Saudi Arabia

Economics

Riyadh will scale back its medium-term goals for Neom, the $1.5 trillion megaproject city slated to be at the forefront of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 goals, Bloomberg reported on April 5. 

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Reduces Medium-Term Expectations for Neom

Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Politics

Turkey's Trade Minister Omer Bolat signed a deal to start talks for a free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Reuters reported on March 21.

Turkey, GCC: FTA Talks Could Increase Trade Values, but Negotiations Could Take Years

Energy

Gulf national oil companies Saudi Aramco and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. plan to extract lithium from brine in their oil fields, Reuters reported on March 8.

UAE, Saudi Arabia: National Oil Companies To Invest in Lithium Extraction From Oil Field Brine

Egypt

Qatar

Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly announced that Cairo reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund to increase Egypt's IMF loan to $8 billion, The Washington Post reported on March 6.

Egypt: Cairo Finalizes $8B IMF Loan Expansion After Economic Reforms

United States

Israel

Yemen

United Kingdom

Environment, Science & Technology

Military & Security

Science & Technology

Hong Kong-based HGC Global Communications announced that three cable lines under the Red Sea that offer telecommunications and internet have been damaged, AP reported on March 4.

Yemen: Damage to Three Undersea Cables Confirmed in Red Sea

Iraq

Russia

OPEC+ agreed to extend crude oil production cuts through the end of June, Reuters reported on March 3.

Global: OPEC+ Extends Production Cuts Through End of June

Cuba

Venezuela

Iran

China

North Korea

U.S. President Joe Biden will sign an executive order on Feb. 28 directing the Justice Department to establish regulations that prevent countries of concern from exploiting sensitive U.S. data, the White House said in a fact sheet published the same day.

U.S.: Executive Order Will Task DOJ With Establishing Data Protection Regulations

Kenya

Kenya and the United Arab Emirates established a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Reuters reported on Feb. 23.

UAE, Kenya: Countries Seal Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement 

Assessments

A picture taken on Nov. 22, 2023, shows the Galaxy Leader cargo ship (right), seized by Houthi fighters two days earlier, approaching a port in the Red Sea off Yemen's province of Hodeida. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

U.S.-Iran Relations

Even if the U.S.-led coalition adopts a restrained approach to the ongoing harassment of ships off the coast of Yemen, it would risk escalation and broadening the conflict to Iran.

Can the U.S. and Its Allies Secure the Red Sea From Houthi Attacks?

Ethiopia

South Africa

Brazil

Taiwan

Belgium

India

Leaders at the closing day of the BRICS Summit on Aug. 24, 2023, in Johannesburg. On Jan. 1, BRICS will admit Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia after agreeing at an August summit to expand its membership.

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

The Weekly Rundown: Taiwan's Election Media Blackout, BRICS Expansion

A grab from handout footage released by Yemen's Huthi Ansarullah Media Center on Nov. 19, 2023, reportedly shows members of the rebel group during the capture of an Israel-linked cargo vessel at an undefined location in the Red Sea. 

The rebel group's escalating harassment of commercial shipping in the region may leave the Biden administration with little choice but to directly strike back at the Iranian proxy.

In the Red Sea, Houthi Attacks Force the U.S. to Mull a Tougher Response

Snapshots

Russian President Vladimir Putin and UAE leader Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attend a welcoming ceremony ahead of their talks in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 6, 2023.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The rare visit was likely aimed at aligning the Arab Gulf states on OPEC+ policy and assuaging their concerns about Russia's ties with Iran, but could prompt the U.S. to respond.

The Aims and Implications of Putin's Trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia

Palestinian Territories

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

Social Issues

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

Bahrain

Jordan

Kuwait

Morocco

Oman

Tunisia

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. 

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?

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

Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Reduces Medium-Term Expectations for Neom

Turkey, GCC: FTA Talks Could Increase Trade Values, but Negotiations Could Take Years

UAE, Saudi Arabia: National Oil Companies To Invest in Lithium Extraction From Oil Field Brine

Egypt: Cairo Finalizes $8B IMF Loan Expansion After Economic Reforms

Yemen: Damage to Three Undersea Cables Confirmed in Red Sea

Global: OPEC+ Extends Production Cuts Through End of June

U.S.: Executive Order Will Task DOJ With Establishing Data Protection Regulations

UAE, Kenya: Countries Seal Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

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