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	<title>The Gulf blog &#187; The Gulf</title>
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		<title>The Gulf blog &#187; The Gulf</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com</link>
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		<item>
		<title>The GCC&#8217;s anti-revolutionary expansion</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/26/the-gccs-anti-revolutionary-expansion/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/26/the-gccs-anti-revolutionary-expansion/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 May 2011 21:24:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC expansion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jordan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Morocco]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia GCC expansion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=5419</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in May and by way of celebration it is mooting the inclusion of two other countries. Yemen is not being considered for membership, even though it long wanted to join, is situated within the eponymous Gulf, borders two current members, shares tranches of historical memory as [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=5419&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/26/the-gccs-anti-revolutionary-expansion/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Iranian flotilla heads for Bahrain</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/16/iranian-flotilla-heads-for-bahrain/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/16/iranian-flotilla-heads-for-bahrain/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 16 May 2011 21:07:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Iran]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC flotilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iran Bahrain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iran flotilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iranian flotilla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sunni Shia]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=5391</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An Iranian naval convoy of activists, students and professors is heading to Bahrain to protest at what they see as the legitimate demands of the Shia population there being ruthlessly oppressed with the open support &#8211; if not direction &#8211; of regional allies, notably Saudi Arabia. The flotilla insists that it will ask for permission [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=5391&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/16/iranian-flotilla-heads-for-bahrain/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>The GCC, Yemen &amp; Bahrain: Inside Story</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/08/the-gcc-yemen-bahrain-inside-story/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/08/the-gcc-yemen-bahrain-inside-story/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 May 2011 20:39:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bahrain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Al Jazeera inside story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bahrain conflict]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Roberts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC Bahrain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC mediation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GCC mediation Yemen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Inside story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qatar mediation Yemen]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=5357</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are some of my thoughts on the GCC in Yemen and in Bahrain. Obviously, hindsight is 20:20, but I now realise that I ought to have confronted the Saudi fellow more robustly. Live and learn. Oh, and I need to E N U N C I A T E  some more. And I&#8217;m fairly [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=5357&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2011/05/08/the-gcc-yemen-bahrain-inside-story/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>RIP: Ras Al Khaimah&#8217;s Saqr Al Qasimi</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/29/rip-ras-al-khaimahs-saqr-al-qasimi/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/29/rip-ras-al-khaimahs-saqr-al-qasimi/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 29 Oct 2010 15:10:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ras al Khaimah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ras al Khaimah coup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sheikh Saqr Al Qasimi]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4613</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sheikh Saqr al Qasimi of Ras Al Khaimah, one of the longest surviving Monarchs in the world, has died. In his early 90s, the Shiekh has been gravely ill for some time. He has been succeeded by his son and Crown Prince, Sheikh Saud who has essentially been ruling the Emirate since 2003. Earlier this [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4613&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/29/rip-ras-al-khaimahs-saqr-al-qasimi/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<title>Qatar considers sponsorship system</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/11/qatar-considers-sponsorship-system/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/11/qatar-considers-sponsorship-system/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Oct 2010 09:17:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bahrain kefala system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kefala system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kefala system reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qatar kefala system]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worker's rights reforms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workers rights reform Gulf]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4494</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Bahrain and Kuwait have already announced that they will alter their kefala sponsorship systems. While neither are wholly getting rid of such draconian systems, the fact that conversations on reform are at least being heard is a good start. Qatar too is beginning to have its own debate. The government is said to be considering [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4494&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/11/qatar-considers-sponsorship-system/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
		<geo:lat>51.500152</geo:lat>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The first Arab film nude scene</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/05/the-first-arab-film-nude-scene/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/05/the-first-arab-film-nude-scene/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:10:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arab cinema]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arab cinema nude scene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arab cinema nudity scene]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prostitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prostitution in Bahrain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prostitution in Dubai]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prostitution in Syria]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prostitution in the Arab world]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4356</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Al Arabiyya has an interesting article (no, really&#8230;) on Nihad Alaeddin who is described as acting in the Arab world&#8217;s first nudity scene. “We have to bring sex to the cinema because our audience is frustrated,” she told the New York Times. Good for her. She first disrobed in a Robin Hood-type file filmed in [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4356&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/10/05/the-first-arab-film-nude-scene/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Civil Society in the Gulf</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/27/civil-society-in-the-gulf/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/27/civil-society-in-the-gulf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:08:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society in Bahrain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society in Kuwait]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society in Qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Society in the Gulf]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4227</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sultan Al Qasseimi has authored an excellent article on civil society in the Gulf. Replete with many examples from around the region, the article is well worth a read for anyone with any interest in the area. Initially, he notes that At first glance it seems as though the six Gulf Cooperation Council monarchies have [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4227&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/27/civil-society-in-the-gulf/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
		<geo:lat>51.500152</geo:lat>
		<geo:long>-0.126236</geo:long>
		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
		</media:content>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Homosexuality in the Gulf</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/22/homosexuality-in-the-gulf/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/22/homosexuality-in-the-gulf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 22 Sep 2010 11:09:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Homosexuality in the Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Illegal homosexuality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Transvestites in the Gulf]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4142</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An Emirati student, Mohammed Nour Al Deen Hussein, 23, has been sentenced to a year in jail for cross-dressing and posing as a male prostitute. The evidence is rather incriminating, including compromising pictures of him &#8216;red-handed&#8217; on the internet. Rather optimistically, Mohamed unsuccessfully asked on appeal that the Judge cancel his prison term and pronounce [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4142&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/22/homosexuality-in-the-gulf/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
		<geo:lat>51.500152</geo:lat>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://thesinosaudiblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/homophobia.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">HOMOPHOBIA</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Global Competitiveness Index: the Gulf</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/14/global-competitiveness-index-the-gulf/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/14/global-competitiveness-index-the-gulf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:09:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Qatar]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Global Competitiveness]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Golbal Competitiveness Index]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Qatar Global Competitiveness]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4043</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Country 2010 GCI ranking 2010 GCI score 2009 GCI ranking Change from 2009 to 2010 Qatar 17 5.1 22 5 Saudi Arabia 21 4.95 28 7 United Arab Emirates 25 4.89 23 -2 Oman 34 4.61 41 7 Kuwait 35 4.59 39 4 Bahrain 37 4.54 38 1 Qatar again leads the Gulf in the [...]<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4043&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/14/global-competitiveness-index-the-gulf/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<item>
		<title>Piggy censorship</title>
		<link>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/09/piggy-censorship/</link>
		<comments>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/09/piggy-censorship/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:16:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thegulfblog.com</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Censorship in the Gulf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pig censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pork censorship]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thegulfblog.com/?p=4013</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s the latest example of Gulfy piggy censorship. For recent followers, here&#8217;s an old article I wrote earlier on this topic some time ago.<img alt="" border="0" src="http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=thegulfblog.com&amp;blog=2536663&amp;post=4013&amp;subd=thesinosaudiblog&amp;ref=&amp;feed=1" width="1" height="1" />]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thegulfblog.com/2010/09/09/piggy-censorship/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		<georss:point>51.500152 -0.126236</georss:point>
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		<media:content url="" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">davidbroberts</media:title>
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		<media:content url="http://thesinosaudiblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/piggies.jpg" medium="image">
			<media:title type="html">piggies</media:title>
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