promised to withdraw the US from various areas of conflict in the Middle East, and fulfilled his promise, pulling US troops from Iraq.

Continue reading here ...

Wiretaps that shook Brazil (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

This past week has been one of the most dramatic and politically tense in Brazil’s modern history since the impeachment of former President Fernando Collor de Mello, who resigned in December 1992 hours before being found guilty of corruption by the Senate.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/897871

Benefits of a 5-day week (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

The publication last week of the comments by Mahir bin Saleh Jamal, chairman of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, saying that a 40-hour workweek — equivalent to five days of work — would allegedly cost the country SR100 billion and 4 billion in lost hours of labor and production, was hyperbole.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/894301

Evolving into mature democracy (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

Brazilians awoke on Friday morning to the breaking news that the Federal Police and tax inspectors were parked outside the home of former President Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva in Sao Bernardo do Campo, a suburb of Sao Paulo. This was the beginning of the 24th phase in the months-long “Car Wash” investigation into massive corruption at the state oil giant Petrobras. Lula was being taken into custody for questioning whether he wanted to go or not.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/890911

Salary fund needed (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

The report that more than 1,000 employees of a major construction company in Jeddah have not been paid for six months is unfortunately not surprising. This has been going on for many years now. Companies that rely on government projects are subject to the vagaries of not being paid on time. For the owners and top executives of these firms that is bearable because they have accumulated wealth to tide them over for a several months without being paid. But what about the middle management and manual laborers who live on their salaries from month to month? With families to support they cannot afford to go six months without being paid.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/883756

Brazil struggles with Zika outbreak (Rasheed Abou-Alsamh, Arab News)

Brazil is reeling from an unprecedented outbreak of the Zika virus, which in the worst cases affects the fetuses of pregnant woman, causing malformation of the babies’ brains.

http://www.arabnews.com/columns/news/880281