Socially conservative countries in the Gulf, particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), have recently relaxed certain local laws to attract more tourists and foreign investors and appease local populations. While taking advantage of these measures, travellers and expatriates should still be fully cognisant of prevailing local laws…
Much of the world waited in anticipation for the outcome of the November 2020 US presidential election and, when the results were announced, a Biden victory prompted much debate on what this will mean for US foreign policy in the Middle East. Gabrielle Reid explores what is likely to be on the new administration’s to-do list in the region.
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.
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.
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.