In this article, we look at three prominent case studies from different parts of the world to demonstrate the nature and extent of the security risks facing commercial operators in the oil and gas sector.
Leader of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar’s latest assault on Tripoli has made his ambitions of leading Libya clear. Yet, in the absence of a swift military victory and the LNA’s failure to unify Libya’s myriad stakeholders, the move on Tripoli has severely jeopardised chances for a political settlement, writes Bilal Bassiouni.
Mass protests in February and March in Algeria, reminiscent of the 2011 Arab Spring, may have ended President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s political career, but they are unlikely to challenge the existing political order, writes Bilal Bassiouni.
In 2018, the frequency and impact of cyberextortion and other types of cybercrime increased notably. Not only have the attacks become more frequent, but incidents of cyber-crime have also become more sophisticated, and have impacted a range of important industries, including healthcare, government, financial services and manufacturing.
As key players debate the impact of climate change on the international stage, domestically, governments across the globe are being put to the test in their responses to natural hazards.
The emergence of several high-profile cases in 2018 has raised concerns that abduction by state actors is becoming an increasingly common practice. In this article, we highlight some of the most notable instances of state-sanctioned disappearances in the past year, and provide an insight into what we can expect 2019.
Several significant elections are scheduled to take place around the world in 2019, and we review a number of these in this article. From Nigeria to Indonesia, Ukraine and Libya, the outcome of the 2019 electoral season will not only determine the sociopolitical and economic trajectories of individual countries, but also impact domestic and regional…
In this article, we examine the main kidnapping trends and incidents of 2018 from around the world, and look at some emerging trends likely to persist in 2019.
The murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October with the apparent approval of Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman has drawn widespread condemnation from politicians and business in the west. The reputational damage will delay MbS’s flagship economic projects, but the Kingdom’s long-term foreign investors haven’t been driven away.
As government forces prepare a final offensive on the last-standing rebel stronghold in Syria, humanitarian agencies will be eager to re-enter the country to provide much-needed assistance to those severely affected by the conflict. Yet, despite the anticipated reduction in fighting amid the extension of government control, NGO operations in Syria will…
Vision 2030 still represents an unprecedented opportunity for economic and social change in the kingdom, but the continual delays to one of the crown prince’s key initiatives undermines the sustainability of such radical reform.
Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest crude exporter, has suspended all its oil shipments through the Bab Al Mandeb Strait at the southern tip of the Red Sea, following an attack on two vessels by Yemeni Houthi fighters. This article assesses how the ongoing conflict in Yemen impacts the region’s maritime and oil and gas operations.