... extent the Arab monarchies and Iran are ready to cooperate.
The Arabian monarchies allied to the U.S. see the approach as shortsighted, although frustration with President Obama’s course of action is hardly the primary factor that has pushed Saudi Arabia into confronting Iran. Nevertheless, against the backdrop of a major economic recession, a crisis of governance and domestic volatility, this sense has definitely exacerbated Riyadh’s feeling of uncertainty, as well a loss of regional ...
President Barack Obama, seeking to shape his legacy, said that COP 21 makes the United States, which did not ratify the earlier Kyoto Protocol, “the world leader in fighting climate change.”
But Obama will not be around to lead the COP 21 fight, which is not scheduled to start until 2020. By that time another U.S. president will be campaigning for reelection.
Adding drama to the conversation, U.S. secretary of state John Kerry calls climate change “an existential threat...a...
The
crisis
that erupted between Saudi Arabia and Iran recently has been brewing for years now. There is no arguing that the two countries have never been allies but since the start of the armed conflict in Syria they found themselves directly challenging each other’s interests....
"Daesh has a mother: the invasion of Iraq. But it also has a father: Saudi Arabia and its religious-industrial complex. Until that point is understood, battles may be won, but the war will be lost. Jihadists will be killed, only to be reborn again in future generations and raised on the same books." This is an
excerpt
...
... diplomatic attention that it has attracted, but also in terms of the staggering variety of foreign troops officially and unofficially operating on Syrian territory. This comes at a time when the long-term regional role of key players such as the US, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Iran, remains up in the air. This report aims to remedy this communication lacuna by furnishing readers with Russian and GCC perspectives on the issue, delivered by researchers specializing in Gulf strategic issues.
Introduction
The ...
... clear that the Kingdom would grant lucrative arms contracts to Russia (most notably the Russian mobile surface-to-air missile system S-400) on the condition that it curbs military cooperation with Iran. The “S-400 diplomacy” between Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran then proved to be a bargaining tool in the hands of Riyadh. More recently, in 2013 and 2014, Prince Bandar (who was then the Saudi intelligence chief) paid several visits to Vladimir Putin and reiterated proposals of colossal billion-worth ...
... December 2015 stands at $66 per barrel, this would reduce oil prices to an estimated $56). The World Bank estimates that a drop of $10 in oil prices could negatively impact the fiscal balances of major oil exporters in the MENA region, shaving 5% off Saudi Arabia’s GDP and 10% off Libya’s GDP. This would correspond to a loss of $40 billion for Saudi Arabia and $5 billion for Libya in annual oil export revenues. Meanwhile, the EU and United States, as the largest oil importers, would gain ...
... the first Russian-Saudi roundtable on bilateral relations, Middle East situation and the Gulf security.
The event was opened by RIAC Director General Andrey Kortunov, MGIMO Pro-Rector on Research and RIAC member Eugeny Kozhokin, Russian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Oleg Ozerov, Saudi Ambassador to Russia Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al-Rassi, and Institute of Diplomatic Studies Director Abdulkarim bin Hamoud Al-Dakhil.
The event was attended by key Russian and Saudi experts, with RIAC represented by Ambassador ...
... the global economy; especially in regards to the export of oil. While there are recurring talks of the supposed US drawdown and changing regional dynamics, Russia does have the chance to play a bigger and more effective role in the region.
Recently, Saudi Arabia signed a commitment with Russia to invest up to US $10 billion on various projects, and as part of the agreement, Russia too will invest in the Saudi Arabian market. Russian trade and economic commitments with other GCC states have also increased ...
Russia is decidedly stepping up its Middle East policy, as evidenced, for example, by the number of visits to Moscow already held or planned for this year by heads of Arab states. The rulers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan, and the crown prince of the United Arab Emirates, are expected to visit Russia before the end of 2015. Saudi King Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud’s upcoming visit to Moscow this year is of particular ...
