The Saudi Survival Strategy

In the face of punishing economic and political realities, Gulf Arab states are striving to transform their residents from subjects into citizens, but doing so is easier said than done.

The EU has outlined the most stringent standards yet to combat money laundering and the funding of extremism, and the U.S. is none too happy.

Riyadh has heralded the end of its wide-ranging anti-corruption investigation that spooked investors but solidified the crown prince's position in power.

The traditionally hard-line Islamist kingdom has been encouraging citizens to identify more strongly with their geographic location, and it has even shown signs of increasing tolerance for other religious faiths.

As the humanitarian cost of the Yemen conflict mounted throughout 2018, pressure grew on all sides to find a nonmilitary solution.

Following two years of tumult on the world stage, the desert kingdom isn't altering its foreign policy goals -- just the way it goes about attaining them.

The desert kingdom is eager to diversify its economy away from oil, but all the money in the world might not be enough to get the ball rolling next year.

Kuwait, Qatar and Oman lack the power and resources of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, but that's not stopping them from capitalizing on their respective strengths to steer clear of Riyadh's orbit.

Riyadh, wary of reliance on Western weapons suppliers and hungry for the jobs a domestic arms sector could provide, aims to someday equip its forces with equipment built at home.