June 13, 2023 Atlantic Council -David Mack In late 1993, the US State Department sent me to Riyadh for a temporary assignment as US charge d’affaires to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This followed three years as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near East Affairs (1990-1993), during which our relations with Saudi Arabia were one of my major …
Saudi Arabia is requiring companies to establish headquarters in the kingdom. That strategy may pay off. June 13, 2023 Atlantic Council – Stefanie Hausheer Ali In 2021, Saudi Arabia issued an ultimatum to international companies: they will no longer be eligible for government contracts starting in 2024 unless they have a regional headquarters (HQ) in …
Managing US-China relations in the Middle East among common and conflicting interests. June 13, 2023 The Middle East Institute – Paul Salem The challenge The Biden administration has been trying to diplomatically reengage with China, although so far with little response from Beijing. Any broad reengagement would necessarily include reengagement in the Middle East and North …
Managing US-China relations in the Middle East among common and conflicting interests. Read More »
Blinken announces $150M in aid for Syrians, Iraqis at Saudi meeting on fighting Islamic State group. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that the U.S. would provide nearly $150 million in aid for areas in Syria and Iraq that were liberated from the Islamic State extremist group. He …
The National: Will Kuwait’s next elections end the political deadlock. Next parliament will face series of pressing social and economic issues Kuwaitis will head to the polls on June 6 to cast their votes for the legislative branch. The elections come at an important time, as Kuwait is dealing with a number of social, economic and political …
The National: Will Kuwait’s next elections end the political deadlock. Read More »
Saudi-Iran Rapprochement and Saudi-Israel Normalization: No Contradiction Intended Saudi Arabia’s return to “diplomatic relations” with the Iranian regime neither contradicts its commitment to alliances intended to prevent the ayatollahs from attaining nuclear weapons nor does it jettison a process of normalization with Israel. A rare public opinion poll in Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Washington …
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AP-BEIRUT: Arab foreign ministers met on Wednesday in Saudi Arabia ahead of the Arab League’s annual summit in the kingdom to discuss the upcoming gathering’s agenda and draft resolutions. This year’s summit, starting on Friday in the city of Jeddah, will mark the readmittance of war-torn Syria into the 22-member league, after a 12-year suspension. Syria’s membership …
Oil Price: China Receives First Yuan-Settled LNG Cargo From UAE Read More »
A rare public opinion poll in Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Washington Institute and conducted in March/April 2023 by a reputable regional firm, reveals an intriguing mix of attitudes—some in line with emerging Saudi government policies; others, not so much. Against the background of this week’s exchanges of fire between Israel and Gaza, it is …
The recent Saudi-Iranian agreement, which was sponsored by China and resulted in a significant deescalation between the Houthis and Riyadh, has made other Yemeni factions wary of the future. The Southern Transitional Council is one of the parties that acted swiftly to strengthen their position in order to avoid defeat in the aftermath …
