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Future

One Ride On Riyadh’s New Metro Reveals The Rapid Saudi Transformation

Since the opening of six automated lines in the Saudi capital last December, more than 122 million journeys have been made on public transport.

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Geopolitics In The News Syria Crisis

MBS: Saudi Billions And Trump Whispering For The Middle East Of His Dreams

Donald Trump surprised everyone by meeting Ahmed al-Sharaa, the Syrian president, a former jihadist. It’s all about Trump’s gut and what Saudi Crown Prince MBS has planned for the region’s future.

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Geopolitics Society

MBS And “Muawiya”: When Saudi TV Rewrites History To Serve The Crown Prince’s Ambitions

The long-delayed Saudi TV series Muawiya aired, in early March, at a carefully chosen moment, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s political ambitions. The show reconstructs the early Muslim ruler’s legacy, transforming him into a figure of wisdom and power — echoing the image that Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman has been creating for himself.

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Economy Eyes on the U.S. Geopolitics special series Trump And The World

It’s Complicated: The Evolving Trump-MBS Love Affair

Donald Trump’s relationship with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman dates back to his first term as president. After his second inauguration, his first phone call was to the prince, who has pledged $600 billion in investments in the United States during Trump’s presidency.

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Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

Why Arab Leaders Welcomed Trump’s Victory — Until They Didn’t

Trump is seen as a “transactional” operator by leaders in the Middle East. But the appointments to all key positions related to the region suggest that Arabs should brace for the worst of all deals.

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This Happened

This Happened — September 23: Saudi Arabia Allows Women Into King Fahd Stadium

Updated September 23, 2024 at 11:30 a.m. On this day in 2017, women were allowed to enter the King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the first time ever. The women attended the stadium’s 87th anniversary celebrations and a qualifying World Cup match. Were there any restrictions or conditions for women attending the […]

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Geopolitics Israel-Palestine War

Not Just Bibi: Why MBS Isn’t Biting On Biden’s “Grand Bargain” Either

U.S. President Joe Biden is pushing Saudi Arabia and Israel to sign on to a broad “normalization” deal, which would be a landmark of his first term in the White House. But Israel’s Netanyahu and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman each have their own calculations standing in the way.

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Geopolitics Ideas

Saudi Ambitions: Is MBS A New Nasser For The Middle East?

Mohammed bin Salman, aka MBS, is positioning the Saudi kingdom to be a global force of diplomacy in a way that challenges a longstanding alliance with Washington. But does the young prince have a singular vision for the interests of both his nation and the world?

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In The News

How China’s Iran-Saudi Diplomacy Stunned The World — Starting With Washington

The move is seen as a coup for China in its efforts to assert itself as a global superpower, while also presenting itself as a responsible and peaceful nation in the eyes of the non-Western world. The agreement is expected to help reduce tensions in the region and revive hopes for peace in Yemen, where the two countries have been fighting a proxy war.

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Geopolitics

Gauging Saudi Stakes On Pakistan And India

NEW DELHI — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman’s visits to India and Pakistan in the immediate aftermath of a deadly suicide attack on Indian security personnel in Kashmir have been a test of Riyadh’s policy to keep its relations with the two neighbors in strictly separate silos. As Mohammed bin Salman“s statements in Pakistan gained wide coverage, his comments on terrorism in the Indian capital were minutely parsed. His travel itinerary for Asia had been decided months ahead but finally took place under the shadow of the car bomb attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy which left […]

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In The News

MBS And Millennials, Inside Saudi Prince’s Youth Strategy

RIYADH — In the span of a few months, Hind al-Zahid’s life has changed for the better. “My dream turned into reality,” the 38-year-old Saudi says. She’s become the first woman to enter the board of directors of one of the kingdom’s airports, in the eastern city of Damman. And soon, like millions of other […]

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In The News

Lebanon, Palace Intrigue And Risks Of The Next Proxy War

-Analysis- Lebanon can be seen as a microcosm for the entire Middle East: intractable sectarian conflict, economic potential, terrorist threats and a labyrinthine web of competing national interests. These days, it seems, the small nation of just over six million inhabitants risks again becoming the live theater for the region to play out its many […]

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In The News

Changes At The Top, From Uber To Riyadh

Image is valuable currency in our modern world. It can make or break a brand, or a career. Entire nations, meanwhile, also have to consider how they are seen — at home and abroad. We also know that for both companies and countries, image so often starts at the top. Take the now former Uber […]

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