NASER ALMESHARI WRITES – China’s success in brokering the Saudi Arabia-Iran peace treaty signifies the possibility of its expanding role in the Middle East. Beijing’s initiative in mediating the discussion between the two conflicting countries marks its first significant attempt at establishing a prominent position in the region. China successfully…
Full Article MIDDLE EAST STABILITY: DOES CHINA PLAY A SMARTER GAME?
ANYA CHINAPPI WRITES – On Friday, Mar. 10, after seven years of tension, Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by China. The agreement was reached in Beijing after four days of previously undisclosed talks between the rival countries. With the current strain in…
Full Article CHINA: A DARING DIPLOMATIC DEEP DIVE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
MOHAMMED ALKANDARI WRITES – We celebrate the Saudi Arabian National team’s biggest upset in World Cup history in its extraordinary 2-1 triumph over Lionel Messi’s Argentina in their first match-day of the World Cup. The world’s bookies had Argentina as heavy favorites, and Saudi Arabia as all but certain losers…
Full Article WORLD CUP 2022: THE SOARING FLIGHT OF THE GREEN FALCONS
ABDULLAH AL HAJERI WRITES – A vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation-these are the three pillars of Saudi Arabia’s mapped-out expansion of its 2030 Vision, a vision increasingly under world scrutiny. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman’s 2030 vision, which includes reduced carbon…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA’S ‘VISION 2030’: A PROMISE GETTING CLOSER
RYAN BYRNE WRITES – The June kick off of the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-backed LIV Golf Tour has torn the golf world apart. Some have derided the tour, and the players who defected to it, for being bankrolled by a nation with a poor human rights record, while others…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: IS RIYADH’S GOLF MOVE ONE BIG SAND TRAP?
AHMAD ALSADHAN WRITES — The World Expo, held every five years for a duration of six months, is an event that gathers nations into one venue as a way of presenting solutions to current global challenges. Expo 2020, which was postponed by the pandemic, is currently being hosted by Dubai,…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: WILL THIS BE THE HOST COUNTRY FOR EXPO 2030?
MILES WHITTINGHAM WRITES — In October 2021, the majority of the well-known English Premier League club Newcastle United was purchased by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. The move has been met with widespread skepticism by fans and executives alike. This isn’t the first time that something like this…
Full Article ANOTHER SAUDI TAKEOVER IN ENGLISH SOCCER: IS THERE A REASON FOR CONCERN?
ABEER ABUNAYYAN WRITES — In 2018, Prince Mohammed bin Salman lifted the ban on theaters that had been in place for 35 years. The ban had originally been in place due to social pressure from conservative Islamists to limit public entertainment, particularly theaters that had mixing between men and women. However,…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: WINNING TICKET FOR FILM INDUSTRY
ABDULAZIZ ALABDULRAZZAQ WRITES – The persistent decline in oil prices has led many oil-producing countries to think of ways to reinvent their economies. Saudi Arabia is one of them, with its Vision 2030, first introduced in 2016. Vision 2030 will be built on three pillars: a vibrant society, a thriving economy…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: TOILING TO ESCAPE A FUTURE BOUND BY OIL
LORI DEMIRJIAN WRITES- For the first time, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is allowing 49 countries, including the US, entry for non-religious tourism purposes with the use of a new e-Visa program. In the past, Saudi Arabia only issued visas for religious pilgrimage and business purposes. This reform is one…
Full Article Saudi Arabia: A PROUD MUSLIM COUNTRY ALWAYS, BUT OPENING THE DOOR WIDER THAN EVER
ANNALISA DEL VECCHIO WRITES – It could well become the most noticed new archaeological site in the world. Imagine an open air museum, a tourist site and a display of ancient history rolled into one. This is the future Al-Ula, a project that France and Saudi Arabia agreed jointly to develop last year. Al-Ula, an archaeological site located about 1100 kilometers from Riyadh, will contain ancient cultural artifacts dating back a thousand years, towering sandstone mountains and a lush oasis…
Full Article Saudi Arabia: TRANSFORMING THE SANDS OF HISTORY INTO A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
DHARI ALDURAIBI WRITES – When people talk about Saudi Arabia, they often focus on the country’s conservative elements, such as restrictions on women’s rights and the ongoing military campaign in Yemen. Now, though, a series of political, social, and economic reforms aimed at liberalizing the Saudi economy and society are…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: WHY THE FUTURE MAY COME TO BE NAMED ‘NEOM’
By Asia Media Staff — Rapper Nicki Minaj is a humanitarian. Did you know that? She didn’t, until recently. After “careful reflection,” Minaj told the Associated Press, she has pulled out of her much anticipated headline appearance at the Jeddah World Fest in Saudi Arabia July 18. “While I want…
Full Article Saudi Arabia: Nicki Minaj’s Rap Against Appearing at the Jeddah World Fest
NAWAF AL SABAH WRITES– Islam, soon to become the most followed religion worldwide, currently second to Christianity, garners some of the most devout followers. Muslims are committed to daily prayers (salat) on schedule. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, Muslims are mandated to close businesses during prayer time. Unfortunately, this practice…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: How Closing Doors during Prayers is Costing Saudi Arabia
NAWAF Al-SABAH WRITES– Rahaf Al-Qunun captured international attention at the beginning of the year as she sought to escape her allegedly abusive family. Rahaf, who is Arabian, barricaded herself in a Bangkok airport hotel room to prevent Thai authorities from deporting her. She had been detained at the Bangkok airport…
Full Article SAUDI ARABIA: The Unending Labyrinth of Male Guardianship
MARGARET RAY WRITES– Rumors that Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, intends to buy Premier League football club Manchester United were quelled by the Kingdom’s Media Minister, Turki Al-Shabanah, who stated on Monday that the rumors were “completely false.” “Manchester United held a meeting with the Public Investment Fund…
Full Article DUBAI: Rumors of Manchester United Buyout Denied by Saudi Arabia