Saudi Arabia
Israel and Saudi Arabia: Finally, a New Middle East?
A diplomatic deal normalising relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia – a breakthrough that would have been inconceivable several years ago – is suddenly a plausible prospect.
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China to the rescue, with peace plans for Saudi, Iran, Russia, Ukraine and Afghanistan – up to a point
In another sign of its increasingly prolific international diplomacy, China last month released an 11-point position paper on the “Afghan Issue”. China’s Afghan démarche came just…
China trumpets the Saudi-Iran deal, yet much credit goes to Pakistan
China’s brokering of a Saudi Arabia-Iran peace deal was presented earlier this month as a diplomatic blockbuster, a sign of the country’s growing influence in the oil-rich Middle…
China’s catch-up game in the Middle East
China’s President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Gulf states this month was accompanied by much fanfare and another example – if such was needed – of Beijing’s desire to challenge…
A step-up for China’s involvement in the Middle East
As China has increased its global reach and ambitions elsewhere over the past two decades, the Middle East has remained a backwater for China’s diplomacy.
China has kept a…
Saudi Arabia and China: a blossoming friendship
As the relationship between longtime allies Saudi Arabia and the United States becomes increasingly strained, China could cultivate a stronger bond with the Middle Eastern kingdom…
The Gulf’s diversification dilemma
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had posed difficult questions for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and exposed the costs of pursuing a more diversified series of diplomatic,…
Yemen: the search for leverage after Afghanistan
Concerns are growing about the ramifications of the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The ripple effects of the pull-out and its urgent consequences have bolstered Islamist…
Saudi Arabia wins back Pakistan
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia last month, the official reason being to establish the grandly named Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and…
The G20’s existential crisis
2020 could be defined as a year of global crises – health, political, environmental and economic. The G20 is caught among all four, and how the forum responds raises questions…