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  • What’s It Really Like to Go to a Football Match in Saudi Arabia?

    Unlike China’s failed effort to build a powerful domestic competition with foreign talent, Saudi Arabia has plenty of football pedigree. Its oldest club, Al Ittihad, was founded in 1927, the same time as AS Roma, one of Europe’s best-known teams. The sport began to be organized under King Saud bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud, and the national association was founded in 1956, the same year the precursor to Europe’s elite Champions League was getting going. By 1978, Al Hilal signed a multimillion-dollar, two-year deal with Brazilian star Roberto Rivellino. The move was seen as a game changer at the time, though nothing compared with what’s happening now.

  • Why Are Oil Prices Falling While War Rages in the Middle East?

    A main reason, analysts say, is that the fighting, no matter how vicious, has produced little disruption to petroleum supplies, leading traders to conclude that there is no immediate threat.

    “While traders realize there is an increased risk, that hasn’t led to a lot of precautionary buying,” said Richard Bronze, head of geopolitics at Energy Aspects, a London-based market research firm.

  • Are coffee shops becoming a new social hub for Saudi Arabia’s younger generations?

    “Ten years ago, you didn’t see any specialty coffee shops or roasters in the country,” he tells me. “Today, there’s huge demand for high-end or unique coffees, with a lot of competition between Saudi roasters to bring quality coffee to market.” Premiumisation, as Mazen describes, is a process by which roasters sell more exclusive, rare, and superior quality coffee to drive brand appeal and increase prices. Ultimately, this adds a greater sense of value for the buyer, and makes them more willing to pay higher prices.

  • Is the Israel-Gaza war changing US public attitudes?

    To probe the issue, the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll with Ipsos asked several questions focused on the role of the United States and the perception of the Biden administration. The poll did not directly ask about attitudes toward the war itself but probed any shifts in public attitudes on the Israeli-Palestinian issue broadly. It was fielded October 20-22 among 1,021 respondents using Ipsos’ probability-based KnowledgePanel with a margin of error of 3.3%.

  • Israel’s strategic challenge: Will ground invasion succeed against Hamas?

    The Israeli bombardment of Gaza is intensifying and the ground war has begun. The stated aim by Israel is to destroy Hamas, in response to the deadly October 7 attacks on Israeli communities. This is not the first time that Israel has fought a bloody war in Gaza in an attempt to quash the militant group. We take a closer look at what happened in those previous battles – in 2006, 2008-2009 and 2014 – and at whether any lessons can be learned.

  • The Cost of Electrifying the Saudi Rail Network – What Are the Power Infrastructure Costs?

    This data insight takes a closer look at the costs associated with developing the necessary power infrastructure in order to electrify the existing and future rail networks in Saudi Arabia. Calculating these costs allows policymakers to better understand the capital costs and maintenance costs of building substations and other ancillary infrastructure across KSA in order to operate an electrified rail network.

  • Jordan Henderson just played in front of 696 people – how small are Saudi Pro League crowds?

    Henderson has played nine matches in the Saudi Pro League (SPL) since joining his new side in July and, although last weekend’s match in the Saudi capital was the lowest attendance he has experienced, he played in front of 976 people during a 3-1 win away to Abha last month.

  • What is the ‘axis of resistance’ of Iran-backed groups in the Middle East?

    Hamas receives funding and weapons from Iran. The two have had rifts in the past, and do not always agree. Most recently, they fell out over Syria's civil war. Tehran withdrew funding from Hamas when the group chose to stand with protesters against Syria's leader Bashar Assad, whom Tehran supports. Hamas also has other backers, including Turkey.

  • It’s the Terrifying Question: Will the War Spread North?

    Unlike pro-Iranian militia groups in Iraq and even Yemen, and certainly unlike Hamas, Hezbollah is an extremely potent hybrid military organization combining exceptionally effective guerrilla and commando capabilities with conventional military prowess. Hezbollah has demonstrated the ability to take and hold territory and, in its last major conflict with Israel in 2006, it shocked the Israeli military with its capabilities, including effective use of land-to-sea missiles against Israeli naval forces.

  • Commentary: Will Saudi Arabia Renew the “Arab Peace Initiative” as the Middle East Seethes?

    In the rarified circles in which MBS thrives, where high-level diplomatic discussions and frequent appearances on global news programs fill his days and weeks, talking is a sign that he is in the game and that he counts. But knowing this, when it comes to the question of normalizing relations with Israel and other hot-button issues, he has been careful with his talk.