Saudi Arabia’s concentration of political, economic and security authority has accelerated major reforms. But it has also made strategic setbacks more closely associated with the crown prince, raising questions about institutional oversight...
Saudi Arabia is spending billions on futuristic cities, international sporting events and global investment projects. But mounting fiscal pressures and human rights concerns raise a more fundamental question: can the kingdom modernise its image...
Saudi oil exports are recovering and crude prices remain high. But record shipping costs, insurance risks and disrupted export routes are changing the economics of the Saudi barrel — forcing Aramco to offer Asian buyers its deepest discount in six...
The non-oil economy is bigger than ever. But with GDP contracting, the deficit approaching SAR 191 billion, debt rising and foreign investment weakening, Saudi Arabia is confronting a harder question: can the new economy finance the state when oil...
There are moments that reveal the nature of an entire relationship more clearly than dozens of summits, defence agreements and diplomatic statements. The reported sight of American aircraft being prepared for strikes against the Houthis, only for...
Eleven years after Saudi Arabia went to war in Yemen to prevent the Houthis from becoming a permanent threat on its border, Riyadh is asking four countries for air-defence support while Washington refuses to fight its war. The kingdom spent billions...
The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh was supposed to represent the polished face of modern Saudi luxury: marble interiors, chandeliers and suites designed for presidents, royalty and wealthy visitors. Nearly nine years after the hotel became the centre of...
Saudi Arabia’s PIF spent more than $5 billion building a rival capable of disrupting global golf. Four years later, LIV Golf has filed for Chapter 11 — and the sovereign wealth fund is providing just $49.6 million to finance its restructuring. Four...
NEOM University did not need a formal cancellation announcement. According to Times Higher Education, something quieter appears to have happened: the name disappeared, senior figures left, detailed references to the university were removed from...
A reported €6 billion Saudi investment could create 22,000 jobs in France. Behind the headline — and the story of Mohammed bin Salman and Emmanuel Macron’s shared enthusiasm for Dragon Ball Z — lies a more serious question about how Saudi sovereign...