Economic Crisis Does Little to Dampen Mohammed bin Salman’s Pricey Ambitions

July 1, 2020

The hiring by Saudi Arabia of an international public relations firm to counter doubts about Mohammed bin Salman’s $500 billion USD dream of a futuristic city on the Red Sea suggests that the kingdom’…

Saudi Arabia: How One Fateful Night Set in Motion a Series of Brutal Purges

May 26, 2020

Opinion

Laylat al-Qadr, variously called the Night of Power, Decree, Value or Destiny, is the holiest night in the Muslim calendar. It is the night when the first verses were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad,…

Saudi Arabia: What Happens When the Oil Stops

April 27, 2020

Opinion

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) can no longer plead youth or inexperience. That time has passed. What you see is what you get. The misrule, blunders and war associated with him a…

Saudis Launched Oil Price War After ‘MbS Shouting Match with Putin’

April 22, 2020

Opinion

A telephone call last month between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman degenerated into a shouting match just before Riyadh decided to flood the market with oi…

Who and What Is Behind the Crisis in Saudi Arabia?

April 6, 2020

Opinion

One of the key players in the global fossil fuel market – Saudi Arabia – a rich and influential kingdom, is currently experiencing quite a severe crisis. Saudi Arabia’s outward stability as a nation s…

The Saudi Royal Family should Beware Fighting Among Themselves

March 21, 2020

Opinion

Purges, interrogation, claims of torture, accusations of treason, suspicion of murder, an insane war in Yemen and ruinous plans for a “reformed” kingdom, all supported by the US and the west and …

Playing for Higher Stakes: Saudi Arabia Gambles on Oil War with Russia

March 20, 2020

Opinion

Saudi Arabia’s oil spat with Russia throws a spanner into the works of the Kingdom’s long-standing effort to hedge its bets, a strategy that has taken on added significance as the Gulf comes to grips …

The World Can’t Forget the Fight for the Saudi Crown Amid Virus Panic

March 17, 2020

Opinion

The fear caused by the coronavirus outbreak is greater than that provoked by a serious war because everybody is in the front line and everybody knows that they are a potential casualty. The best paral…