Bahrain

Kuwait

Oman

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Pakistan

Economics

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Dec. 3 reached a consensus on investment terms concerning a potential free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, or GCC, Arab News Pakistan reported on Dec. 4.

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Politics

Social Issues

Saudi Arabia won the vote to host the 2030 World Expo, and Saudi officials said they would spend $7.8 billion on the event, The New York Times reported on Nov. 28.

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Will Host 2030 World Expo, Bolstering Vision 2030

Egypt

Israel

Jordan

Palestinian Territories

China

Military & Security

China hosted top diplomats from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Indonesia in Beijing to discuss ways to end the Israel-Hamas war, Bloomberg reported on Nov. 20.

China, MENA: China Looks to Align With Arab States on Gaza

Yemen

The head of a sovereign wealth fund-owned commission announced plans to invest billions of dollars into the Aseer region and to expand the Abha airport to make the Red Sea coast an attractive tourist destination, Reuters reported Nov. 10.

Saudi Arabia: Investment in Aseer Region Demonstrates Saudi Optimism Toward Houthi Stalemate

Russia

Energy

Russia and Saudi Arabia reaffirmed in separate statements that they would continue with their voluntary 300,000 barrel per day oil export cut and 1 million barrel per day oil production cut, respectively, through the end of 2023, Reuters reported on Nov. 5.

Saudi Arabia, Russia: Governments Affirm Voluntary Production Cuts Through End of 2023

Sudan

United States

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces agreed to return to peace negotiations after six months of clashes, Reuters reported on Oct. 25. 

Sudan: Army, Paramilitary Group to Return to Peace Negotiations

Vietnam

Vietnam and Saudi Arabia have agreed to several memorandums of understanding ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit, The Hanoi Times reported Oct. 20.

Vietnam, Saudi Arabia: New Deals Intended to Act as 'Bridge' Between Regions

Iran

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held their first phone call since signing the China-brokered agreement for their countries to restore ties in March, Reuters reported on Oct. 11, citing Iranian state media.

Iran, Saudi Arabia: Leaders Speak for First Time Since China-Brokered Agreement in March

Assessments

Kenya

OPEC headquarters on June 3, 2023, in Vienna. OPEC+ will meet Nov. 26 to decide whether to deepen production cuts.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Climate Negotiations at COP28, OPEC+ Meets Following an Oil Sell-off

Liberia

Madagascar

Spain

U.S. President Joe Biden (R) and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet Nov. 14, 2022, in Bali, Indonesia.

U.S.-China Relations

The Weekly Rundown: Xi and Biden at APEC, a Saudi Summit on Gaza

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan (center) sits next to his Palestinian counterpart during an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's executive committee regarding the situation in Gaza on Oct. 18, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Renewed anti-Israel anger could turn more Saudis against their government and its efforts to normalize ties with Israel, while leaving some more prone to radicalization.

What the Backlash Against Israel's War Means for Saudi Arabia

Lebanon

Syria

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian holds a press conference at the Iranian embassy in the Lebanese capital of Beirut on Oct. 14, 2023. 

Iran's recent warnings indicate a growing risk of the conflict expanding beyond its current geographic scope, with Tehran able to use multiple mechanisms to attack Israel and the West.

Iran Threatens to Join the Gaza War, Fueling Fears of an Expanded Conflict

Iraq

Morocco

Tunisia

Turkey

Students from the American University of Beirut (AUB) rally in support of Palestinians outside the main gate of the university in the Lebanese capital on Oct. 9, 2023. 

Israel's likely ground invasion in Gaza will alienate many Muslims in the Middle East, pressuring their governments to respond in support of Palestinians.

Gauging the Regional Response to the Gaza Conflict

A missile explodes over Gaza City during an Israeli air strike on Oct. 8, 2023. 

In response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Israel is widely expected to launch an incursion that could spark another bloody intifada, along with widespread unrest across the region.

