Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
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.
Saudi Arabia’s grand plan for economic reform might expand employment and transparency, but there would also be losers.
Sada launches its first eBook, a collection of essays that explores the region’s deep political changes since the Arab uprisings.
Saudi Arabia’s recent moves against Hezbollah and the Lebanese government could end up weakening its own allies and further destabilizing the Lebanese political arena.
Saudi Arabia is supporting an ever wider range of Yemeni actors willing to fight the Houthis, but their political ambitions and limited capabilities are at odds with the kingdom’s interest in a unified Yemen.
Amid domestic terror attacks, Saudi Arabia’s differentiated approach to Shia protesters and Sunni jihadis will likely lead to more home-grown violence.
Saudi Arabia’s focus on Iranian containment is pushing it to seek Egypt’s military help in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia’s lack of clear goals in Yemen is worsening the security vacuum and potentially undermining the kingdom’s national security.
Hamas’s pivot to Saudi Arabia may help Khaled Meshaal isolate the military wing and obtain a credible truce with Israel.
Recent attacks on Shia mosques suggest the Islamic State strategy in the Gulf is to provoke and exploit sectarian strife.
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s lofty position may not outlast his father’s reign.
To protect its security interests in the long term, Riyadh may have little choice but to engage with the Houthis.
In the Middle East, producers are facing different effects of the recent drop in oil prices. Four oil experts explore the impact of falling prices on the economies of key regional producers.
Renewed high-level diplomatic activity between Qatar and Saudi Arabia may end their historic row as the GCC seeks policy alignment, particularly on security issues.