Saudi rushes to improve its image in advance of G20 and Biden
Saudi Arabia has taken multiple steps to polish its tarnished image in advance of this weekend’s hosting of the virtual summit of the G20...
Subtly, China pressures Gulf states to reduce regional tensions
Authors: James M. Dorsey and Alessandro Arduino*
Public debates about China’s Middle East policy are as much internal Chinese discussions as they are indications of...
UAE and Israeli settlers find common ground in Jerusalem
Weakened by Joe Biden’s electoral defeat of US President Donald J. Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu risks being caught between a rock and...
Ceasefire in the Caucasus opens door to rebalancing of regional power
A Russian mediated-ceasefire in the Caucasus cements a Turkish-backed Azerbaijani military defeat of Armenia but raises tantalizing questions.
Spontaneous mass protests against the terms of...
Conflict in Ethiopia extends the Greater Middle East’s arc of crisis
Authors: James M. Dorsey and Alessandro Arduino*
Ethiopia, an African darling of the international community, is sliding towards civil war as the coronavirus pandemic hardens...
The Battle for the Soul of Islam
Jordanian ruler Abdullah I bin Al-Hussein gloated in 1924 when Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the visionary who carved modern Turkey out of the ruins of...
US Secretary of State Pompeo set to boost Indonesian religious reform efforts
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit...
War in the Caucasus: One more effort to shape a new world order
Fighting in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia is about much more than deep-seated ethnic divisions and territorial disputes. It’s the latest clash designed,...
The Battle for Jerusalem: Turkey’s Erdogan stakes his claim
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a...
Changing attitudes towards religiosity: A double-edged sword for Arab rulers
Public opinion polling in the Arab world suggests that autocratic leaders like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his UAE counterpart, Mohammed bin...