Mohammed bin Salman
All topics-
Saudi-Iran rapprochement
A revolutionary resolution for the Middle East?
Saudi Arabia and Iran's reconciliation serves the interests of both sides and represents a major geopolitical shift in the Middle East, writes Maha Yahya. Where all this will lead is still up for discussion, but for the first time in many years, something appears to be changing
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Iran-Saudi rapprochement
Cooperation rather than confrontation?
Arch-rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia are to re-establish diplomatic relations thanks to China's mediation. If this rapprochement is serious, the cards in the Middle East will be reshuffled, writes Karim El-Gawhary from Cairo
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China, the Arabs’ preferred partner?
Mr. Xi goes to Riyadh
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 Baabood
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Protests in Iran
Rethinking Sharia and democracy
According to a recent survey, half of all Iranians say that they have left Islam as a religion, while two-thirds believe Islamic law should be excluded from their legal system. In the following essay, Ahmet T. Kuru explores the implications
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Iran and global energy supplies
Covert conflict in the Gulf
Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Europe has been trying to find alternatives to Russian gas, inevitably zeroing in on the Arab Gulf states. In his commentary, Yemeni politician Muammar al-Iryani proposes a simple way for the West to secure international shipping routes
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Arab League 2022
Hopeless reunion in Algeria?
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 Boussel
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Germany and the Gulf
Balancing ethics and economics
Germany needs a strategy when brokering deals with countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates that allows it to maintain its own moral compass. By Sebastian Sons
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Saudi Arabia
Do billion-dollar investments overseas hide a political agenda?
Saudi Arabia is using its oil wealth to invest huge sums in other countries, apparently to diversify its own economy. Critics are concerned that the build-up of financial muscle abroad could be used for political ends. Cathrin Schaer reports
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Scholz in Saudi Arabia and the Emirates
The autocrats' finest hour
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's recent trip to the Persian Gulf underlines Germany's need for consistency in its dealings with the region's assertive rulers, writes Loay Mudhoon
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Landmines in Yemen
Death beckons with every step
The war in Yemen is not over, but at least there is a ceasefire. Meanwhile, the population is suffering from landmines that have made large parts of the country impenetrable. Hundreds of people have already died. Safia Mahdi reports from Sanaa
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Sex life in Saudi Arabia
Lifting the veil
Wild parties and a freewheeling sex life are part of everyday life in many places in the world today. Saudi Arabia is not one of them. Discreetly, however, those who want to hook up and party under the radar have been networking there for a long time. Johannes Sedak went on a search for clues in Riyadh
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Saudi Arabia
When a tweet gets you 34 years in prison
The ruling is part of an ongoing clampdown on dissent and minorities in the kingdom. But so far, it's unlikely to have an effect on the kingdom's newly polished image as a global oil provider in times of crisis. Jennifer Holleis reports