More: Saudi Arabia
Conflict in Ukraine: How long can the Middle East walk a tightrope?
For now, Ukraine is the far from my bed show for most Middle Eastern nations. The question is not if but when Ukraine will...
The Waning Supremacy of the Petrodollar Economy
Since the 1970s, the US dollar has been the undisputed reserve currency around the globe. Agreements with Saudi Arabia (and many other Middle Eastern...
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s heady days
These are heady days for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
With King Salman home after a week in hospital during which he had a...
Saudi religious moderation: the world’s foremost publisher of Qur’ans has yet to get the message
When the religious affairs minister of Guinea-Conakry visited Jeddah last week, his Saudi counterpart gifted him 50,000 Qur’ans.
Saudi Islamic affairs minister Abdullatif Bin Abdulaziz...
Deteriorating Israeli-Russian relations: A cautionary message for the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey
Israel’s rapidly deteriorating relations with Russia contain a message for other Middle Eastern powers: attempting to remain on the sidelines of the conflict in...
Ukraine joins Afghanistan and Yemen in shaping Gulf rivalries
The US withdrawal from Afghanistan was a geopolitical watershed. Its shockwaves continue to reverberate and are magnified by the wars in Ukraine and Yemen.
Coupled...
UN humanitarians say $4.3 billion is needed to halt ‘worsening’ Yemen crisis
The UN’s Humanitarian Country Team in Yemen on Saturday, released its Response Plan (HRP) for this year, seeking nearly $4.3 billion to reverse a steady deterioration across the country,...
Saudi Arabia targets a more Republican Washington
Rather than push for an immediate improvement of strained relations with the United States, Saudi Arabia appears to be looking forward to a time...
US-Gulf divergence: Placing risky bets
Russia's invasion of Ukraine spotlights seemingly widening differences between the United States and its closest Middle Eastern allies, sparking eulogies for an era of...
Cooperating with autocrats: When is too much, too much?
Two recent publications have fuelled debate about democratic cooperation with autocratic governments in general, and Saudi Arabia in particular, in the wake of the...