The gas-supply project is emblematic of the hot-cold relationship between Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The deal was initially proposed by the Qataris in 2001, denied permission by the Saudis, then approved in 2003, and then denied once again in 2006. The roller-coaster-like diplomatic relations between the two energy-rich neighbors dates back to 1992, when a border clash caused the death of two guards. Relations went downhill from there. Read more »
Saudi Arabia
Moderate Saudi Voices Have Found a Home in the UAE
Over the last few years, an array of prominent Saudi intellectuals have come to call the UAE their home. As the midway point between the West and the East, the magnetic draw of the Emirates is understandable; it has become a cultural oasis for those who are intellectually hungry. Read more »
Assassination attempt improves Mohammed Bin Nayef’s fortunes
There has been an unusual development in the much-debated topic of the Saudi succession, with the late August assassination attempt on Assistant Interior Minister Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud (MBN) by Yemeni-born suicide bomber Abdullah Hassan Tali Al-Asiri catapulting the interior minister’s son to the front of a group of third-generation contenders for the throne. Read more »
Maan Al Sanea: What went wrong?
Sultan comments on what should be learned from Maan Al Sanea’s story of over-leverage and frozen assets.
Al Waleed: From Saudi Prince to Lebanese Politician?
Prince Al Waleed bin Talal has long been seen as an important link between Arabs and the rest of the world, acting successfully like a bridge between the business worlds of the Middle East and the West. But are the financial foundations of this bridge starting to whither? Furthermore, are there other bridges that Al Waleed can cross? Read more »
The land of two steps forward and one step back
The case of the Saudi judge upholding the marriage of an eight-year-old girl to a man 50 years her senior is so very wrong on innumerable levels and is a step back in the otherwise forward progress of the Kingdom. Read more »