Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Ambitious Plans and Facts on the Ground

July 25, 2020 Opinion

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to implement an ambitious $800 billion initiative aimed at increasing the size of Riyadh in the next decade, and at transforming the capital into an economic, social a…

The China-Iran Deal: It’s Not About Business But Geopolitical Poker

July 20, 2020 Opinion

Hobbled by harsh US sanctions and a global economic downturn, Iran has discovered a new opportunity: hot air that carries messages to its opponents. China, albeit far less economically impaired, sees …

Palestine Plays Regional Power Politics with Proposed Energy Deal

July 16, 2020 Opinion

A Palestinian move to secure Palestine’s energy needs by tying them to high-stakes Turkish regional gambits constitutes an effort to reduce Palestinian dependence on Israel at a time when the Jewish s…

Has Saudi Arabia Once More Made a Catastrophic Oil Blunder?

July 15, 2020 Opinion

In March of this year Saudi Arabia launched what was clearly a catastrophic move to regain its role as the world oil superpower. What initially was a move aimed at taking markets away from Russia, aft…

Britain Is Following Its Big Brother by Imposing So-Called Humanitarian Sanctions

July 10, 2020 Opinion

The UK's imposition of so-called "humanitarian sanctions" against 49 individuals from Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, and Saudi Arabia that it claims are supposedly involved in "human rights abuses" is …

On the Front Lines: Middle Eastern Rivals Take Their Fight to Jerusalem

July 8, 2020 Opinion

Already at the core of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Jerusalem is emerging as yet another frontline in the struggle for regional hegemony in the Middle East. With its annexationist policies, Israel…

The Yemen Tragedy Continues

July 6, 2020 Opinion

Global opinion and leaders in many countries have reacted angrily to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ decision to remove the Saudi Arabian military coalition in Yemen from a list of groups viola…

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

July 1, 2020 Opinion

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’…