Saudi Arabia's rise: Can reforms, diversification change a conservative state?
1 month ago

Saudi Arabia's rise: Can reforms, diversification change a conservative state?

Firstpost  

The Kingdom’s journey apparently marks a shift from conservatism to reformation, gearing up further for assuming a leadership role in the changing geopolitics of the region Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia’s Rise: Oil, Leadership, and Reforms Since 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken a very different journey. Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Positioning The geostrategic location of the Kingdom ensures its emergence as an indispensable partner in global decision-making, supply chains, trade, defence, and counter-terrorism. As such, Saudi Arabia holds significant geostrategic advantages, making it essential for projects like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which represents a major milestone in global connectivity, aiming to integrate India, Europe, and West Asia.

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History of this topic

Saudi Arabia's rise: Can reforms, diversification change a conservative state?
1 month ago

Saudi Arabia's rise: Can reforms, diversification change a conservative state?

Firstpost  

The Kingdom’s journey apparently marks a shift from conservatism to reformation, gearing up further for assuming a leadership role in the changing geopolitics of the region Saudi Arabia celebrates its Founding Day on February 22nd every year. Saudi Arabia’s Rise: Oil, Leadership, and Reforms Since 1932, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has undertaken a very different journey. Saudi Arabia’s Strategic …

Saudi Arabia’s liberalization is visible in its popular culture
3 months, 3 weeks ago

Saudi Arabia’s liberalization is visible in its popular culture

Live Mint  

Saudi Arabia’s unprecedented attempt to diversify from an oil economy to something more sustainable seems to be churning along nicely. As part of Vision 2030, Riyadh aims to lower the Saudi unemployment rate and increase small businesses’ contribution to the economy. In 2023, Norway’s largest pension fund KLP blacklisted some of Saudi’s telecom and real estate companies, citing “human rights …

Unravelling West Asia’s Geopolitical Chessboard: Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia
11 months ago

Unravelling West Asia’s Geopolitical Chessboard: Iran, Israel, and Saudi Arabia

Firstpost  

Support for the Palestine cause among major Arab countries is dying out. Iran made it a point to gain traction among the Arab population and targeted Arab states as traitors to the ‘ummah’ In its effort to position Iran as a true Muslim power, it made anti-Israel posturing an intrinsic part of its foreign policy rhetoric. The new regime, led …

Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy
1 year, 10 months ago

Saudi Arabia wants to be a bigger player in the Middle East — this time with diplomacy

CNN  

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appears in CNN’s Meanwhile in the Middle East newsletter, a three-times-a-week look inside the region’s biggest stories. “Saudi Arabia is seeking to assert itself more and more on the international stage through mediation and raising its diplomatic profile.” Riyadh’s new foreign policy is more independent and prioritizes Saudi interests, she said. “We are …

Decoding the reorientation in Saudi foreign policy engineered by MBS | In Focus podcast
1 year, 11 months ago

Decoding the reorientation in Saudi foreign policy engineered by MBS | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

There finally seems to be some movement towards a peace settlement in the Yemen civil war, which has been raging for nine years now. Although the negotiations are expected to take time before they yield results, there is some optimism in the air as the talks are happening in the aftermath of a China-mediated agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia …

Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace
2 years, 5 months ago

Saudi Arabia’s triumphant week reclaims the West’s embrace

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia appears to be leaving behind the stream of negative coverage that the killing of Jamal Khashoggi elicited since 2018. Saudi Arabia’s busy week of triumphs included brokering a prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia, holding a highbrow summit on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the country’s national day with pomp and pageantry, …

Saudi Arabia, 20 years after 9/11: ‘A country in the making’
3 years, 6 months ago

Saudi Arabia, 20 years after 9/11: ‘A country in the making’

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The Saudi Arabia of today is far different from the Saudi Arabia of Sept. 11, 2001. To this day, victims’ families are trying to hold the Saudi government accountable in New York and have pushed President Joe Biden to declassify certain documents related to the attacks, despite Saudi government insistence that any allegation of complicity …

Saudi Arabia, 20 years after 9/11: 'A country in the making'
3 years, 6 months ago

