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.