Mohammed bin Salman
All topics-
U.S election and the Middle East
Saudi Arabia finally congratulates Joe Biden on his win
Saudi Arabia finally congratulated Joe Biden on Sunday over his election victory, more than 24 hours after he defeated Donald Trump, who had close personal ties with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
-
U.S. elections and the Middle East
Arab dictators hold their breath at Trump's possible exit
A victory by Democrat candidate Joe Biden would usher in a new beginning for the Arab world, with attendant changes in U.S. policy. Autocratic leaders in the Middle East have every reason to be concerned. Commentary by Egyptian academic Taqadum al-Khatib
-
Interview with Saudi social anthropologist Madawi al-Rasheed
"Gradual change is a myth, Saudi society is ready"
Madawi al-Rasheed is one of a group of Saudi exiles responsible for founding NAAS – the National Assembly Party. Set up on Saudi National Day in September, it is the first ever organised political resistance to challenge the House of Saud. Al-Rasheed talked to Jannis Hagmann about the party's aims and ambitions
-
Book review: Ben Hubbard's "MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman"
Ruling Saudi Arabia from the wings
Is he a reformer, a despot, or both? Ben Hubbard's detailed biography explores Mohammed bin Salman's style of rule – even though he has not yet acceded to the Saudi throne. Moritz Baumsteiger read the book
-
The case of exiled Saudi activist Omar Abdulaziz
Critics of Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi's colleagues, beware
A friend of the murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Omar Abdulaziz is a thorn in the side of Saudi Arabia. Living in exile in Canada, the activist has been warned by the police of a possible threat against him. By Diana Hodali
-
Omitted from the United Nations' list of shame
Yemen's dead and injured children haunt Saudi-led war
Just one day after the UN Secretariat omitted Saudi-led forces from a "list of shame", an airstrike killed four children. The UN is under pressure to acknowledge Saudi Arabia's role in killing and maiming children. By Lewis Sanders IV and Kerstin Knipp
-
Arab states
Pandemic shines a light on the Gulf's three-way split
With Ramadan over and coronavirus hopefully on the wane, Bader Al-Saif takes a look at how divisions dating back to the June 2017 blockade of Qatar shaped the region's contrasting approaches to political messaging and public health in a time of both crisis and observance
-
Non-fiction: Ulrike Freitag's "A History of Jeddah"
The legacy of Jeddah's migration history lives on
Jeddah is very different from other cities on the Arabian Peninsula, says Ulrike Freitag, historian of the Modern Middle East. In her book "A History of Jeddah", she explores the turbulent history of this former Ottoman port city, which has been uniquely shaped by trade and pilgrimage. Jannis Hagmann spoke to her about the city and the book
-
COVID-19 pandemic
Coronavirus pushes Yemen to the brink
War, poverty, cholera – and now coronavirus has taken hold in Yemen. The country could collapse, aid organisations fear. A Yemeni journalist talks about the situation in her country. By Diana Hodali
-
Impact of COVID-19 on Saudi Arabia
Shaking the House of Saud to the core
The economic backlash of the corona pandemic already means dramatic consequences for the Saudi royal family. But what happens when it becomes too expensive for them to fulfil their part of the social contract and the Saudi people rebel? An analysis by Karim El-Gawhary
-
Yemen conflict
Saudi Arabia's botched war
Saudi Arabia has spent the past five years fighting off Iran-backed Shia rebels in a seemingly endless conflict that has cost more than 100,000 lives and left 80% of the population in need of humanitarian assistance. Only by backing UN-led peace talks will it be possible to achieve a political settlement. By Amin Saikal
-
Stealth wealth from the Middle East
How Assad's family and others have filled their European coffers
Dubbed the "Butcher of Hama", Syria's Rifaat al-Assad is accused of embezzling millions in European real estate. Like him, many regional rulers have preferred to keep their European properties quiet. Tom Allinson reports