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  • Russian-Iranian military cooperation: How much can they depend on each other?

    Despite their differences, Russian-Iranian military cooperation will likely continue—and increase. But with both now on the back foot, the question is just how useful their cooperation is. Moscow is urging Iranian restraint in responding to Israel over the death of Haniyeh in Tehran not because of any inherent peace-loving nature, but because the Kremlin understands that, with its forces tied down in Ukraine, it is not in a position to do much to protect Iran in a wider conflict with Israel—especially if the Jewish state receives US military support.

  • How prepared is Saudi Arabia to handle mpox?

    An international outbreak of a milder variant of mpox occurred between July 2022 and May 2023. The first cluster of cases was reported in the UK, followed soon after by more in other parts of the world, including Europe and North America. It was the first time that a transmission chain had been reported outside of Africa without any known epidemiological links to West or Central Africa. In all, 87,000 cases were reported in 111 countries, and 140 people died.

  • Gaza Reduced to 42 Million Tonnes of Rubble. What Will It Take to Rebuild?

    Since then, more than 70% of Gaza’s housing, already depleted in previous conflicts, has been reported as damaged, along with schools, hospitals and businesses. Most of its 2.2 million people are displaced, crammed into a tiny slice of land along the Mediterranean coast, largely cut off from fresh water and food, as well as medicine and basic sanitation, aid agencies say.

  • Will Riyadh Metro ease the city’s traffic jams? What you need to know

    Reports indicate that parts of the 176 km system could launch this year or early 2025. However, authorities have not announced anything official yet. The project was first launched in 2014, with an initial plan to complete it by 2019. But for various reasons, including Covid-19, the construction of Riyadh Metro has taken longer than expected.

  • How Does the Jafurah Gas Field Support Saudi Arabia’s Economic Growth?: Video

    Witness the second expansion of the Jafurah unconventional gas field, the largest shale gas field in the Middle East Equipped with cutting-edge technologies, we aim to advance our efforts in contributing to the future of power generation, one that is more efficient

  • Commentary: Does Kamala Harris Have a Vision for the Middle East?

    But like the Hotel California, the Middle East doesn’t let you leave, even after you check out. Obama and Trump both made historic deals purportedly to increase stability in the region and allow the United States to pivot elsewhere. But unexpected events popped up for both as well as for Biden, pulling them back in and leading them to expend much of their energy there.

  • Commentary: What Was the Biden Doctrine?

    Biden’s response to the most pressing emergency of his term—Russia’s brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022—has been both skillful and innovative, demonstrating a grasp of the traditional elements of statecraft along with a willingness to take a few unconventional steps.

  • The IMF, CPEC, and Pakistan: Will the Chinese save Islamabad yet again?

    The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), once heralded as a “game-changer,” has almost disappeared from the spotlight in recent years in Pakistan. The multibillion-dollar project aims to connect China's northwestern region of Xinjiang with Pakistan's Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea through a network of highways, railways, and pipelines, offering strategic dividends to China and an economic lifeline to Pakistan. In recent years, the project has faced slow implementation, unpaid loans, corruption, and a dire security situation in Pakistan.

  • Commentary: Is a Defense Treaty With Saudi Arabia Worth the Commitments?

    In the latest from the Pivotal States series, which examines alternative U.S. foreign policy approaches to the world’s key nations, American Statecraft Program Director Christopher S. Chivvis discussed the future of the U.S.-Saudi Arabia relationship with Kim Ghattas, a contributing editor at Financial Times; Aaron David Miller, American Statecraft senior fellow; and Ambassador Dennis Ross, distinguished fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

  • As international dollars flow towards AI-powered startups, how has MENA been riding the wave?

    Saudi Arabia-based Intelmatix, a deep tech B2B startup focused on empowering MENA businesses with AI for decision-making, has recently secured a $20M Series A funding round—one of the largest for a regional company of this type. This past week also saw Saudi-based SaaS provider Velents AI join the AI funding frenzy, raising an undisclosed sum from Women Collective to fuel its growth. And just last week, Aramco’s venture arm, Wa’ed Ventures, splashed $15M on South Korean chipmaker Rebellions Inc., marking its debut investment in South Korea following a $6.5M investment in California-based aiXplain. That was Wa’ed Ventures’ second AI deal in one week!