Author: Mai Yamani

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US President Barack Obama during a meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in Rawdat al-Khraim near Riyadh (photo: Reuters)

Saudi Arabia's foreign policy

Pilgrimage to Pakistan

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has become increasingly estranged from the US, the world power that has held its protective hand over the kingdom for many years. The royal family has now changed the course of its foreign policy and sees Pakistan as a suitable strategic partner and a counterbalance to the influence of Turkey and Iran in the region. By Mai YamaniMore

Saudi Arabia and America: The Estrangement of Two AlliesSaudi Arabia: Facing a Plethora of Fundamental ChallengesPolitical Pressure Exerted by Gulf States in Egypt: Reaching for the Cheque Book
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (left) and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in November 2013 (photo: REUTERS/Jason Reed)

Saudi Arabia's foreign policy

The bewildered kingdom

The political changes wrought by the Arab Spring in the region, the prospect of increased oil supplies from deposits outside Saudi Arabia and the possibility of an historical rapprochement between the Saudis' long-term ally (US) and their arch enemy (Iran) have been a game-changer for Saudi Arabia in recent years. Mai Yamani takes a closer look at how the kingdom is reacting to these developmentsMore

Saudi Arabia: Facing a Plethora of Fundamental ChallengesSaudi Arabia and America: The Estrangement of Two AlliesSaudi Arabia's Foreign and Security Policy: Categorical Imperative
Prince Naif (photo: AP)

New Line of Succession to the Saudi Throne

Riyadh's Old Regime Grows Older

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah has named Naif bin Abdelaziz, 77, as crown prince and deputy prime minister, a choice that raises concerns about the direction in which the conservative prince will take the kingdom. By Mai YamaniMore

Interview with Abdul Aziz Al-Khamis: Saudi Arabia Doomed to RenewalSaudi Arabia versus the Arab Spring: Stability at All Costs
US Troops' withdrawal from Iraq: A column of U.S. Army Stryker armoured vehicles cross the border from Iraq into Kuwait Wednesday, 18 August 2010 (photo: AP)

Saudi Arabia's Flawed Iraq Strategy

The Iranian Wolf at the Kingdom's Door

The Saudis fear that the departure of US troops from Iraq would represent a sweeping victory for Iran, which has no military presence in Iraq, but is the strongest player there. But, says Mai Yamani in her commentary, this defeat is partly self-inflictedMore

Interview with Lebanese Political Scientist Khattar Abou Diab: Vying for Supremacy in the GulfSaudi Arabia and the Protests in the Arab World: A Colossus with Feet of Clay
A Saudi woman sitting behind the steering wheel of a car (photo: dpa)

Women's Rights in the Arab World

Are Saudi Women Next?

Nowhere in the world are women's lives more regulated than they are in Saudi Arabia. But, writes Mai Yamani, Saudi women activists are beginning to eloquently demand the removal of restrictions and an end to women's dependencyMore

Saudi Women: Agents of Change Shattering Common StereotypesInterview with Badriya Al-Bishr: ''Anything You Write about Is Made a Scandal, Even Love''