US-GCC Summit: Agenda Overload, Leaders at Odds

by Wayne White Statements after the current summit between the United States and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will likely be upbeat. But they will obscure the difficult-to-resolve tensions during the May 13-14 talks. Iranian nuclear diplomacy will be central.… Continue Reading

Political Earthquake Hits Saudi Arabia?

 by Emile Nakleh In the early morning of Wednesday April 29, the Saudi King Salman issued 25 royal decrees announcing major succession and other personnel changes that created shockwaves in Saudi Arabia and across the Arab world. These decrees were… Continue Reading

Looking Two Steps Ahead into Saudi Arabia’s Future

by Emile Nakhleh Much has been written about King Abdullah’s legacy and what Saudi Arabia accomplished or failed to accomplish during his reign in terms of reform and human rights. Very little has been written about the role that Muhammad bin… Continue Reading

Syria Policy: Signs of Coherence?

by Thomas Lippman For the United States, Saudi Arabia, other supporters of the rebels in Syria, and for the rebels themselves, this has been a month of fast-paced, intense diplomatic and political activity. It is tempting after so much time… Continue Reading