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By mediating conflicts and combining their assets in the Horn of Africa, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are slowly cementing an arc of political influence across the region.
Saudi Arabia’s spat with Canada aims to rally nationalist sentiment among citizens, but has made regional allies and international investors more anxious.
The overlapping jurisdictions of Saudi Arabia’s governing bodies and the state’s hyper-centralized nature doom such initiatives as Vision 2030.
Gulf economic aid has averted Jordan’s debt crisis for now, but further support may require concessions regarding the kingdom’s previously independent foreign policy.
Saudi Arabia’s efforts at reforming its armed forces may be more about politics and PR than substantive change.
The Saudi state manipulates religious discourse to legitimize its power and undermine independent voices that may pressure the state for political reform.
Saudi Arabia’s anti-corruption campaign shows how the public prosecution is used to provide a veil of legality for pursuing targets.
While countries in the Maghreb and the Gulf are increasing their security cooperation, they lack a long-term strategic understanding.
As Riyadh’s rivalry with Tehran in the Levant turns to Lebanon, its increasing pressure on Hezbollah threatens to severely destabilize the country.
Saudi Arabia’s recent waves of arrests reveal the political system’s increased use of security measures to control the public while promising limited reforms to stave off instability.
Recent succession and foreign policy moves in Saudi Arabia may get in the way of the kingdom’s planned economic reforms.
The rapid escalation of tensions over the past few weeks carries significant implications for unity, security, and balance of power in the Gulf.
Expanded U.S.–Saudi security cooperation in the region could empower their shared enemies of Iran and militant Sunni Islamists.
Saudi Arabia is betting that oil markets will rebalance themselves at higher prices, and it has no economic backup plan if prices remain low.
Saudi Arabia’s plans of privatizing the economy to overcome oil dependence hinge on opening up its political sphere.
Regional competition and the lack of a cooperation strategy with its neighbors are compounding Saudi Arabia’s inability to act as an oil price setter.
As relations sour with Saudi Arabia, Egypt is looking to Russia to fill the financial void.
As sanctions ease on Iran, it hopes to expand its petrochemical exports, putting it in direct competition with Saudi Arabia over emerging markets.
What Saudi Arabia has accomplished in Yemen remains unclear, and what it is likely to accomplish is still uncertain. Four experts weigh in on Riyadh’s goals in Yemen.
Recent changes to Saudi religious institutions are not a sign of wider reform but an indication of the struggle to redefine Saudi Arabia’s religious character.