Regions

Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
The Trump Administration and the Fracturing Saudi-UAE Alliance
Jan 21, 2026Giorgio Cafiero
The historically close alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is under strain because of diverging strategic priorities and competiti…
Viewpoint
YemenRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Saudi–Emirati Drama in Yemen
Jan 13, 2026Nabeel A. Khoury
Of the three interrelated levels of conflict at play in Yemen—local, regional, and international—it was the regional rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the Unite…
From our Affiliates
YemenSecurity and Defense
Saudi Emirati Tensions and the Struggle for Influence in Southern Yemen
Jan 6, 2026The Unit for Political Studies
The Saudi airstrike targeting an Emirati weapons shipment in the port of Mukalla on 29 December 2025, marked a dramatic escalation in the simmering tension bet…
From our Affiliates
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Strategic Implications of Mohammed bin Salman’s Visit to Washington
Nov 27, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to the White House on 18 November marked a highly symbolic moment in US–Saudi relations. After years of strained ties,…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
MBS Returns to Washington: Re-Assessing US-Saudi Relations
Nov 18, 2025Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Mohammed bin Salman’s return to Washington after seven years signals a recalibration of US-Saudi ties, with Riyadh seeking security assurances as well as suppo…
From our Affiliates
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Saudi Crown Prince in Washington: The Return of Realpolitik
Nov 6, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
President Donald Trump voiced optimism that Saudi Arabia would soon join the 2020 Abraham Accords that normalized relations between Israel and some Arab countr…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfEnergy and Economics
OPEC Is Pushing Down Oil Prices Despite a Cash Crunch in Saudi Arabia. Here Is Why
Aug 21, 2025Jim Krane
Something odd is happening in oil markets. Demand is weaker than it has been in many years, yet OPEC+ is unwinding cuts and increasing production at a brisk pa…
From our Affiliates
Saudi ArabiaThe War on Gaza
Saudi Arabia’s Response to Israel’s New Security Doctrine in the Levant
Aug 14, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
In July 2025, Saudi Arabia and France jointly convened a high-profile diplomatic conference in New York dedicated to reviving momentum for a negotiated two-sta…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia and the New Syria: Constructive Pragmatism?
Aug 7, 2025Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
A large Saudi business delegation traveled to Syria on July 23-25, 2025, and participated in an inaugural Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum at the presidential pal…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Israel-Iran Confrontation Tests Saudi Arabia’s Quest for Neutrality
Jul 2, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
Overnight on June 21-22, American military aircraft launched strikes on three nuclear facilities inside Iran, most notably the fortified Fordow plant. To reach…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Deals Without Guarantees: Trump’s Gulf Visit and the Future of US–Saudi Relations
May 22, 2025The Unit for Political Studies
On May 13, US President Donald Trump began a four-day tour of Gulf countries, during which he traveled to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UA…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
President Trump’s Gulf Trip: Post-Visit Observations
May 20, 2025Charles W. Dunne Dana El Kurd Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Assal Rad Annelle Sheline
Last week President Donald Trump ended a three-country trip to the Arabian Gulf—Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—where he signed lucrative arm…