Qatar, tiny but energy-rich and one of the wealthiest Arab countries in the world, has a major stake in Europe in property and businesses. It has been feeling the pinch with the oil price drops recently but is diversifying into infrastructure projects and cutting back on cultural and World Cup 2022 costs. It is an absolute monarchy under Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani who is close to the Muslim Brotherhood and is run under Sharia Law which allows flogging and stoning; with severe restrictions on freedom of speech and faces criticism for its ill-treatment of migrant workers.
The Emir was born 3 June 1980 and has 9 children by three wives. He’s a Sun Gemini trine Pluto, square Mars Saturn in Virgo, so fairly tough. He looks less than confident through this year with tr Neptune opposing his Mars mid Feb to mid March, and again late in 2017; and square his Sun till early 2018. Then he moves into two really challenging and discouraging years until 2020 with tr Pluto trine his Saturn.
His Reign chart, 25 June 2013 8am Doha, looks very upbeat in 2017 with Solar Arc Jupiter conjunct the Sun; though there will be disruptions and upheavals, emotional shocks, from late this March from tr Uranus square Mercury Venus and in 2018 square the Moon. The really tough years look like being 2019 to 2022 with tr Neptune square the Mars, and Solar Arc Sun opposing Pluto and square Uranus. That fits with his personal chart which has fairly cataclysmic Solar Arcs in 2020 of Solar Arc Mars conjunct Pluto; and Solar Arc Uranus opposition Venus.
The country chart, 1 September 1971 12 am, isn’t showing much apart from an image-denting tr Neptune square Ascendant this year; a forced change of direction in 2018. But it does have tr Pluto moving through the 8th for many years ahead which will be very stuck financially and in other ways.
The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven absolute monarchies which came together on 2 December 1971 and is now under the presidency of Sheikh Khalifa, born 25 January 1945, who took over on 3 November 2004. Human Rights organisations complain of restrictions on freedom of speech, treatment of migrant workers and disappearance/imprisonment of activists. The UAE is fairly contradictory in its approach since it is traditionally conservative, but likes to look liberal to attract rich westerners and tourists. It is expected to lead economic growth in the Arabian Gulf this year.
The UAE chart has a Sagittarius Sun conjunct Jupiter on one side and Neptune on the other, square Mars in Pisces which tr Neptune is slowly wending its way round in hard aspect, till late 2018 which suggests none-too-solid foundations. Neptune can create bubbles of false happiness, especially financial, which then deflate in a hurry.
Both Sheik Khalifa’s personal chart and his Presidency chart indicate significant and disruptive changes with major upheavals and setbacks between 2019 and 2022.
Clearly the turn of the decade and just before with the recession/war-prone Saturn Pluto in Capricorn won’t leave the autocracies of the Gulf unscathed.
Kuwait is a semi-parliamentary democracy though the Emir can and frequently does dissolve the legislature, and appoints the prime minister. It became independent on 19 June 1961 and the present Emir, now 87 years old, took over on 29 Jan 2006. Like other Arab states it is having to introduce austerity cutbacks and promote non-oil business to combat the price fall. On the Kuwait country chart, this year looks edgy and marginally discouraging; with 2018 much more unsettled and disruptive with a rebellious population. Real trouble spans the years 2019 to 2021 as for Qatar and the UAE above. With a Solar Arc Sun conjunct Uranus and following that conjunct Mars, which looks angry and highly insecure as well as explosive.
The Emir of Kuwait’s reign chart, looks in for a shock this year with the Solar Arc Sun square Mars; and a trapped, frustrating 2018/19 with tr Pluto trine Mars; with 2019 also having the destabilising Solar Arc Pluto square Uranus.
Bahrain, the smallest of the Gulf states, is heavily dependent on Saudi Arabia politically and economically and as Saudi’s growth declines towards recession, it’ll impact heavily on Bahrain, already struggling against junk status and internal unrest. There has been a marked deterioration in human rights since 2016 with opposition leaders and activists harassed and prosecuted. Authorities have not held officials accountable for the mistreatment and torture of detainees, continue to arbitrarily strip citizenship from Bahrainis who have been critical of the government, and subject civil society actors to arbitrary travel bans. One commentator said: ‘The country is sinking into a self-harming cycle of political repression leading to ever deeper economic woes, and there seems to be no impetus for a change of course among the leaders.’ It is a constitutional monarchy, under the rule of the Al Khalifa family since the late 18th Century. It became independent on 14 Aug 1971 and the present Emir took over on 14 Feb 2002.
The Emir of Bahrain’s reign chart is scarily blocked through 2017/18 with tr Pluto square Mars; and even more undermined in 2018 with Solar Arc Neptune conjunct Sun in 2018; and facing a considerable upheaval by 2020 as tr Pluto is sextile the Uranus and tr Uranus square Neptune.
The Bahrain chart indicates a protracted period of high risk, escalating tension, fanaticism and upset between 2020 and 2023. So all of the Gulf charts look to be in the eye of one storm at least at this decade closes and a new ones opens, right through the Saturn Pluto and then Jupiter conjunction.
Thank you so much for everything.