Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022 may have rattled Washington, but it simply highlighted the Arabs’ desire to diversify their foreign relations in the face of a changing world. Analysis by Abdullah BaaboodMore

After a two-year hiatus, the Arab League re-convened at the beginning of November in Algiers against a backdrop of uncertainty and discord. By Pierre BousselMore

Women's empowerment in the Gulf has become a tool of deflection, rather than a genuine effort to promote women’s full and equal participation in society. By Mira Al-HussainMore

Hamburg lawyer Eugen Balin is a member of the World Jewish Congress' Jewish Diplomatic Corps. At the end of 2021, a delegation of the Corps visited the United Arab Emirates, which established full diplomatic relations with Israel in the summer of 2020. Interview by Christoph StrackMore

The catastrophic human rights situation in Bahrain is being largely ignored by the rest of the world. Despite all the damning evidence, which includes a Human Rights Watch report, the West is unlikely to apply any pressure on the regime due to geostrategic interests. By Diana HodaliMore

The rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Middle East and North Africa is already taking place on a massive scale, with the United Arab Emirates leading the way. Nevertheless, many people are in no rush to get the COVID-19 jab. Cathrin Schaer poses the all-important question: why?More

The last week in March saw China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visit six countries in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain. Two initiatives in particular are sending the clearest signal yet that China may be gearing up to play a greater political role in the Middle East. By James M. DorseyMore