... Strange Alliance That Was
Ali Abdullah Saleh, a Zaydi Muslim, had been fighting the Houthi rebels since 2004 from his base in the mountainous northern province of Saada. Following an attempt on his life in June 2011, Ali Abdullah Saleh retreated to Saudi Arabia to recuperate, returning to Yemen in September of that year. He then signed a
Gulf Cooperation Council-sponsored power-transfer plan
on November 23 in Riyadh in exchange for guarantees of his personal safety. But what followed caused confusion ...
Now it is Lebanon’s Turn to Become the Stage for Saudi Arabia to Resolve its Regional Issues
On November 4, 2017, Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri announced his resignation on Saudi television. In his speech, Hariri
accused Iran
of spreading discord in the region, motivated by hatred for Arabs,...
The Saudi-Russian recent rapprochement is definitely not a coincidence and the decision to reset those relations had been made three years ago. It all started with King Salman taking power in Saudi Arabia in January of 2015. The newly assigned, aged and experienced King has been known for his reformist vision and thought. Therefore the world has sensed a new Saudi strategy in the past three years, whether in local, regional or global affairs....
RIAC Policy Brief No. 14
The events in Yemen has long remained in the shadow of the numerous crises in other Middle Eastern countries. Nevertheless, the Yemen crisis carries threats that have already started to affect its neighbours in the Arabian Peninsula and which might affect the interests of global actors in the future. The situation in Yemen has already been identified as one of the world’s largest humanitarian catastrophes of the 21st century, causing concerns for the United Nations and...
... does
espouse
anti-American rhetoric – as recently as 2016, he said it would be reasonable to launch attacks on U.S. soldiers in response to the increased contingent of troops in Iraq. This is why many were surprised when in August 2017 he visited Saudi Arabia, an ally of the United States. During his visit, he met with Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, the man largely responsible for determining the country’s foreign and home policy today. The Saudis are going to take part in the restoration ...
...
Qatar Сrisis: What’s Next?
The first model was centered on a regional hegemonic power that could takes responsibility for stability in its “natural” sphere of influence. In the Gulf case, the role of the regional hegemon is claimed jointly by Saudi Arabia and UAE, with Saudis providing most of the “hard” power, while Emirati contributing its political ideology and strategic vision. Even if we put aside moral and legal deficiencies of this model, both Yemen and Qatar cases question the ...
On October 5, 2017, along with the historical visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Moscow, several events were held to focus on the current state of relations and prospects for development of relations between Moscow and Riyadh.
On October 5, 2017, along with the historical visit of the King of Saudi Arabia to Moscow,...
RIAC Policy Brief “Possibilities of a Strategic Relationship Between Russia and Saudi Arabia”
The appointment of Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia offers both new opportunities and new challenges to Russia.
The appointment of the 31-year-old Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud as Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia is ...
... Saudis’ policies, Doha never lost its aspiration to re-emerge as a leader of the Islamic world. The Qatari government continued to search for any niches where they could pursue policies and interests independent of Riyadh.
On 5 June 2017, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and five other states cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing Doha of supporting terrorist organisations and destabilising the situation in the Middle East. Senegal and Chad also recalled their ambassadors ...
... the US and Europe. Today the news starts with the developments of the new Qatar crisis that has both regional and global dimensions. To many goverments' suprise, right before our eyes, another crisis between Qatar and several Arab countries headed by Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates adds up to the existing ones. The operation that is now unfolding could be called "Let's teach Qatar a lesson."
The uneasy relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia have persisted for quite some time. The ...
