Saudi-Israeli deal would be a gamechanger but not for the reasons discussed
A Saudi-Israeli agreement to establish diplomatic relations involving enhanced US commitments to Gulf security could be a game-changer for great power rivalry in the...
Confusion and uncertainty shape debate about U.S. Gulf policy
Debates about the US commitment to Gulf security are skewed by confusion, miscommunication, and contradictory policies.
The skewing has fuelled uncertainty about US policy as...
Gulf sports diplomacy could enter choppy waters
Storm clouds may be gathering, potentially casting a shadow over Saudi Arabia's shock-and-awe sports buying spree and complicating the geopolitical and geoeconomic sports strategies...
The Indonesian presidential election produces an unexpected twist
An unexpected twist in the run-up to next year’s Indonesian presidential election puts Centrist Democratic International (CDI), the world’s largest alliance of conservative political...
Arab Winter? What Arab Winter?
Protesters in Syria, Bahrain, Libya, Iran, and Israel are dashing autocratic and authoritarian hopes of a prolonged winter.
In response, Arab autocrats are scrambling to...
Spain’s La Liga challenges Gulf states’ business model
Saudi Arabia’s stunning sports acquisition blitz, alongside Qatari and Emirati European club purchases, may reshape the beautiful game, just not in ways Crown Prince...
Middle East sports go global with politics in tow
A potential sale of storied soccer club Manchester United to a member of Qatar's ruling family could take the Manchester derby to new heights.
The...
Saudi Arabia and Israel put a high US price tag on diplomatic relations
It’s not just Saudi Arabia that puts a high US price on diplomatic relations with Israel. So does Israel.
A confidante of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, strategic...
Arab youth seek certainty in religion and tradition
A just-published survey suggests Arab youth are returning to traditional values. The survey contrasts starkly with another, only partially released poll, in which a...
Indonesia pushes a civilizational approach to countering polarisation
An Indonesian push for a Southeast Asian return to values rooted in an ancient Indo civilisation amounts to an innovative attempt to manage polarisation.
Exploiting...