More: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Luxury Bet Meets a Funding Reality Check
In late October, in a boardroom in Riyadh, executives from Red Sea Global and three Saudi lenders signed off on a SAR 6.5 billion...
How the Mecca Pact Rewires Tehran’s Nuclear Calculus
On August 7th, with American warships blockading Iranian ports and Iranian fast boats still harassing tankers off the Omani coast, the leaders of Saudi...
Hormuz Is Yesterday’s Crisis. Bab-el-Mandeb Is Tomorrow’s
On Tuesday, three Houthi ballistic missiles slammed into the Tihamah, an Egyptian-owned cargo ship easing through Bab-el-Mandeb's eighteen-mile channel. A fourth missile hit the...
Saudi Arabia Builds Defence Alliances as Regional War Risks Rise
Saudi Arabia is turning to regional defence alliances as it faces growing attacks from Iran and its network of regional allies, while trying to...
The Red Sea: Emerging Complexities and Untapped Opportunities
Amid geopolitical changes, Red Sea security has attained new developments, creating heightened maritime tensions, while the Gulf States race to control the region. By...
A Muslim Trifecta: The New Challenge to Washington’s Middle East
In the city where Islam began, three leaders sat down last Friday and signed something the region has not seen before. Saudi Arabia's Mohammed...
Mecca Defence Pact: What It Means for China, the US and the Middle East
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, signed on August 7, 2026, by Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, marks an important development in the evolving security...
The Mecca Pact Is a Confession, Not a Deterrent
The Mecca Joint Defence Agreement is not really a well-organised military alliance. Instead, it looks more like a backup plan, in which three middle...
Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Squeeze
Authors: John A. Calabrese and Aaron Jon Pasha*
Saudi Arabia’s approach to the Iran war has been defined by a sustained effort to avoid direct...
Mecca Pact: How Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan Are Reshaping West Asia’s Security
The Mecca Compact in Brief
On 7 August 2026, in the presence of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the...