Qatar and Oman come in second and third respectively within the regional ranks of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
#Perian gulf for free#
Kuwait ranks amongst the top three for free press in the Arab world. Both organizations rank Kuwait's press as the freest of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Press in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf have varying degrees of freedom with Kuwait topping the league with a lively press that enjoys considerably more freedom than its Persian Gulf counterparts according to Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders. Iraq is the only federal republic situated on the Persian Gulf. Saudi Arabia and Qatar are the two Arab states and absolute monarchies to have never held elections since their respective establishments as nations in 19. In Qatar, an elected national parliament has been mooted and is written into the new constitution, but elections are yet to be held. Saudi Arabia remains a hereditary monarchy with limited political representation.
In the UAE, a federation of seven monarchical emirates, the Federal National Council functions only as an advisory body, but some of its members are now chosen via a limited electoral college nominated by the seven rulers. The Sultanate of Oman also has an advisory council ( Majlis ash-Shura) that is popularly elected. Bahrain ( Majlis al Watani) and Kuwait ( Majlis al Ummah) have legislatures with members elected by the population. Some states are constitutional monarchies with elected parliaments.