Eric Watkins

Eric Watkins, who writes on oil, shipping and terrorism, is the first Western person ever allowed to reside in Yemen as a foreign correspondent. Altogether, he lived some 20 years in the Red Sea region, including Saudi Arabia (1981-88), Yemen (1989-94) and Cyprus (2000-04). On the recommendation of the desert explorer Wilfred Thesiger, Watkins was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1989 for his contributions to knowledge of the Arabian Peninsula. Watkins holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from the University of California at San Diego, and is writing a book documenting the impact of trade on Yemeni history.

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    Articles by Eric Watkins

    Japan’s Energy Supplies at Risk

    Japan is well-known for being a resource-poor country, particularly when it comes to the acquisition of energy resources—such as oil and natural gas—that are needed to run its high-powered economy.

    Landscape of Shifting Alliances

    There can be little doubt that Yemen plays a key role in the US-led war on al-Qaeda’s terrorist network, but it is a role that the Arab country would have

    Yemen’s Innovative Approach to the War on Terror

    Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih appears to have weathered the worst of his terrorist problem. Indeed, with no al-Qaeda related incidents in two years, Salih's previously suspect security credentials are

    YEMEN’S INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THE WAR ON TERROR

    Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Salih appears to have weathered the worst of his terrorist problem. Indeed, with no al-Qaeda related incidents in two years, Salih's previously suspect security credentials are

    Landscape Of Shifting Alliances

    There can be little doubt that Yemen plays a key role in the US-led war on al-Qaeda’s terrorist network, but it is a role that the Arab country would have