The Implications of an Israeli Ground Invasion in Gaza

Iranians attend a gathering in Tehran on Oct. 7, 2023, to express their support for Palestinians after Hamas militants launched a deadly assault into Israel from the Gaza Strip. 

U.S.-Iran Relations

While the exact scope of its participation is unclear, Tehran was likely involved in planning the assault, raising the risk of Israeli and/or U.S. retaliation that could spark a broader conflict.

Iran's Potential Motives for Backing the Hamas Attack on Israel

Columns

On Geopolitics

U.S. President Joe Biden makes his way to board Air Force One at Israel's Ben Gurion Airport on July 15, 2022, as he departs for Saudi Arabia after a two-day visit to Israel. 

Paradoxically, a normalization process designed to allow Washington to draw down from the Middle East could end up pulling it back in.

Would Israeli-Saudi Normalization Bring the Regional Order the U.S. Wants?

Indonesia

Ukraine

India

A door at the U.N. headquarters Sept. 15, 2023, in New York ahead of the 78th session of the General Assembly. The 78th U.N. General Assembly will occur Sept. 18-26 against a backdrop of deepening global divisions.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Weekly Rundown: The U.N. General Assembly, Zelensky's U.S. Visit

Vehicles drive past the logo of the G-20 Summit on Aug. 10, 2023, in New Delhi.

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: The Africa Climate Summit, the G-20 Summit in New Delhi

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is welcomed by Saudi officials upon arriving in Riyadh on June 7, 2023.

Riyadh's pursuit of uranium enrichment will likely remain a sticking point in its talks with the U.S. and Israel, which could bring the kingdom closer to Beijing.

In Search of U.S. Concessions, Saudi Arabia Reaches Out to China

Niger

Brazil

Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will host a summit on the Amazon on Aug. 7-8 in an effort to draft a common policy for the first time ever for countries with territory in the Amazon rainforest.

The Weekly Rundown: Ukraine Peace Talks in Saudi Arabia, Brazil Hosts an Amazon Summit

Comprising a majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is surrounded by Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.  The kingdom's main geographic challenges are controlling its sparsely populated territory and maintaining shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz.    Surrounded by vast deserts, the central Najd plateau is the core of Saudi Arabia and is home to the country's capital, Riyadh. Mecca and Medina, Islam's two holiest cities, are protected by mountains in the west and flanked by the Red Sea. The security of these cities is a key to the monarchy's legitimacy.    The collapse of the Ottoman Empire after World War I set the stage for the House of Saud to unify the territory that became Saudi Arabia in 1932. Oil and natural gas have been the country's main exports and source of wealth since their discovery in 1938.     A restive Eastern Province holds a majority of the kingdom's reserves and makes the country vulnerable to invasion from the north or the Persian Gulf. Cross border tribal ties also expose the kingdom to unrest in the south on the border with Yemen.    A scarcity of fresh water and a small population density limit Saudi Arabia's defensive capabilities. Since the vast majority of Saudi oil exports pass via the Strait of Hormuz chokepoint, the kingdom has historically relied on a foreign power to balance regional rival, Iran and keep the Strait open.    As global oil consumption continues to rise, Saudi Arabia will continue to play a dominant role in the Middle East despite its geographic challenges.

The Syrian Civil War

The Saudi Survival Strategy

A Crude Recovery

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

SITUATION REPORTS

Pakistan, Saudi Arabia: Consensus on Investment Terms Bodes Well for Possible FTA

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Will Host 2030 World Expo, Bolstering Vision 2030

China, MENA: China Looks to Align With Arab States on Gaza

Saudi Arabia: Investment in Aseer Region Demonstrates Saudi Optimism Toward Houthi Stalemate

Saudi Arabia, Russia: Governments Affirm Voluntary Production Cuts Through End of 2023

Sudan: Army, Paramilitary Group to Return to Peace Negotiations

Vietnam, Saudi Arabia: New Deals Intended to Act as 'Bridge' Between Regions

Iran, Saudi Arabia: Leaders Speak for First Time Since China-Brokered Agreement in March

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