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  • Nitaqat Three Years On: A Summer 2014 Report Card
     

    Four years into the Arab Spring, Saudi Arabia has been an oasis of relative calm and stability in an otherwise tumultuous Middle East region. This is partially because the perceived social, economic and political dysfunction resulting from Arab Spring reform movements has had a sobering effect on Saudi perceptions.  In fact, many Saudis consider the […]

     
  • At Dinner with Foreign Policy Experts, Obama Previews Plans to Escalate Attacks on IS Without Congressional Approval
     

    When President Obama announced that he would not strike Syria without Congressional approval in 2013 following a chemical attack by Syria’s President Assad, Gulf allies of the U.S. determined to see Assad overthrown were put off at the unwillingness of a U.S. President to follow through on a previously set “red line.” “While I believe […]

     
  • Social Media’s Arab Future
     

    One could argue that of all the repercussions from the Arab Spring in 2011 none will be more consequential than the kickstart of a period of phenomenal growth of social media in the Arab World.  The pace is astonishing. Apart from the numbers, what does it actually mean if Saudi Arabia has the highest per-capita […]

     
  • President Obama, Biden, Kerry Meet with Washington’s Foreign Policy Elite for Strategic Dinner
     

    U.S. President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden hosted a dinner meeting at the White House with several of Washington’s top foreign policy experts on Monday, according to reports. The timing of the meeting yesterday with bipartisan guests “seemed more for Mr. Obama to give his guests, several of whom are fixtures on television […]

     
  • Shifting Gender Norms in Saudi Arabia
     

    Though often caricatured as backwards and traditional, Saudi gender roles are undergoing a reconfiguration. Previously, the majority of Saudi women did not work outside of the home and relied on male relatives to manage many aspects of family life. Globalization and economic necessity, not necessarily liberal values, are propelling more Saudi women into work outside […]

     
  • C3 US-Arab Business Summit Set for October 6, 2014 in New York City
     

    Since 2012, C3 Summit, in collaboration with the US State Department, US Chamber of Commerce and the US Department of Commerce, has been producing US-Arab Summits focusing on healthcare, commerce and economic development between the Arab region and North America.   Given the continuing growth and importance of the business sector to both regions, C3 has developed the US-Arab […]

     
  • Saudi Arabia Continues Extremist Crackdown: 88 Arrested ‘On the Verge of Carrying Out Operations’
     

    The government of Saudi Arabia has arrested 88 it says were “on the verge of carrying out operations,” news agencies are reporting. The move is the latest in an ongoing crackdown on extremism. The arrests follow remarks made by King Abdullah over the weekend to foreign Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia in which the Custodian of […]

     
  • 5 Things to Know about the TASI Opening
     

    Last month’s announcement that the Saudi Arabian stock market, known as the Tadawul or TASI, would open to foreign investment has created waves of optimism from news outlets to seasoned investors. Most think the opening of the market will be great for investors and provide extra liquidity and capital into the market, but the Saudi […]

     
  • ‘A New Page’ for Diplomacy between Saudi Arabia and Iran?
     

    In what may be another step in a growing thaw in Saudi-Iranian relations, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian visited Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday and met with Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Saud al Faisal. In remarks to Reuters following the meeting, Abdollahian said that both countries agreed that “a new page” was […]

     
  • Where are U.S. Airstrikes Bombing Islamic State Locations in Iraq From?
     

    Craig Whitlock in the Washington Post reports that recent U.S. airstrikes into Iraq on Islamic State targets are taking off from bases in Qatar and the UAE in addition to aircraft carriers in the Arabian Gulf, but neither government is directly admitting it at this time. That the U.S. is using Gulf allies as their […]

     

MUST-READS

  • Factbox: What has the WTO ministerial conference achieved?

    The World Trade Organization's 164 members approved a series of trade agreements early on Friday that included commitments on fish and pledges on health and food security after more than five gruelling days of negotiations.

  • Muqtada al-Sadr just issued a mass resignation decree. Where does Iraq go from here?

    When his political bloc acquired the highest number of seats in the October 2021 elections, Sadr made his intention clear that he no longer was interested in the consociational government formation that prevailed in the past. He proposed a cross-sectarian “national majority” government, with an opposition in the CoR to monitor and check government performance. To this end, Sadr made a firm alliance with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which received a majority of Kurdish votes, and with the United Sunni Front, which was formed by merging the two major Sunni coalitions: Taqaddom and ‘Azm.

  • Will the Jeddah Tower, World’s Tallest Building, Ever Be Finished?

    "It's already a third of its height," says Wood. "And I genuinely do believe that at some point the project will be finished, because it's an embarrassment not to finish it. What I don't know is if it will adhere to its original design or if it will ultimately be the tallest building in the world." Emaar, the developer of the Burj Khalifa, announced plans in 2016 to build an observation tower (not technically a "building") in Dubai that would be slightly taller than the Burj Khalifa, but construction for that project was also delayed by the pandemic.

  • What Key Factors Influence Gas Prices?

    The national average now sits at $5.00 per gallon, and by the end of summer, this figure could grow to $6 per gallon, according to estimates by JPMorgan. But before we can have an understanding of what’s happening at the pump, it’s important to first know what key factors dictate the price of gas.

  • Opinion: Recognizing Israel – Any Asian Volunteers?

    Numbers, as expressed by population size, were one reason. Compared to Saudi Arabia’s 35 million people, Pakistan has a population of 221 million, Indonesia 274 million, and Bangladesh 165 million. That was one reason Saudi Arabia preferred an Asian state to take the lead in following the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, who recognised Israel in the least two years.

  • Opinion: Mickelson, the Saudis, high gas prices and Joe Biden? it’s complicated

    “Saudi Arabia plays an important role in working toward a peaceful and prosperous future for the region and is a strong partner in security and counterterrorism efforts and in military, diplomatic, and financial cooperation.” Greg Norman didn’t say that. Neither did Phil Mickelson. That’s from our nation’s State Department.

  • What Are the Five Major Types of Renewable Energy?

    Though often out of the limelight, hydro is the largest renewable electricity source, followed by wind and then solar. Together, the five main sources combined for roughly 28% of global electricity generation in 2021, with wind and solar collectively breaking the 10% share barrier for the first time.

  • Vacation in the Middle East? Absolutely yes.

    Located on the Arabian Sea, the Sea of Oman, the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz, Oman has a coastline that runs nearly 1900 miles. It has pristine beaches and coast in a wide variety of settings. If a beachfront resort is your speed, you have multiple choices ranging from five-star luxury to more affordable accommodations. Expect modern, clean and comfortable. Most importantly, expect friendly, courteous, professional service everywhere.

  • Commentary: Saudi Arabia Is Swinging Again – But for How Long?

    After decades of relative stability, oil-market dominance in the past 15 years, whether by OPEC or shale producers, has proven to be fleeting. In view of growing hostility toward fossil fuels, the most recent change, with Saudi Arabia suddenly and dramatically regaining its swing-producer role, is unlikely to alter the global oil market’s longer-term dynamics. It is only a matter of time until the supply side adjusts and demand considerations once again loom large.

  • Is There a Future for the Sinkhole-Studded Dead Sea?

    Over the last decade, the northern Dead Sea coast, nicknamed “Sinkhole Country,” has undergone an economic collapse. Vast swaths of land were deemed unstable and access to them was blocked. Farms, beaches, and parking lots collapsed into sinkholes and were abandoned, along with businesses worth hundreds of millions of shekels. A few years ago, the problem arrived at the doorstep of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, which may end up as the first community in the country to fall into a sinkhole.