Saudi Arabia’s Rivalry With Iran Is Further Destabilizing the Middle East

Saudi Arabia’s increasingly erratic behavior has raised question marks around the world. After decades in which Riyadh kept a low profile and mainly intervened in world affairs by using its oil wealth, the Saudi military and intelligence machine is now pursuing a brutal war in Yemen, has put little Qatar under boycott, has attempted to destabilize Lebanon, is licking its wounds from defeat in Syria, and is cultivating potential clients in Iraq.

Foreign correspondent: Make Saudi Arabia great again! – 48 hills

I stood in front of a mosque in the city of Qatif, Saudi Arabia, interviewing people for a story. Suddenly, two city police cars pulled up. Several minutes later plain clothes officers from the secret police began questioning me. I had entered the country with a journalist visa, but committed the grave crime of practicing journalism without official permission.

Workshop: Sectarianism in the Middle East – Think Tank

Sectarian conflict and polarisation has become a key feature of Middle East politics in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings of 2011. This workshop looked at some of the key drivers of this, such as the troubled legacy of foreign intervention, state failure, regional rivalries between Saudi Arabia, Iran and others, ruling strategies of authoritarian regimes as well as the spread of identity and sect-based political movements.

Opinion | Can the Saudi Crown Prince Transform the Kingdom?

In 1979, Saudi Arabia’s own indigenous radical Islam unleashed its full potential when a group of so-called Unitarians seized the Mecca mosque and took hostages in protest against the government’s corruption, relations with the West, Westernization and other grievances. The House of Saud realized the volatility of the state religion.

House of Saud on fire; Alkhalifa revoke nationality of more natives VOB.ORG

The House of Al Saud is on fire. Scores of its members are tasting the humiliation that their predecessors had inflicted on the rest of the population. The new dictator has been supported by the President Trump and Israelis to seek revenge on those Saudi senior and rich figures who lost favour in Washington and Tel Aviv.

Bleak GCC economic prospects, War on Bahrainis escalated by regime VOB.ORG

As the Saudi-led blockade on Qatar intensifies, bleak economic prospects have been predicted for the region. The International Monetary Fund warned in its Regional Economic Outlook released yesterday that if the crisis drags on, it will negatively impact mid-term growth prospects for the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Saudi women gain access to stadiums: More questions than answers

Saudi Arabia’s decision to allow women to attend sporting events in three of the country’s stadiums raises as many questions as it provide answers that go to the core of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms and the kingdom’s sports policy.

‘Five people put to death per week’: Saudi Arabia carries out 100th execution this year

Ultra-conservative Saudi Arabia has one of the world’s highest rates of execution, with suspects convicted of terrorism, homicide, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking facing the death penalty. A Saudi was executed in Riyadh on Monday bringing the number of people put to death in the kingdom so far this year to 100.

Bahraini Rights Critic Imprisoned for Yemen Tweets

This week Saudi Arabia and its allies in Geneva are blustering and threatening other countries to try to defeat a UN Human Rights Council resolution that would set up an independent investigation into war crimes by all parties – including the Saudi-led military coalition – in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia: Official Hate Speech Targets Minorities

Some Saudi state clerics and institutions incite hatred and discrimination against religious minorities, including the country’s Shia Muslim minority. This hate speech prolongs the systematic discrimination against the Shia minority and – at its worst – is employed by violent groups who attack them.

Read/download the HRW report here.
See the Youtube video here.