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In 2021, things are very different in the Gulf. The missing narratives from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and others in the region on Afghanistan come from c

Mohammad bin Salman's ascent to the second most important position in the kingdom will reinforce Saudi Arabia's newly assertive foreign policy.

With King Salman expected to visit India later this year, New Delhi should be prepared to offer a smooth transition for Saudi investment into the Indi

Saudi Arabia’s hedging strategy to bring equity to its relations with the US allows China to have a larger footprint in the region

Over the last few years, Delhi has found Riyadh more forthcoming in tracking down terrorists of concern to India. As the Kingdom enters a more decisive phase in their war against terror, the prospects for security cooperation between India and Saudi Arabia are likely to improve.

Even as the 'Arab Spring' confrontations develop a sectarian character, the Saudi-Iranian relationship cannot be perceived through the dichotomous lens of sectarianism or of pragmatism. The evolving relationship between the two states incorporates both elements

¿Unlike in Egypt, Algeria and Yemen, no well¿defined group engaged in sustained terrorism has emerged in Saudi Arabia¿i. A lot has been said and written about Saudi Arabia¿s role in the largely defunct ¿war on terror¿. The ruling family of the House of Saud has been an unabashed US ally in the campaign to hunt out terrorists.

Does the recent Turkey-Saudi Arabia rapprochement mark the end of the Islamic world’s multipolarity–for now?

Do Saudi Arabia’s recent social reforms affect its position as an Islamic hegemon in the world?

Both the countries are eager to start off with a clean slate by working towards rebuilding amicable ties

The next few months will be a critical test on how the Saudi-Qatar, and perhaps more importantly, UAE-Qatar relationships unfold.

There is the possibility, albeit remote, of the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. Riyadh has always been unambiguous in its stance of acquiring a nuclear weapon if Iran does and the Kingdom's longstanding support for Pakistan's nuclear program alludes to this possibility.

Last week, American President Joe Biden hit the reset button on the US’s relationship with Saudi Arabia and its arch-enemy Iran upending his predece

Backtracking on its previous policy, the United States would have to establish an amicable relationship with Saudi Arabia and by extension the Middle

A transformation is sweeping Saudi Arabia, and certain elements of it can be attributed to ‘Vision 2030’, a strategic plan launched in 2016. The vision—framed by a paradigm shift in the country’s economic, social, and cultural landscape—will have implications beyond Saudi Arabia itself, given the country’s position as leader of the Arab and Islamic world. The biggest challenge to such a metamorphosis is adoption among citizens, who wi

The revival of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran that was negotiated by China is a major diplomacy victory for the latter

In the latest despicable act of extreme cruelty, the arm of an Indian maid working in a Saudi Arabian household was chopped off by her employer. Since the royal in question was King Salman's son, there are no prizes for guessing that no member of the ruling family will be punished for this incident.

Saudi Arabia and India recently signed a defence cooperation agreement, signalling a shift in ties. This issue brief looks at the importance of Indo-Saudi relations from a geopolitical perspective, outlines the trajectory of their bilateral defence partnership, and emphasises the symbiotic nature of their relations and the increasing scope for greater cooperation.

The Fourth India-Saudi Arabia Workshop held recently in Delhi felt that India must play an active role in ensuring peace and stability in the region, which should not be limited to maritime security. It also stressed the need to move forward the relationship to a genuine strategic partnership.

India’s G20 presidency could help strengthen the bilateral ties and cooperation partnerships with Saudi Arabia

Even though India has little to offer in comparison to other countries in terms of defence technology, it can aspire to become a hub for cooperative d

Amid growing Saudi concerns about the shifting Middle East balance of power in favour of Iran, Pakistan is walking the tight rope between Riyadh, a close ally, and Tehran, an important neighbour.

India and Saudi Arabia are re-defining their foreign policy priorities: For New Delhi, Saudi Arabia and the Arab Gulf states are becoming key interlocutors in the Middle East. For Riyadh, India is one of the eight major powers with which it wants to forge strategic partnerships as part of its Vision 2030.

Saudi Arabia's Nitaqat system has achieved some early success. It has been able to generate jobs for the Saudi population. But its long term success is open to question. It remains to be seen whether 'Saudization' will be successfully implemented long term through quotas and threats of punishment.

Although concrete evidence about Saudi intentions to acquire nuclear weapons' capabilities is not there the story continues to attract international commentary

Attention has to be focussed on Saudi Arabia as it enters a period of transition and uncertainty in the wake of reports about a deterioration in the health of King Fahd, who has been admitted in hospital. In the absence of authentic reports on his health, rumours are rife that his end may be near.

The voyage highlighted Riyadh’s role in the balance of ties between the three states and India’s continued concerns on that front.

With a new king in power, this paper looks at royal politics in Saudi Arabia and identifies topical domestic and regional challenges from the Saudi perspective.

Succession to the next generation poses a threat to the Saudi Kingdom's stability as it will create "a complex web of rivalry and political competition" among Saudi princes who wish to secure their family lines.

The recent Arab League Summit showcased Saudi Arabia’s attempt to bring change in its foreign policy approach

While Israel-Saudi normalisation will bring a long-standing divide to an end on paper, in practice, a full gambit of regional situations will need to

Muhammad bin Salman will be the youngest in line to become king and bucks the trend of senior and aging princes ascending the throne.

Saudi Arabia being a swing producer now holds the capacity to quickly increase oil production substantially, while simultaneously dominating the oil a

As high oil prices hit consumers, President Biden is compelled to change his stance toward Saudi Arabia and rekindle relations.

For Saudi Arabia’s grand vision, Africa represents a firm promise. Therefore, it has intensified its diplomatic and economic footprint in the region

Royal succession is considered to be the 'prickliest' problem facing the Saudi kingdom. It can bring about a fundamental change in Saudi politics and can have an overarching impact on Saudi society and its national and foreign policies.

Driven by geopolitics and economics, both Gulf states are courting a close relationship with Modi’s India.

There has been no credible evidence so far of any mastermind having orchestrated the various serious acts of jihadi terrorism reported during 2003, whether from Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Iraq or Turkey. The available evidence indicates that all these incidents were planned and executed by local elements, which share the pan-Islamic ideology of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda and the International Islamic Front (IIF), b

In 2018, Pakistan would move deeper into internal chaos, its relations with its neighbours would only worsen adding to tensions on both its borders.

The year 2020 was a bad year for the world, owing to Covid-19 pandemic, but for the Middle East, it was even worse.