Women: A Benchmark of Saudi and Iranian Reform
In a slick document, entitled Vision 2030 that was drafted by Western consultants, Saudi Arabia identifies sports “as a mainstay of a healthy and balanced lifestyle and promises “to encourage…
Evolution of Turmoil in Middle East: Western Role (Part One)
Given the current Middle Eastern scenario, one may reasonably hold the argument that the on-going turmoil in Middle East owes its burden equally to the Machiavellian Anglo-American policies in the…
Canadians Keep Asking Questions About Saudi Arms Deal
Headline news revealed last week that London’s mayor Matt Brown and top city manager Art Zuidema emailed 14 city councillors not to speak publicly about the $15-billion arms deal involving…
Haram Ham in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Customs on Monday foiled an attempt to smuggle pork into the Kingdom at Al-Batha border crossing point with the UAE. Customs officers seized 54 kg hidden under ice inside fridges being shipped…
Battle of Hegemony Saudi Arabia Cannot Win
Western government officials, former intelligence officers and pundits have long predicted the fall of the House of Saud. I am one of those. “This cannot last,” was my conclusion after…
Rivalry Between Saudi Arabia and Iran Is Not About the Victim but the Aggressor
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been increasing recently. Although the narrative developed to describe the execution of a Saudi Shiite cleric, Nimr Al-Nimr, as a sectarian dimension of…
Saudi Political Intolerance
Beheadings in public, including a prominent Saudi Shiite cleric, prompted reactions not only inside Saudi Arabia but also in Iran, Iraq and most recently in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia’s death wedding…
What Future for Syria?
In March 2011 a few teenagers in a southern Syrian city – fired up no doubt by the revolutionary fervour sweeping the Middle East at the time – daubed some…
Yemen Conflict and Arab Uprising: Regional Fissures and Repercussions
The Saudi military intervention in Yemen against Houthi rebels has repercussions in the kingdom amid cracks appearing in the ruling families in Riyadh and United Arab Emirates. SAUDI ARABIA’S four-month…