
Riyadh is trying to appease the incoming Biden administration, but U.S. concerns with its nuclear program and regional behavior will continue to drive rifts.
Riyadh is trying to appease the incoming Biden administration, but U.S. concerns with its nuclear program and regional behavior will continue to drive rifts.
In this episode of the Essential Geopolitics podcast, Emily Donahue speaks to Emily Hawthorne, a Middle East and North Africa analyst for Stratfor and RANE, about warming relations between Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Without an uptick in private sector activity, Riyadh’s spending cuts will raise the risk of social unrest.
An upcoming meeting with the Trump administration could result in Riyadh softening its Qatar blockade, which Biden has expressed concerns about.
Internal disputes among the world’s oil producers next year could leave the global market oversupplied and prices relatively low.
Increased U.S. scrutiny under Biden will complicate Riyadh’s ability to exit the conflict without jeopardizing all of its gains.
By Ryan Bohl
A deeper defense relationship could help Riyadh and Israel counter Iran in proxy theaters such as Syria, Yemen and Iraq.
Reducing restrictions on foreign workers won’t loosen Saudi citizens’ hold on key positions in the kingdom’s economy.
Saudi media commentary on Sudan’s new normalization deal suggests Riyadh is trying to prepare its citizens for the formalizing of their country’s own ties with Israel.
Declining oil revenue could fundamentally reshape Saudis’ lifestyles and political attitudes by forcing the kingdom to make deeper cuts to social programs.
By Ryan Bohl