Saudi Arabia, 20 years after 9/11: 'A country in the making'

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. To this day, victims’ families …

Saudi Arabia to bring in reforms to make the country ‘less-intimidating’
3 years, 9 months ago

Saudi Arabia to bring in reforms to make the country ‘less-intimidating’

Op India  

Saudi Arabia is set to witness the biggest image reset in modern times as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman prioritizes diversifying the oil-reliant economy. Reforms proposed by Saudi Arabia The ongoing transformations are directed towards diversifying the economy, reducing unemployment and increasing women’s participation in the workforce, raising government effectiveness, and increasing non-oil government revenue. “Saudi Arabia entering a post-Wahhabi …

Saudi Arabia Fears Critics Like Hasan Minhaj. But They'll Only Get Louder.
6 years, 2 months ago

Saudi Arabia Fears Critics Like Hasan Minhaj. But They'll Only Get Louder.

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING After the worst year for Saudi Arabia’s image since the 9/11 attacks involved several of its citizens, the kingdom began 2019 with a fresh controversy by asking Netflix to block Saudi users from viewing an episode of “Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj.” On Jan. 1, The Financial Times confirmed that Netflix had complied ― setting off international …

If Saudi Arabia's economy is to survive the drop in oil price, it must work on diversifying its industry
6 years, 5 months ago

If Saudi Arabia's economy is to survive the drop in oil price, it must work on diversifying its industry

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. As most people know, Saudi Arabia …

‘Saudi First’ is changing the contours of West Asia
6 years, 11 months ago

‘Saudi First’ is changing the contours of West Asia

Hindustan Times  

Can nationalism ever be a good thing? The lack of response by Arab states to the Israeli military’s recent attack on Palestinian protestors illustrates the regional changes that have come with a ‘Saudi First’ nationalist philosophy. Saudi women jog in the streets of Jeddah's historic al-Balad district on March 8, 2018 This is hardly the first time in recent months …

Beyond oil: Saudi Arabia’s 2030 economic vision
7 years, 4 months ago

Beyond oil: Saudi Arabia’s 2030 economic vision

Al Jazeera  

The Kingdom’s 2030 reform programme hopes to reduce its dependence on oil and create jobs for young Saudis. It's domestic investment that's important for Saudi Arabia right now - finding ways to stimulate the economy.and shift it towards something less based on energy. by Ayham Kamel, head of MENA research, Eurasia Group Saudi Arabia’s budget deficit currently stands at 9.3 …

AP ANALYSIS: Saudi promise of ‘moderate Islam’ shifts power
7 years, 4 months ago

AP ANALYSIS: Saudi promise of ‘moderate Islam’ shifts power

Associated Press  

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The man who may soon be king of Saudi Arabia is charting a new, more modern course for a country so conservative that for decades there were no concerts or film screenings and women who attempted to drive were arrested. The prince grabbed headlines in recent days by vowing a return to “moderate Islam.” He …

Saudi Arabia's youth embrace crown prince’s desire for liberalisation
7 years, 4 months ago

Saudi Arabia's youth embrace crown prince’s desire for liberalisation

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Saudi Arabia’s crown prince almost …

Saudi crown prince promises return to 'moderate Islam'
7 years, 4 months ago

Saudi crown prince promises return to 'moderate Islam'

ABP News  

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has defended his bold reform plans, including the kingdom's decision to lift the ban on women driving, saying that "we were not like this in the past." The prince said that "we want to go back to what we were: moderate Islam," speaking during a rare public appearance at a major investment …

Saudi Arabia crown prince tells investors he’s taking on extremists
7 years, 5 months ago

Saudi Arabia crown prince tells investors he’s taking on extremists

Live Mint  

Beirut/Riyadh: It was a comment that stunned the people in the room. At an event on Tuesday in Riyadh meant to highlight the kingdom’s influence in the business world, crown prince Mohammed bin Salman said Saudi Arabia was returning to “moderate” Islam and intended to “eradicate” extremism. In remarks to the Guardian newspaper, however, prince Mohammed blamed the rise in …

