Analysis

The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi caused global outrage and put the Saudi crown in a difficult diplomatic position vis-à-vis the international community. But the Arab and Muslim world have remained silent. Will this change with the outcome of the Khashoggi investigation? And what impact will it have on the kingdom’s reputation as the Custodian of the Muslim world’s holiest sites?

Despite intense frictions...

The war in Yemen continues, sustained by senseless conflicts, external support, and international interests. Promoting sectarian identities, and a variety of other identities, at the expense of a unifying national identity, is exacerbating the political quagmire — and will have lasting impact even after the Saudi-led intervention in the country ends.

After four consecutive terms as president of Algeria, at the age of 81, Abdelaziz Bouteflika is apparently poised to run for a fifth term in Spring 2019. Chronically ill and possibly not even in control of his own faculties, how will Bouteflika manage the affairs of the largest country in Africa for the next five years?

For years, Yemeni women activists have indirectly challenged the abuses of government and de facto authorities, regardless of their political affiliation. Women have uncovered the ugliness of politicians, demanded peaceful coexistence, and struggled to achieve justice for all, even though they are often victims themselves. Now they are on the front lines, demanding human rights.

Kuwaiti clerics have rejected the advent of 3D scanning booths and printers of memorial statues, and called on the government to shut them down for fear of “idol worship.”

Oil prices are affected by factors other than OPEC capping output, including: U.S. sanctions on Iran, crises in major oil producing countries, the U.S. trade war with China, and U.S. shale production, so is OPEC really ripping off everyone else?

The effectiveness of sectarianism as a tool for polarization in Iraq has declined after 15 years of the sectarian quota system. Recent elections reveal a deep gap between the public and the government, as well as a rejection of this destructive, sectarian path, but the seeds of conflict remain.

The terrorist attack on the Iranian city of Ahvaz in September may deepen the divide in the Middle East and have devastating implications for the proxy wars being fought in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. But the question remains: what does the attack, and its aftermath, reveal about the aspirations of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and the U.S. in the region?

Jordan could be a model for the future of humanitarian relief as solar power transforms the lives of thousands of Syrian refugees now living in Jordan.