Saudi Arabia
Jun 18, 2018
Saudi Arabia Sets Goals for Football On and Off the Pitch
New Saudi leadership has high hopes for economic and political payoffs tied to a heightened priority on football.
Jun 15, 2018
A Home of One’s Own: Subsidized Housing as a Key Lever of Gulf Domestic Policy
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed announced a new social support program for citizens in the emirate to double the number of the government's annual subsidized housing loans.
Jun 7, 2018
No Cricket, No Play: Regulating Public Space in Gulf Cities
Richard Sennett, renowned sociologist and urbanist, in his 1970 classic “The Uses of Disorder” called for an embrace of disorder, noting that it has a positive value and needs to be increased in city life. Moreover, he criticized planning principles on the premise that they advocate mono-functional zones and aim at establishing control over city...
Jun 5, 2018
“Yes We Cannes”: Cinematic Diversification in Saudi Arabia
Ahmad bin Fahd Al-Mezyed, CEO of Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Culture, used the 2018 Cannes Film Festival as a cinematic backdrop to garner international interest in the Saudi film and television industry. His announcement of generous commercial incentives for moviemakers follows related developments in the country: The popular superhero film “Black Panther” was screened...
May 31, 2018
Riyadh Can Gain from Iraq Elections, but U.S. Engagement is Crucial
Saudi Arabia’s accelerating campaign to revive its influence in Iraq may have been significantly bolstered by the results of the May 12 Iraqi parliamentary elections. But Riyadh will continue to face significant obstacles to strengthening its position and weakening Iran’s influence in the country, above all because the U.S. role in Iraq has become increasingly precarious....
May 23, 2018
Internal Political Realignment Targets Saudi Women Activists
On June 24, Saudi women will be allowed to operate their own cars, ending the ban on women driving and effecting a momentous change in the conservative kingdom. Yet many of Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women activists who worked for generations to lift the ban are unlikely to be among them. On May 19, the...
May 23, 2018
Shake-Up in the Middle East: How Will Regional Powers Respond?
On May 23, AGSIW hosted a panel discussion exploring the implications of major developments for the Gulf Arab countries and the rest of the region.
May 17, 2018
Unwinding the JCPOA Opens Doors for China and Amplifies Risk in the Gulf
For traditional U.S. partners and allies in the Gulf and beyond, the unwinding of U.S. participation in the JCPOA will create some multidimensional consequences.
