Saudi Arabia

Aspects of the Gulf conflict have trickled down to North Africa and fault lines have further hardened in various states due to their own internal political and socioeconomic dynamics.

Biden will likely put weapons sales to the Gulf on the back burner, but, at the end of the day, the administration’s positions on arms sales will reflect continuity, not change.

The new variant of the coronavirus, new lockdowns in several parts of the world, and the slower-than-expected rollout of the vaccine cast doubt on the timing of a recovery that would sustain higher production.

Many Gulf states have shifted course on Syria, prioritizing concerns over growing Iranian and Turkish influence.

Moderate Islam can be seen as a comprehensive strategy to tackle the kingdom’s regional and domestic concerns while at the same time reshaping the religious and social scene in line with the leadership’s new sociopolitical objectives.

Even the UAE seems ready to reconcile but underlying disputes are likely to persist.

The OPEC+ alliance managed to stamp out dissent within its ranks and come to a compromise deal that will keep the market guessing in the months ahead.

AGSIW hosted a virtual private roundtable to discuss Saudi Arabia’s efforts to diversify its economy and attract investments, its presidency of the G-20, recommendations of the T20 group of think tanks, and the outcomes of this year’s G-20 meeting.