Hi all! Despite the current wave of substacks, I have no intention of taking this site private anytime soon, given that my posting is too erratic and eclectic to warrant any kind of subscription service. However, if you'd like to help defray the costs of hosting this site, or buy me the virtual equivalent of … Continue reading Supporting the Site
43 Months of Qatar Crisis Op-eds
Looking back at 43 months of articles on the Qatar Crisis from Al-Sharq al-Aawsat's Abdelrahman al-Rashed, a few quick takeaways (and, if you scroll down, all the articles in question - see previous post on the Deal of the Century for a similar review). As I find the time, I'll try to add a few … Continue reading 43 Months of Qatar Crisis Op-eds
Reconciliation with Qatar?
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan commenting on the potential resolution of the Gulf crisis kicked off some domestic Saudi discussion of potential reconciliation with Qatar: "We deeply appreciate efforts made by the brotherly State of Kuwait to bridge the gap in viewpoints regarding the Gulf Crisis, and thank the American efforts in this regard, … Continue reading Reconciliation with Qatar?
On the U.S. Elections
Source: Reddit Sebastian Castelier of Al-Monitor has a good roundup of different reactions from a few Saudi commentators. Abdulrahman al-Rashed has taken up the prospects of a Biden administration for the Gulf in a trio of op-eds, leading off with an emphasis on the enduring importance of the US-Saudi relationship. Contrary to what the anti-Saudi … Continue reading On the U.S. Elections
Popular Boycott of Turkish Goods
Symbol used for the "Boycott Turkish Goods" campaign on Twitter This all kicked off with a speech from Turkey's President Erdogan to the Turkish parliament on October 1, which included reference to: The rulers of some countries in the region [who] pursued, in self-denial, policies that do not comply with wisdom, logic, and conscience, are … Continue reading Popular Boycott of Turkish Goods
Bandar bin Sultan Interview (10/2020)
Bandar bin Sultan with George W Bush, 2002 (White House photo) A recent media interview by Prince Bandar bin Sultan has attracted considerable media attention and commentary, not the least from analysts seeking to read the tea leaves about when, exactly, Saudi Arabia might normalize relations with Israel. Bandar appeared on Al-Arabiya, a station run … Continue reading Bandar bin Sultan Interview (10/2020)
The Abraham Accord
Emirati Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi Gulf/Saudi reactions to the "Abraham accord" normalizing relations between the UAE and Israel - my time is limited, so this post will be a work in progress (updated with column from Abdelrahman al-Rashed, 8.15.2020 + further columns, 8.16.2020 + further columns 8.24.2020). Saudi papers in general have seemed uncertain how … Continue reading The Abraham Accord
Football, Yemen and More
Newcastle United Football Club flag. Source. Newcastle Deal Last week the efforts of the Public Investment Fund to participate in the takeover of UK football club Newcastle United fell apart, mainly due to the lingering fallout over Saudi Arabia's tolerance and likely creation of a pirated version of Qatari sports broadcaster BeIN Sports. The dominant … Continue reading Football, Yemen and More
Libya & Turkey
Libya and Turkey. Wikimedia Commons. As tensions cool (slightly) v-a-v Iran, Saudi commentary has shifted to focus more on Turkey's activities in Libya and Syria. I'll tack on more articles in the days ahead and post to Twitter when done. Most of Abdelrahman Rashed's June commentary has been on Libya, and on how "What is … Continue reading Libya & Turkey
Omnibus (May and June 2020)
Saudi Flag on mountainside, author photo, Ad-Dayr, Jazan, KSA (Oct. 2019) It's been more difficult than I thought to keep up with this, so this is a fairly haphazard dump of links to commentary for the past month or so. Qatar 3 years on from the start of the Gulf rift, double-header op-eds from leading … Continue reading Omnibus (May and June 2020)
The Bitter Lake 