Saudi Arabia
All countries-
Saudia Arabia and the UAE
Getting Washington wrong
Analyst Iyad El-Baghdadi examines the ongoing tensions between the United States and the two Gulf states – Saudi Arabia and the UAE – and their geopolitical implications in interview with Rayyan Al-Shawaf
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Middle East oil states
Surging energy prices likely to de-rail reforms?
The Ukraine war has seen energy prices spike with oil producers in the Middle East making more money than ever. But will it put the brakes on long-planned reforms to diversify oil-reliant economies in the region? By Cathrin Schaer
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Ukraine and the West's selective values
Less 'clash of civilisations', more rift
Very different Western reactions to the suffering in Ukraine and the Arab world show that there is a profound rift among cultures. Essay by Michael Young
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Gulf region
Women’s empowerment not all it seems
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-Hussain
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UAE's Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan
Iran and Islamists a threat to Gulf safe haven
United Arab Emirates strongman Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, who was formally elected president on 14 May, has led a realignment of the Middle East, creating a new anti-Iran axis with Israel while fighting a rising tide of political Islam in the region
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Russian war censorship denounced on World Press Freedom Day
Russia's ranking on the World Press Freedom Index has fallen again over the Kremlin's wartime censorship of the Ukraine conflict. From Myanmar to Mexico, journalists continue to risk their lives to deliver the news.
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Middle East
Ukraine overshadows Ramadan 2022
Ahead of Ramadan, most Middle Eastern countries have eased restrictions to near pre-pandemic times. However, increases in prices and food shortages due to the war in Ukraine are casting new shadows on the Holy Month. Jennifer Holleis reports
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Sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
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Jewish Diplomatic Corps visits UAE
"Our preconceptions are at odds with reality"
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 Strack
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Yemen, Ukraine, the world
Fighting fake news and disinformation
Sidq Yemen, an independent online platform, specialises in fact-checking viral Yemeni news stories and countering mis/disinformation. Hannah Porter spoke to its head of communications about fake news in Yemen
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Sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
Formula 1, football, golf – Saudi Arabia makes a point of attracting major sporting events. The strategy is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's "Vision 2030" and is meant to boost the country's image. By Andreas Sten-Ziemons
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Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia
Grand Prix of double standards
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix raises questions as to how seriously Formula 1 really takes its commitment to respecting human rights. The criticism might be loud, but the financial incentives are irresistible. By Andreas Sten-Ziemons