About
Michael Barron
Blog
Piloting a way to oil sales transparency
Ghana is showing the way to bring more transparency to the selling and buying of crude oil, transactions that bring governments and companies billions of dollars every year. Ghana EITI has recently published on its website (see here) the results of a pilot project to enhance transparency of oil sales in the country. We, Engaged Consulting Read more about Piloting a way to oil sales transparency[…]
EU need transparency for your company ownership structure
Written by Michael Barron and Tim Law Government and NGO expectations of corporate behaviour are starting to resemble the state of “everything out in the open”. On 15 December, in the latest move for ever more transparency for companies, the EU agreed to revise the EU’s fourth anti-money laundering directive (4MLD). This will now Read more about EU need transparency for your company ownership structure[…]
Investing in Palestinian unity needed for more secure region
The Palestinian Authority (PA) cabinet met in Gaza City for the first time in more than decade on 3 October, providing a hair breadth silver lining to the dark clouds that have piled up around politics in the region. Despite the unpromising political outlook, the political currents that have come together to carry Prime Minister Read more about Investing in Palestinian unity needed for more secure region[…]
Narrowing the Gulf: Improving GCC-Israel relations
It has been a busy week for revelations of contacts between the Arab Gulf states and Israel. On 11 September, Israeli media reported that a member of one of the Gulf ruling families had recently made a discreet visit to Israel for talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu. While the details remained sketchy (may be a Read more about Narrowing the Gulf: Improving GCC-Israel relations[…]
Why these seven Muslim majority countries? A Marathon Runner’s Guide to Middle Eastern Politics, part 2
The New York Marathon was the first marathon I ran in the USA. That was in 1998. I have two strong memories from that event, aside from the pain of the final stretch through Central Park. The first was the international run the day before the marathon. This short warm up event is for the Read more about Why these seven Muslim majority countries? A Marathon Runner’s Guide to Middle Eastern Politics, part 2[…]
A Marathon Runner’s Guide to Middle Eastern Politics, part 1
This year marks the 20th anniversary of running my first marathon*. It was the London Marathon in April 1997. Over the same period of time, longer in fact, I have also been an observer and analyst of Middle Eastern politics. Reflecting on two obsessions that have been important in my professional and personal life, what Read more about A Marathon Runner’s Guide to Middle Eastern Politics, part 1[…]
Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Mediterranean migrant crisis
As the world focuses on the foreign policy challenges facing the United Kingdom, another kingdom consisting of four separate regions also faces immense foreign policy challenges. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which in reality is a union of the Eastern Provinces, the central Nejd (where the Sauds originate), the Hejaz and the south-western Asir region, Read more about Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Mediterranean migrant crisis[…]
Economic reform in the GCC: Red sky at night or red sky in the morning?
In the same week that the Paris Agreement on climate change was signed, Saudi Arabia unveiled its Vision 2030 strategy. While the timing is probably coincidental, the two events are linked. Saudi Arabia’s unveiling of its strategy to diversify its economy is the most recent and high profile in a series of reform announcements by governments in the Read more about Economic reform in the GCC: Red sky at night or red sky in the morning?[…]
Blog!
Look out for blogs (at least monthly) on issues that interest me and I believe will interest you. I will focus on the Middle East but will occasionally stray into other areas including South East Asia, transparency, marathon running and anything else that catches my eye.