Foreign Policy Blogs

Tag Archives: Saudi Arabia

The Strategic Coalition of Jerusalem and Riyadh Against Iran

The Strategic Coalition of Jerusalem and Riyadh Against Iran

From now on the Iranian regime will have to face hard facts as they continue to threaten the region. U.S. sanctions and worldwide pressures on the regime have been made possible because of calm, resolute diplomatic and political action coming from a strategic alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia. This alliance can put an end […]

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No such thing as a Foreign Policy 101 …

No such thing as a Foreign Policy 101 …

Despite knee-jerk reactions from pundits and politicians (on both sides of the aisle) that would suggest easy solutions to foreign policy issues, any serious question in foreign policy requires a bit more thought and consideration than we see from a typical sound bite or tweet.  By definition, foreign policy issues impact numerous players and have […]

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Transformation Euphoria in the Horn of Africa

Transformation Euphoria in the Horn of Africa

The political transformation in the Horn of Africa is arguably the most counterintuitive development in the 21st century so far. Ethiopia has steered away from implosion and, for the first time in its history, appointed an Oromo Prime Minister with an Islamic name and heritage, ending the 20-year-long conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Nonetheless, Abiy […]

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Yemen’s Fateful Twinship With Somalia

Yemen’s Fateful Twinship With Somalia

On the global scale of human suffering, Yemen outweighs all other countries. In its fourth year, the Yemen war – fueled by regional and other hegemonic powers – is nowhere near its end. Neither the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which has been accused of war crimes, nor the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, accused of recruiting […]

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Don’t Be Fooled by the Recent Reforms for Women in Saudi Arabia

Don’t Be Fooled by the Recent Reforms for Women in Saudi Arabia

  On June 24th, Saudi Arabia lifted the ban against women driving, which was in place for over 25 years. This reform came just days after the one-year anniversary of 32-year-old Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s (MbS) rise to power. Since his ascension, the young prince has initiated widespread social and economic reformsthroughout the kingdom, […]

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How long will Egypt tolerate Sisi?

How long will Egypt tolerate Sisi?

Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is slated to win elections on March 28. His only contender, Moussa Mostafa Moussa, is someone who has not only called himself a “big supporter” of Sisi, but has also worked as member, until he announced candidacy in the last minutes of a final deadline, on the president’s re-election campaign […]

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Saudi Arabia and the UAE Heat Up Their Arms Race with Iran

Saudi Arabia and the UAE Heat Up Their Arms Race with Iran

While the world’s attention remains focused on the nuclear brinkmanship and missile launches on the Korean peninsula, the Middle Eastern arms race, pitting Saudi Arabia and its ally the United Arab Emirates against Iran has been slowly heating up and could soon reach a boiling point. The spending boom among the gulf states, the Saudis […]

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Trump’s Islamic Military Alliance Threat to Regional Stability

Trump’s Islamic Military Alliance Threat to Regional Stability

The Islamic Military Alliance (IMAFT) that was given support by Donald Trump in Saudi Arabia on May 21st, is not only a direct security threat to the European Union, as explained in my previous text, but also a disruption of regional balance. This is very evident in the current crisis around Qatar where Saudi Arabia […]

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Theresa May’s Misplaced Bet on Donald Trump

Theresa May’s Misplaced Bet on Donald Trump

France was recently declared the world’s top soft power for 2017, outranking both the US and the UK for the first time. How should Theresa May respond?

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The Future of the ‘Islamic NATO’

The Future of the ‘Islamic NATO’

In 2015, Saudi Arabia announced the formation of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism. Will the alliance succeed in pooling its defense efforts?

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The ‘Covfefe’ Coalition to Squeeze Qatar

The ‘Covfefe’ Coalition to Squeeze Qatar

While the diplomatic tension between Saudi Arabia and Qatar existed since the Arab Spring, the break up caught foreign policy experts by surprise.

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Trump Jeopardizes EU Security in Riyadh

Trump Jeopardizes EU Security in Riyadh

The Islamic Military Alliance, recently supported by Donald Trump, poses a security and economic challenge to the European Union.

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Syrian Kurdish dissident: “Beware of the Saudis and Turks”

Syrian Kurdish dissident: “Beware of the Saudis and Turks”

Sherkoh Abbas, head of the Kurdistan National Assembly of Syria, warns of the dangers posed by Saudi Arabia and Turkey and argues in favor of Kurds as better allies for Americans.

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Donald Trump’s Arabian Nights

Donald Trump’s Arabian Nights

From the moment he arrived in Riyadh, the Saudis astutely sized up Trump and gave him a welcome tailor-made to appeal to his ego and self-perception.

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Saudis Counterterrorism Efforts Ahead of Trump Visit

Saudis Counterterrorism Efforts Ahead of Trump Visit

As President Trump heads out on his Abrahamic foreign policy tour, Saudi Arabia is emphasizing its anti-terrorism credentials.

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