Gulf States in January 2026: the most important developments in society
In the Gulf States in January 2026, health and education were the most frequent domestic themes. The UAE moved towards nationwide mandatory early cancer screening, approved a new heart failure drug and passed a hemp law allowing new treatments for insomnia, anxiety and epilepsy. Qatar launched a patient safety classification and announced a unified code of conduct for all private schools. In the UAE, a list of universities whose degrees receive automatic recognition was published, and a Dubai billionaire said Arabic must be taught properly in schools.
Iran's protests and media blackout reached the region. Iranians in the UAE scrambled to reach family amid deadly protests, Al Jazeera broadcast from Tehran during the blackout, and Bahrain's top cleric said millions are ready to sacrifice their lives for Iran's leader. Huda Kattan faced boycott calls over a pro-Iran video.
On media and politics, Israel extended its ban on Al Jazeera's operations by 90 days and blocked the websites of Al Jazeera and Al Mayadeen, and Al Jazeera said YouTube's compliance violates press freedom. A report said Saudi Arabian media stepped up attacks on the UAE as a rift in the Gulf deepened, and supporters of a UAE-backed separatist group rallied in southern Yemen. A former Haaretz columnist was reported to have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by a Qatar lobbyist.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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