Saudi Arabia

Covid-19 makes Saudis Largely Cancel Pilgrimage (Hajj), But Plagues and Sectarianism have Intervened Before

By Ken Chitwood | – Saudi Arabia has effectively canceled the hajj for most of the world’s Muslims, saying the obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca will be “very limited” this year due to the coronavirus. Only pilgrims residing in Saudi Arabia may attend the event, which begins in late July. Earlier this year, Saudi authorities had […]

Epidemics

Saudi Arabia ends Lockdown as Infections Surge: Is it on a Trumpian path to Disaster?

Brian Whitaker

(Al-Bab.com) – Saudi Arabia ended its coronavirus lockdown this morning despite record numbers of new infections during the past week. Lifting the lockdown brings an end to the night curfews first imposed in March. It also means mosques can reopen and all economic activity can resume, subject to precautions. This includes domestic tourism, though international […]

Israel

New Crusades? Conflict over Jerusalem is Heating up between Turkey and the budding Israeli-Saudi Bloc

Ahmed al-Burai

( Middle East Monitor) – Back in 2017, two Israeli advisors to the Jerusalem Municipality, David Koren and Ben Avrahami, shared their concerns about Turkey’s increasingly visible role in the Holy City. These two figures oversee all of the municipality’s interactions with Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem. They are fully aware of the fine details […]

Donald Trump

Chump: Before Trump fell for Antifa Conspiracy Theory, He Fell for Saudi Blockade of US Ally Qatar

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump produced widespread disgust on Tuesday by accusing a 75-year-old peace activist in Buffalo New York who was put in the emergency room by police of being an Antifa plant. It is a lie. The man is part of the pacifist Catholic Worker movement, there is no Antifa (anti-Fascist) organization […]

Arab World

Gulf Security in the Age of Covid-19: Webinar, Qatar University

Juan Cole

Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University Panel on Gulf Security in the Age of Covid-19

Authoritarianism

Is Trump Ally Saudi Arabia moving toward Tolerance or Fear?

Bill Law

( Middle East Monitor ) – 21 May marked UNESCO’s World Day for Cultural Diversity and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a heavy contributor of UNESCO, released a beautifully shot and edited one-minute video that concluded with the words: “Saudi Arabia’s diversity is a rich and evolving story.” The following day, Saudi media outlets released […]

Arms Sales

Did Trump fire State Dept. Inspector to Protect Shady Arms Deal with Saudi Arabia?

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The mystery deepens. Late last Friday, Trump summarily fired the State Department Inspector General, Steve Linick. While in US law as it now stands, the president has the power to fire pretty much anyone in the executive, if he fired Linick as an act of retaliation for one of Linick’s […]

al-Qaeda

How the Justice Department Accidentally Released the Name of Saudi Official Suspected of Helping the 9/11 Hijackers

ProPublica

By Tim Golden and Sebastian Rotella | – (ProPublica) – After an extraordinary, two-year battle to keep secret the name of a Saudi diplomat suspected of ties to the 9/11 plot, the Justice Department accidentally disclosed the man’s name in a court filing. The revelation of the Saudi official’s identity, in a federal court filing […]

Epidemics

In Age of Pandemic, is Mismanagement driving Saudi Arabia toward Bankruptcy?

Middle East Monitor

By Motasem A Dalloul | @abujomaaGaza | – ( Middle East Monitor ) – On 6 March, the OPEC+ cartel failed to agree on a cut in oil production in the light of reduced demand due to the coronavirus pandemic affecting almost every country in the world. All of this came in the middle of […]