Saudi crown prince promises ‘return to moderate Islam’
7 years, 5 months ago

Saudi crown prince promises ‘return to moderate Islam’

Al Jazeera  

Mohammad bin Salman says the country will be ‘open to all religions’ and eradicate ‘extremist thoughts’. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia would “return” to a “moderate Islam that is open to all religions” – comments likely to rile staunch conservatives in the Gulf kingdom. The crown prince also announced Saudi Arabia would “eradicate promoters of …

Saudi crown prince promises ‘return to moderate Islam’
7 years, 5 months ago

Saudi crown prince promises ‘return to moderate Islam’

Al Jazeera  

Mohammad bin Salman says the country will be ‘open to all religions’ and eradicate ‘extremist thoughts’. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday said Saudi Arabia would “return” to a “moderate Islam that is open to all religions” – comments likely to rile staunch conservatives in the Gulf kingdom. The crown prince also announced Saudi Arabia would “eradicate promoters of …

American compound in Saudi Arabia: What’s life like inside?
7 years, 6 months ago

American compound in Saudi Arabia: What’s life like inside?

CNN  

CNN — Women behind the wheel of a car, residents drinking alcohol and baseball as a regular pastime: It doesn’t sound like the Saudi Arabia of the world’s imagination. Courtesy Ayesha Malek Although it’s the best known of Saudi’s compounds for oil industry expats, the 58 kilometer Dhahran Camp remains an enigma even to those living in the country. “This …

Saudi Arabia outlines reform plan for oil-addicted economy
8 years, 10 months ago

Saudi Arabia outlines reform plan for oil-addicted economy

Associated Press  

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia unveiled a bold reform plan on Monday aimed at weaning the country off its “addiction” to oil in a bid to prepare the next generation of Saudi leaders for the domestic pressures of youth unemployment and revenues eroded by lower oil prices. Masood Ahmed, International Monetary Fund director for the Middle East and Central …

Saudi Arabia: Reform comes with social responsibility
8 years, 11 months ago

Saudi Arabia: Reform comes with social responsibility

Al Jazeera  

Any vision of true transformation must emphasise generational change in the Saudi workforce and society. On April 25, the Saudi government will unveil its “Vision for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, a sweeping package of economic reforms that includes the widely-reported “National Transformation Programme” as well as the privatisation of oil giant Saudi Aramco and Riyadh’s new Public Investment Fund. …

Saudi Arabia’s deadly gamble
9 years, 2 months ago

Saudi Arabia’s deadly gamble

The Hindu  

>Saudi Arabia’s execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr, perhaps the most influential leader among the Kingdom’s Shia minority, was clearly a provocative move. Iran, a Shia-majority country and a regional rival of Saudi Arabia, had repeatedly requested the Sunni monarchy to pardon Nimr, who was the driving force behind the Arab Spring model protests in the kingdom’s east in 2011. Even …

The Saudi-Iranian rupture could have dire consequences
9 years, 2 months ago

The Saudi-Iranian rupture could have dire consequences

ABC  

Saudi Arabia has decided to let its accumulated frustrations with Iran out of the bottle. The rupture of relations between the Sunni Islamic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Shia Islamic Republic of Iran, and heightening belligerency and non-cooperation between the two sides, are precisely what Islamic State has wanted in order to plunge not only the region, but the …

GCC crisis: ‘A thing of the past’
10 years, 10 months ago

GCC crisis: ‘A thing of the past’

Al Jazeera  

The resolution of the recent crisis has shown that the pillars of the GCC are strong and can withstand periodic jolts. More specifically, and while a public discussion over the alleged Qatari support to the Muslim Brotherhood preoccupied many, in reality, what irked Riyadh were the contraventions of the late 2013 “Riyadh Agreement” that sealed the fate of non-GCC elements …

Is Arab Spring wishful thinking?
13 years, 9 months ago

Is Arab Spring wishful thinking?

The Hindu  

The expectations and hopes engendered by the events in Tunisia and Egypt at the beginning of the second decade of this century for an Arab Spring sprouting in the Arab world have turned out to be based on wishful thinking rather than on a careful assessment of the specific characteristics of each Arab country as well as of the vested …

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