Gulf Matters

Why the Gulf matters

The Gulf matters because it is rich in people, ideas and hydrocarbon resources. Those resources and the enormous wealth they bring to its ruling families give them global power and unrevealed influence. It is the birthplace of Islam and sits on the fault line between Sunni and Shia. The Gulf matters because it is under reported and not well understood. It matters because it has so many important stories to tell.

From my first visit to Saudi Arabia in 2002 to my many trips to Gulf countries since, I have written and broadcast on extremism, the Iraq war, the economy, social change and upheaval, the Arab Spring and its aftermath. The Gulf matters to me as a journalist.

Biography

Bill Law is a Sony award-winning journalist. He joined the BBC in 1995 and since 2002 has reported extensively from the Middle East. He has travelled to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia many times. In 2003 he was one of the first journalists to cover the beginnings of the insurgency that engulfed Iraq. His documentary The Gulf: Armed & Dangerous which aired in late 2010 anticipated the revolutions that became the Arab Spring. He then covered the uprisings in Egypt, Libya and Bahrain. He has also reported from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Before leaving the BBC in April 2014, Mr Law was the corporation’s Gulf analyst. He now works as a freelance journalist focusing on the Gulf and is a regular contributor to the Independent, Middle East Eye, Monocle Radio, Gulf States News, the BBC and the New Arab.

Video

Who is ‘the boss’ in phone call after Khashoggi’s murder? – Al Jazeera | 13th Nov 2018
Bahrain Policing Protest
Arab spring: Bahrain defiance continues
BBC Newsnight Bahrain Feb14 2012
Jazz, the sound of soft power in the desert
The Gulf: Armed & Dangerous
Our World – Sisters of the Revolution Part 1 | Part 2

Audio

Web Articles

All hail the UAE Tolerance Summit…or else – Middle East Eye | 13th Nov 2018
Saudi Arabia Executions: Part 2
Saudi Arabia Executions: Part 1

"Singapore government threatens critics and independent media with defamation claims" The full weight of the state… https://t.co/hT8olNsZOX
Some thoughts on the UK -Saudi Arabia relationship and whether the relationship will change and if so how https://t.co/uqASUmW4EQ
RT @peterjsalisbury: Understand Griffiths, the UN envoy, will brief the Security Council on #Yemen tomorrow and will provide more substanti…
RT @viviannereim: “‘King Salman is very angry about what happened with Khashoggi,’ said a person aware of the king’s recent conversations,…
RT @ionacraig: Full text of the Stockholm agreement on Yemen. Hodeidah: "A UN leading role in supporting Yemen Red Sea Ports Corporation in…