Saudi Arabia's oil policy could become more transparent
The appointment of Khalid al-Falih as Saudi Arabia's new energy minister to replace veteran oil minister Ali al-Naimi is likely to bring a big...
A solid ray of economic sunshine
Amidst all the gloomy news of ratings downgrades and a slowing Saudi economy there is at least one ray of sunshine and it could...
In Riyadh, it’s the G20 vs. COVID-19
The extraordinary “virtual” G20 summit hosted by Saudi Arabia on Thursday will probably be the most significant since the group was founded in 1999....
Travel now triggers a warning light thanks to lockdown
How many times a day did we used to find ourselves saying or texting, “Safe travels” to others, or having them sent to us...
Why the U.S. military can't succeed in training foreign armies
It was big news last month when 7,000 U.S.-trained and -equipped Afghan security troops failed to defend the northern city of Kunduz against a...
"Britain's motorists should thank Saudi's Al-Naimi for cheap fuel"
Britain's motorists have Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi to thank as the country's supermarkets cut the price of petrol to less than one pound...
Stormy weather ahead but Saudi banks remain strong
The downgrading of Saudi banks by Moody’s on the 14 May comes as no surprise given the twin stresses of low oil prices and...
Hariri needs protection from Hezbollah, not Saudi Arabia
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri emerged as an honest, caring and true statesman in his recent television interview, in which he dismissed rumors...
Well done, America, you’ve crushed Daesh. Now what?
Of all the cities in the Middle East that have been flattened in the past five years, and the list is long, Raqqa has...
How COVID-19 is changing the way we look at the economy
During March and April, country by country has closed down its economy to flatten the curve of coronavirus infections and enable their health care...
