Challenging the Saudi Crown Prince: Alwaleed bin Talal toughs it out
Incarcerated for almost two months in a gilded cage in Riyadh’s luxurious Ritz Carlton Hotel, Saudi billionaire businessman Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal appears to...
The Killing of Ali Abdullah Saleh – Is Peace in Yemen Possible?
Based on remarks at a 19 December 2017 NUS Middle East Institute seminar
The Middle East being the Middle East, everything is interrelated. What happens...
Trading Jerusalem for Iran
US president Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem potentially sets the stage for a controversial American effort to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict backed by...
US-Saudi nuclear talks: A barometer for whither the Middle East?
Talks aimed at transferring US nuclear technology to Saudi Arabia serve as an indicator of where the Saudi-Iranian rivalry is heading as well as...
Arab anger: Governments and protesters walk a fine line
A little noticed subtext to furious protests across the Middle East and North Africa against US President Donald J. Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as...
China leverages Belt and Road investment to shape Pakistan’s political environment
A Chinese decision to redevelop criteria for the funding of infrastructure projects that are part of the $50 billion plus China Pakistan Economic Corridor...
Tackling Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism: A Pakistani-US collision in the making
A recent government surrender to militant demands for stricter adherence to Islam mediated by the military coupled with the release from house arrest of...
Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem: Letting a genie out of the bottle
US President Donald J. Trump has let a genie out of the bottle with his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and intent to...
Qatari Wahhabism vs. Saudi Wahhabism and the perils of top-down change
A multi-domed, sand-coloured, architectural marvel, Doha’s biggest and national mosque, symbolizes Qatar’s complex and troubled relationship with Saudi Arabia. Its naming six years ago...
Egyptian President Al-Sisi steps up repression to cover policy failure
Egyptian general-turned-president Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi would likely be the first to admit that an iron fist is no guarantee for retaining power. Not because...