The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will now allow women to apply for military service in a historic move. The decision comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 social program launched by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Women in governorates including Riyadh, Makkah, al-Qusaim, and al Madina can apply for the rank of soldier,…
A leading Pakistani newspaper has called it a mystery. Politicians have demanded a debate. The defence minister was summoned. But several days after Pakistan announced it was sending over 1,000 new troops to Saudi Arabia, details about what they will do and why they are being dispatched now remain murky. ‘The Saudis may think there is…
In the slideshow that is Middle Eastern politics, the series of still images seldom add up to make an enduring narrative. And the probability is high that when an indelible image appears, it might go unnoticed – such as Russia and Saudi Arabia wrapping up huge energy deals on Wednesday underscoring a new narrative in…
The battle against Islamic State in Syria may be nearing its end, but the conflict in this war-torn country seems far from over. Competing factions and old rivalries have created a complicated, uncertain future for Syria. With so many different warring parties wrestling for control of Syria’s fate, it seems prudent to review the conflict’s…
No matter how much some in the United States try to apply to the war in Yemen a Manichean template for seeing the conflict as a simple contest between good guys and bad guys, the complexities of the war keep intruding. Long overlooked has been how the supposedly good side—that is, the one on behalf…
The semi-secret security alliance between Saudi Arabia and Israel may be expanding into the sphere of ideology and street politics, but Riyadh may be at risk of tripping a conservative Islamist backlash. The existence of some form of security and intelligence cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Israel is hardly news for Middle East observers. United…
