Prospects for the Gulf states in 2019
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Subject Prospects for the Gulf states in 2019. Significance The six states in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) have seen solid economic improvements in 2018 on the back of higher oil prices, and Bahrain has avoided a debt crisis, with help from its neighbours. However, the region remains deeply divided over policies towards Qatar, Yemen and Iran. The assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi has shaken Saudi Arabia’s international standing and undermined its core narrative of economic and social reform.