As the year draws to a close, the Persian Gulf region as a critical component of the wider Middle East remains in the throes of certain shifts towards relative stability and potential conflict. Relations between …
Articles by: "Amin Saikal"
As the world grapples with global warming and seeks to reduce emissions to net zero over the next three decades, oil-producing states are set to maximise earnings from their black gold before it loses its …
The Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan and their theocratic dispositions have once again put the spotlight on the different brands of Islam that have come to feature in the Muslim world. The Taliban claim …
The Sudanese crisis is an epitome of the ongoing struggle between the forces of authoritarianism and those of pro-democracy change that has come to feature in many states of the Arab world for more than …
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week ordered the expulsion from Turkey of ambassadors of 10 Western countries, including NATO allies such as the United States, for meddling in Turkey’s internal affairs. The envoys had issued …
The Afghanistan debacle has shaken many of America’s allies around the world, making them wonder about the US’s reliability as a partner. In the Middle East, it has led some Arab allies to reassess their …
The diplomatic tug-of-war between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States over restoration of the Iran nuclear agreement (officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) seems almost perennial. The …
The Afghanistan fiasco has already touched off regional rivalries. The small but oil-rich State of Qatar and allied Republic of Turkey were the first off the rank, joining forces to assist the Taliban and their …
I never thought I would witness two historic events: the president of the United States requesting cooperation from an erstwhile terrorist enemy, and the commemoration of America’s victims of 9/11 against the backdrop of victory …
President Joe Biden declared on 8 July that the US withdrawal from Afghanistan would be a responsible one, the Taliban would not be able to conquer the country, and America’s departure from Kabul would not …
It is so tragic to see Afghanistan drowning in long-term structural instability and insecurity, savaged by bloody conflict, Covid-19, poor governance and poverty—and betrayed by outside actors. The population is bitterly traumatised, with little hope …
The Middle East is one of the driest regions in the world. The scarcity of water has often been touted as a source of national and interstate disputes in the area. Some scholars have predicted …