Riyadh (MEMO) – A group of Saudi dissidents, most of them in exile, on Wednesday announced the formation of a party to push for political reform in Saudi Arabia in defiance of de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who has moved to crush any dissent, Reuters reports. The world’sContinue Reading
Islamabad (MEMO) – Saudi Arabia has ended a loan and oil supply to Pakistan due to the South Asian nation’s criticism that the Saudi-led Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is not doing enough to pressure India on the Kashmir issue, marking a new milestone in the deteriorating relations between the two allies.Continue Reading
Ankara (GPA) – In part four of the Geopolitics Alert series on Turkey, we examine the challenges faced by Erdogan as he seeks to unseat the post-war powers in the Middle East. You can read the previous entries in the series below: Part One: The Future of Erdogan’s Power: A Geopolitics AlertContinue Reading
Riyadh (MEMO) – Israel and Saudi Arabia have reportedly engaged in secret meetings since last December, regarding including Saudi representatives in the Islamic Waqf Council at the Al-Aqsa Compound in Jerusalem. The Islamic Waqf Council is a Jordanian-appointed body, which oversees Muslim sites in Jerusalem and claims exclusive authority overContinue Reading
Khartoum (OPINION) – Since launching its military campaign against Yemen in March of 2015, the Saudi-led coalition has exploited Sudanese troops as cannon fodder on the front lines. The time is long past for Sudan to withdraw its troops from Yemen and help accelerate an end to the devastating war.Continue Reading
Khartoum (MEE) – Detective tells court the deposed president was handed the money by Mohammed bin Salman’s envoys. Former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir admitted taking $90m in cash from Saudi Arabia’s rulers, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a court heard on Monday as the ousted autocrat’s corruption trial began. Police Brigadier AhmedContinue Reading
Riyadh (MEMO) – In an interview on Israeli Public Broadcaster (Kan) on Monday Al-Shammari said: “Visiting Israel is probably the dream of many Saudis and those of the Gulf and Arab states alike.” Saudi women’s activist Souad Al-Shammari told Israeli TV that “most Saudis” wish to visit the occupation state. InContinue Reading
Beirut (GPA) – Geopolitics Alert contributor Damir Nazarov spoke with Lebanese journalist Khalil Kawtharani of Al-Akhbar about geopolitical developments in Yemen and Syria, focusing on Saudi Arabia’s regional influence and failure in both theatres. Despite both allied under the so-called “Saudi-led coalition” against Yemeni resistance forces, Riyadh and Abu DhabiContinue Reading
Riyadh (GPA) – A university survey was recently conducted in Saudi Arabia, about who Saudis want to have as their country’s next ruler. About one million people took part in the survey, here is an outline of some of the results: 91% of people want the Al Saud family to keep rulingContinue Reading
Riyadh (TSN) – Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, Salvator Mundi, one of the world’s most expensive paintings and missing since 2017, was located on Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s yacht, according to Middle East Eye. The piece, attributed to the Renaissance Italian master, was purchased for US$450 million in 2017 at a Christie’s auction in New York City. The painting, which representsContinue Reading