Mohammed bin Salman
All topics-
COP26 climate conference
Saudi Arabia's climate strategy – greenwashing or genuine transformation?
Saudi Arabia has announced a comprehensive transformation strategy toward a green future. But what are the real drivers of the world's biggest oil exporter's "net-zero" vision for 2060? Jennifer Holleis reports
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Takeover of Newcastle United by Saudi PIF
Mohammed bin Salman and the Premier League: more than a game
The takeover of English football club Newcastle United by the Saudi Public Investment Fund is more than an attempt by the Kingdom to boost its own image. There are strategic economic interests behind the deal. Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman is also looking to consolidate his position at home. By Sebastian Sons
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Middle East
Arabs ease Assad's isolation as U.S. looks elsewhere
While Bashar al-Assad is still shunned by the West, which blames him for a decade of brutal war in Syria, a shift is under way in the Middle East, where Arab allies of the United States are bringing him in from the cold by reviving economic and diplomatic ties. By Maha El Dahan
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Future-proofing Islam
Focus on the soul of Islam
Indonesian religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas set the bar high for both President Joko Widodo and Nahdlatul Ulama – the religious backbone of Widodo's government – when he laid out the agenda for his country's presidency of the G20 last week. James M. Dorsey has the details
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Saudi Arabia, Iran, Turkey and Egypt
A new dawn for diplomacy in the Middle East?
International relations are shifting across the Middle East as regional powers adapt to America's retrenchment and China's growing influence. Although the region could become the site of another great-power competition, it also has a chance to pursue diplomatic openings and new security arrangements. By Fawaz A. Gerges
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Arab world
Germany and the Middle East – a tale of morals and markets
Germany's foreign policy is explicitly values-based. But what happens, Ralf Bosen asks, when democracy, the rule of law and human rights collide with the logic of trade and business?
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Yemen and the Biden administration
"After the war, Yemen will no longer be a sovereign state"
At the beginning of his term, U.S. President Joe Biden said the war in Yemen must end because it had led to a "humanitarian and strategic catastrophe". Yet, according to Said AIDailami, the war continues with unabated ferocity because the warring parties have not yet achieved their political and economic goals. Interview for Qantara.de by Claudia Mende
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Promoting human rights in the Middle East
The U.S. and Arab hearts and minds – an impossible task?
As the Biden administration attempts to promote democracy and human rights in the Middle East, it will confront the deep-seated belief among Arabs that U.S. policies are unfair to their central causes and biased in favour of the ruling elite of their countries. By Rafiah Al Talei
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Saudi Arabia, football and the Olympics
Making the leap from off-side to big league?
The Saudi national team is set to play the German Olympic squad at the Olympics in Tokyo later this month – a chance for the outsiders to make their mark. At the same time, and keen to buff up the nation's badly tarnished image, the Kingdom is looking to pitch for glory in the multi-million dollar football business. It's a risky strategy. By Sebastian Sons
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How much longer till Turkey's elections?
President under pressure – Erdogan's popularity nosedive
Turkey's parliamentary and presidential elections are scheduled for June 2023. But they are already casting a shadow. While the opposition is calling for early elections, President Erdogan is insisting on holding the elections in the highly symbolic year of 2023. For right now, his ratings are poor. Ronald Meinardus reports from Istanbul
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2022 FIFA World Cup and human rights
Pointing the finger at Qatar's rulers is not enough
As Qatar prepares to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the country has come under fire for its treatment of migrant workers, with some nations calling for a boycott of the contest. But this simply misreads the realities of the situation and the underlying problems associated with international migration. By Sebastian Sons
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Turkey's handle on soft power
Hit TV series from Turkey conquer the Arab world
Televised Turkish dramas are all the rage in the Middle East. A young Ottoman TV Empire has been expanding its soft power by harnessing regional dialects, Arabic names and viewers' desire for racy-yet-traditional plots. By Jennifer Holleis