DIPLOMACY
Looking toward Africa, Saudi Seeks Red Sea Political, Economic Bloc

SUSTG Team \| 12.13.2018
Saudi Arabia is seeking a political and economic alliance with six countries bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in a move aimed at strengthening its interests in the crucial waterway and in Africa, according to reports.

Saudi Arabia

News, analysis, and more

Trump Administration

Defying Trump, U.S. Senate advances measure to end support for Saudis in Yemen

In a rare break with President Donald Trump, the Senate voted on Wednesday to move ahead with a resolution to end U.S. military support for...

Newsweek - Five Democrats Vote With Republicans to Block Vote on Saudi Arabia's War in Yemen
CBS - CIA chief Gina Haspel briefs House members on Khashoggi murder

Red Sea

Saudi Arabia seeks new political bloc in strategic Red Sea region

Representatives from Egypt, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen and Jordan gathered in Riyadh on Wednesday to discuss the initiative without reaching final agreement. A team of...

Economy

Khashoggi unlikely to affect Saudi rating: Fitch

Rating agency Fitch said the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi is unlikely to affect its assessment of the Kingdom’s credit risk....

U.S.-Saudi

Analysis: After the Killing of Jamal Khashoggi: Muhammad bin Salman and the Future of Saudi-U.S. Relations

The piece of Vision 2030 to which the international media latched on was the proposal to privatize five percent of the state oil company, Saudi...

Exports

Dine on Saudi Shrimp in China: Oil Giant Tests a New Export

The emerging trade represents more than a new source of shellfish for the world’s most populous nation. Saudi Arabia is testing the waters in China...

Saudi-Lebanon

Lebanon’s Hariri: Saudi will help economically once govt formed

Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri said on Thursday that Saudi Arabia would help Lebanon economically once it forms a new cabinet....

Saudi-Kuwait

Kuwait, Saudis Close to Oil-Field Pact After U.S. Intervention

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are close to restarting operations at oil fields in a disputed territory between the two countries after the U.S. intervened to...

Red Sea Project

Saudi Crown Prince leads Red Sea project briefing for King

According to Saudi Press Office (SPA), the Phase 1 of Red Sea Project will be completed in 2022, will see the establishment of about 3,000...

E-Prix

Saudi Crown Prince inspects Ad-Diriyah Formula E-Prix race track

Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al Saud, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, inspected Ad-Diriyah Formula E-Prix race track, ahead of the fifth season of the ABB...

Saudi +

Regional and related topics

War in Yemen

Sweden’s FM lauds ‘positive’ Yemen peace talks

Associated Press | 12.13.2018

The United Nations secretary general says Yemen’s warring sides have agreed after week-long peace talks in Sweden to a province-wide cease-fire in Hodeida and a...

ABC News - UN chief says Yemen's warring sides agreed on Hodeida truce

Global Oil Markets

IEA Wobbles on Impact of OPEC Cuts, Citing Growing US Production

24/7 Wall St. | Paul Ausick | 12.13.2018

According to the IEA, the United States is now the world leader in crude oil production. Three countries — the United States, Russia and Saudi...

Gulf Arms Race

The Arab Gulf States and Iran: Military Spending, Modernization, and the Shifting Military Balance

Center for Strategic and International Studies | Anthony H. Cordesman and Nicholas Harrington | 12.12.2018

The military balance between Iran, its Arab neighbors, and the United States has been a critical military issue in the Middle East since at least...

ME Risk

Middle East Market Risks for 2019: Saudi Politics, Oil, and Wars

Bloomberg | Netty Idayu Ismail and Filipe Pacheco | 12.13.2018

With oil in a bear market, pressure on energy exporters is mounting. Saudi Arabia’s global standing is being questioned and Washington has turned its back...

Arms Sales

Middle Eastern countries are biggest buyers of US military equipment

CNBC | Amanda Macias | 12.13.2018

Between 2013 and 2017, the Middle East accounted for 49 percent of U.S. arms exports, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research...

U.S.-Iran

Pompeo asks U.N. to bar Iran from ballistic missile testing

Washington Post | Carol Morello | 12.13.2018

The immediate cause for the Security Council session was a Dec. 1 test of a ballistic missile that Pompeo said was capable of carrying nuclear...

U.S. Department of State - Remarks at the United Nations Security Council Meeting on Iran

Journalists

Jailing Hundreds of Journalists Worldwide Is the ‘New Normal,’ Group Finds

New York Times (Paywall) | Rick Gladstone | 12.13.2018

Turkey, China and Egypt were responsible for more than half of those jailed for the third year in a row, the group found, and Turkey...

National Vetting Center

Trump’s New Vetting Center Just Opened. Will It Make Us Safer?

Defense One | Katrina Mulligan | 12.13.2018

Its early operations will focus on streamlining the vetting of travelers eligible for the Visa Waiver Program—primarily from Europe—but the Center will soon expand operations...

OPEC

OPEC exit frees Qatar from U.S. legal concerns

Reuters | Rania El Gamal, Eric Knecht | 12.13.2018

Even before taking over Qatar’s energy policy in a government reshuffle last month, Qatar Petroleum (QP) CEO Saad al-Kaabi had long wanted the Gulf state...

SUSTG Team | 12.13.2018