Pakistan brings the Saudi-UAE rivalry to Southasia – Southasia Weekly #120

Eid Mubarak to all our readers who celebrate! It can feel difficult to find time to reflect and recharge when so much of the world is burning. My eyes this week were on Myanmar, where the military has tightened conscription rules, with frequent reports of young people being abducted and forcibly recruited into the military. While Myanmar received attention during its election, which the military touted as a process of democratisation, news of the ongoing conflict has faded from headlines, save from the occasional update on airstrikes. 

There were plenty of other updates vying for our collective attention this week; the Quad meeting in Delhi, the train bombing in Quetta that instantly evoked memories of the 2025 Jaffar Express hijacking, drawing attention once more to Balochistan, the release on bail of a senior Buddhist monk accused of sexual abuse that has drawn heated discussion and protests in Sri Lanka. But we want to continue paying attention and bringing you news from the margins, and we felt that Myanmar deserved (and deserves) our attention. We cover Southasia like no one else, and that’s why you should sign up to our Patrons programme to support our work.

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This week in Himal

Salman Rafi Sheikh writes about the implications of Pakistan’s growing ties with Saudi Arabia, testing the country’s neutrality and bringing the Saudi-UAE rivalry to Southasia. 

For Screen Southasia this month, we’re spotlighting two Sino-Indian stories –  sign up to watch here.