Saad Hariri’s Saudi Resignation: Good News for Iran and Hezbollah

by Aurélie Daher At the end of October, Sunni Prime Minister of Lebanon Saad Hariri, an ally of the West and of Saudi Arabia, went to Riyadh for an official visit. On November 1, back in Beirut, he announced that… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia: Wellspring of Regional Instability

by Paul R. Pillar The anachronistic family enterprise known as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has long been politically fragile. In some respects it is remarkable that this entity has endured into the twenty-first century. A clan of royals lives… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia: A Chilling Message to Foreign Investors and Dissidents

by Thomas W. Lippman It’s too soon to reach a definitive judgment, but the high-level government shakeup, arrests of brand-name personalities, and far-reaching anti-corruption campaign announced over the weekend in Saudi Arabia have the potential to turn the country into… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia: Big Step Forward, Another Back

by Thomas W. Lippman So, with its decision to let women drive, is Saudi Arabia finally modernizing its oppressive rules of social behavior and relaxing its tight restrictions on political and social life? Yes and no. Economic necessity and the… Continue Reading

Saudi Arabia’s Nepotism Problem

by Derek Davison Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman (MBS) has been rising through the ranks of Saudi nobility for several years. Since entering government as an adviser to his father in 2009, when the future King Salman was governor… Continue Reading