Locked-in Emissions: The Climate Change Arms Trade

Fall 2021 / Essays

With militaries’ locked-in fossil fuel systems and looming climate chaos, the arms industry continues to take advantage of nefarious profit opportunities.

Maintaining the U.S.-Saudi Relationship

Spring 2021 / Essays

The once booming strategic alliance between Riyadh and Washington has weathered a number of regional storms but is beginning to show wear and tear.

The Long Road to Economic Transformation in the Gulf

Spring 2021 / Essays

To successfully reinvent their economies, Gulf states must move past the deadweight of legacy policies and their adverse consequences.

A Timeline of Arab Rapprochement

January 24, 2021 / Timelines

A blockade of Qatar is lifted after Arabs mend fences and resume diplomatic ties.

Embracing Change: U.S. Foreign Policy Shifts

Fall 2020 / Q & A

Former U.S. diplomat and American University in Cairo President Francis Ricciardone discusses whether a Biden win will see a return to a rules based international order.

Re-Engineering Regional Security

June 21, 2020 / Midan

In the last half-century, Egypt has had to negotiate its way through the Arab–Israeli peace process, regional nuclear proliferation, and domestic political transition. What has it taught us?

The Geo-economic Fallout of COVID-19 for the Middle East

April 23, 2020 / Essays

The COVID-19 coronavirus will cause long-term consequences for the Middle East; a combination of chaos in oil markets and contraction of gross domestic product will present challenges for years to come.

Facing the Nuclear Storm

Fall 2019 / Essays

Countries across the Middle East are building or have already started operating their nuclear power plants. To assess how “resilient” their nuclear energy systems are, one must look at a number of important risks and factors

Thinking Arab Futures

Spring 2019 / Essays

Drivers, scenarios, and strategic choices for an improved Arab World

Erdoğan’s Failure on the Nile

Spring 2019 / Essays

How Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went from being a regional Islamist leader in the Arab Spring to being the Middle East’s odd man out

Saudi Arabia’s Moment in the Sun

May 19, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Although cooperation with China can help Saudi Arabia boost production of solar power, global trade dynamics may complicate the kingdom’s renewable energy goals.

Russia’s Eye on Syrian Reconstruction

March 7, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Russia is primed to benefit economically from an influx of foreign investment in Syria, but an emerging rivalry with China and Iran for contracts could erode its long-term leverage.

The Dream of a City

March 5, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Will Neom, the Saudi leadership’s new “city of the future,” become a reality?

Preserving Kurdish Autonomy

February 15, 2019 / Tahrir Forum

Divisions among the states vested in Syria are opening possibilities for Syria’s Kurds to secure greater protection for their autonomy.

A New Beginning for Yemen?

November 17, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

The strategic role of the United States—and others—in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen.

The UAE’s Security-Economic Nexus in Yemen

July 27, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

The UAE’s growing investment in Yemen’s energy and security infrastructure is increasingly the driving force behind its counterterrorism involvement.

Jordan at the Crossroads

July 7, 2018 / Tahrir Forum

Jordan’s economic, demographic and geographic characteristics have left the country vulnerable to mass protests and external pressure that can only be overcome by a comprehensive reform program.

Saudi, Inc.

Spring 2018 / Book Reviews

How Saudi Arabia’s national oil company transformed the desert kingdom.

A New Kingdom of Saud?

Winter 2018 / Essays

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive transformation with all eyes set on the “Vision 2030” plan. How successful will the country be in reshaping its future?

The Widening Saudi–Iran Divide

Winter 2018 / Essays

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran marks a deepening division between regional powers and international hegemons in the Persian Gulf. The Saudis and Iranians have to learn to cooperate or risk further confrontation.

Saudi Arabia’s Post-Oil Future

May 9, 2017 / Tahrir Forum

The story behind Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud’s vision to take the country into the future

Saudi Brinkmanship in Lebanon

March 27, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

Saudi Arabia’s recent moves against Hezbollah and the Lebanese government could end up weakening its own allies and further destabilizing the Lebanese political arena.

History is Being Made, but Dangers Also Lurk Ahead

January 6, 2016 / Tahrir Forum

The best hope for the Middle East is for sensible and responsible people in all concerned lands, especially around the Gulf, to grasp the catastrophes that will engulf much of the region if current trends continue.

Gulf States Face Their Biggest Challenge

December 30, 2015 / Tahrir Forum

The GCC states are now entering into the early stages of reconfigured citizen-state relations similar to what most other non-energy-rich Arab countries experienced from 1986 to 1995.

Saudi Arabia Is Not “Sunni Central”

December 6, 2015 / Tahrir Forum

Unlike what many Western pundits think, Saudi Arabia does not represent the “true” Sunni Islam. Even within the country, there are older traditions of Islam that are far more open and tolerant than the Kingdom’s official Wahhabist sect.

Ending the Iranian-Saudi Cold War

October 11, 2015 / Tahrir Forum

A diplomacy deficit between Iran and Saudi Arabia has exacerbated volatility across the Middle East. Ending the Iranian-Saudi cold war, and building a collective security framework for the Middle East is the only option likely to succeed.

Saud Al-Faisal: Statesman Diplomat

Fall 2015 / Midan

Saudi Arabia’s longtime minister of foreign affairs, Prince Saud Al-Faisal passed away this Ramadan. He was among the kingdom’s most influential men. A former Egyptian foreign minister reflects on the Arab statesman and diplomat.

Tag: Saudi Arabia