On the page below you will find a selection of articles from the GSN archive.
Please note that while some of the content is free to access, all items preceded by a padlock symbol (
) require a subscription.
2010 Saudi Arabia archive
2009 Saudi Arabia archive
2008 Saudi Arabia archive
2006-2007 Saudi Arabia archive
2004-2005 Saudi Arabia archive
2003 and earlier Saudi Arabia archives
Return to main GSN's World Saudi Arabia page
Select another country
| 2009 Archives – Saudi Arabia |
Copenhagen tests Saudi Arabia’s resistance to climate change
For long a staunch opponent of the climate change agenda, Saudi Arabia’s resistance to a new deal on the environment will be put to the test as representatives of 190 countries hammer out an agreement on global energy policy in Copenhagen.
Issue 868, 18 December 2009. more
Crown Prince Sultan: Back in the Kingdom
Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz has returned home after an absence of more than a year. The heir apparent arrived in Riyadh on 11 December, accompanied by his full brother, Riyadh governor Prince Salman, who has been with Sultan throughout his treatment and convalescence.
Issue 868, 18 December 2009. more
Crown Prince Sultan: Due back
Assistant defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan has said that his father, Crown Prince Sultan, is in “excellent health” and will return home “after a few weeks”.
Issue 867, 4 December 2009. more
Project financiers look towards Jubail package
An estimated $8bn financing package appears to be lining up for the $12.8bn Jubail oil refinery project, a joint venture between state run Saudi Aramco and Total.
Issue 867, 4 December 2009. more
Succession remains a critical issue in a system based on age and genealogy
Since coming to power, King Abdullah has moved to formalise the succession, but the issue is always rife with speculation – much of which recently has focused on Prince Nayef and the growing role of the grandchildren’s generation, writes Eleanor Gillespie
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
No great leap forward, but King Abdullah remains committed to reform
Abdullah has proved sympathetic to reformists and the emergence of a more tolerant kingdom, promoting national dialogue and seeking to protect vulnerable Saudis. But there are clear limits to this process, imposed by the king’s age and by conservative perceptions that still drive policy
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
Increasingly confident Saudi Arabia will continue to set GCC agenda
After many years of regional spats and petty differences, the Kingdom has emerged as an assertive regional player willing to put aside local issues to present a united front, particularly over the bothersome Iran
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
Creeping state failure in Yemen draws Kingdom into stewardship role
Riyadh’s close relationship with Sanaa means it cannot avoid the fall-out from a collapsed Yemeni state
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
The Kingdom steers an uncomfortable course in the GCC
Saudi Arabia is the heavyweight of the six Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states, but it doesn’t get things all its own way.
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
Cross-border jihadist networks rejuvenated
The movement of weapons and personnel from Yemen into Saudi Arabia – and the attempted assassination of Prince Mohammed Bin Nayef – point to an increased terrorist threat in the Kingdom. The use of suicide vests and a growing expatriate presence makes another attack likely, and the authorities and foreign companies are on high alert
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
House of Saud dictates strategy, the technocrats do the rest
Despite oil minister Ali Al-Naimi’s advancing years, observers see no obvious candidate for his position but agree it will not be an Al-Saud, Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
Scandals take toll but spark greater transparency
The conduct of Saudi Arabia’s family-owned firms is provoking a cultural shift in the way business is done and caused regulatory authorities to tighten rules on disclosure, writes Kevin Godier
Issue 866, Saudi special, 2 December 2009. Download the PDF
King Abdullah meets with French president Nicolas Sarkozy, reshuffles Supreme Economic Council
French president Nicolas Sarkozy arrived in Riyadh on 17 November for a brief official visit. He spent one night at King Abdullah’s desert ranch outside Riyadh before taking part in talks. Before leaving for the Kingdom, Sarkozy warned of an extremist backlash if Middle East peace talks do not commence soon.
Issue 865, 20 November 2009. more
Khalid Bin Sultan: Yemen crisis, foreign meetings
Assistant defence minister Prince Khalid Bin Sultan has increasingly been in the international press over the Yemen crisis. In mid-November, he said that Saudi Arabia would continue its offensive against Yemeni rebels unless they retreated from the border.
Issue 865, 20 November 2009. more
Ongoing Yemen conflict draws Kingdom’s attention to the south
Risk Management Report. Issue 865, 20 November 2009. more
New position for Mansour Bin Mitab
On 2 November, King Abdullah appointed Prince Mansour Bin Mitab Bin Abdelaziz Al-Saud as municipal and rural affairs minister.
Issue 864, November 2009. more
Salman Bin Abdelaziz: To Geneva
Riyadh governor Prince Salman Bin Abdelaziz has visited his brother, Allegiance Commission chairman Prince Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz, in Geneva
Issue 864, November 2009. more
Sara Bint Talal: Not a rebel
Princess Sara Bint Talal, a sister of billionaire investor Alwaleed Bin Talal, has been profiled on the saudiwave.com website. Sara said she often accompanied her father, Prince Talal, who is a Unesco special envoy, on his humanitarian trips. She said she considers herself a “people’s princess” and aims to serve the people “without discrimination”.
Issue 864, November 2009. more
Ailing Al-Bayaa head Mishaal in Geneva
Following rumours last month that Prince Mishaal Bin Abdelaziz may have suffered a stroke, the Allegiance Commission (Al-Hayat Al-Bayaa) chairman is in Geneva for health care.
Issue 863, 23 October 2009. more
Assassination attempt improves Mohammed Bin Nayef’s fortunes
Regional attention is focusing on the assistant interior minister as a serious contender for the Saudi throne following his narrow escape from a terrorist attack, writes Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi
Issue 863, 23 October 2009. more
Saudi royal sues Transocean over contract
Al-Khobar-based company Soroof International alleges offshore drilling giant induced it to divulge valuable proprietary and confidential information and trade secrets
Issue 863, 23 October 2009. more
Syria rapprochement
King Abdullah made a landmark two-day visit to Syria in early October for talks with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.
Issue 863, 23 October 2009. more
Alarm over Saudi debt restructurings as ‘willingness to repay’ becomes an issue for foreign investors
Moral hazard is now perceived as a growing factor in dealings with the GCC after a troubled Saudi group recently excluded all but Saudi creditors from an agreement to repay syndicated and bilateral loans
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
Also see Issue 862, 9 October 2009. Use of l/cs increasing, says HSBC executive
Terrorist financing challenges remain, says GAO
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
Saudi princes join other Gulf players in bid for Premier League kudos
It was the (literally) hands-on experience of the French-Algerian goalkeeper turned literary icon Albert Camus that caused him to observe: “After many years in which the world has afforded me many experiences, what I know most surely in the long run about morality and obligations, I owe to football.” In the harsh environment of arguably the world’s most high-profile sporting contest, the morality and obligations of a growing number of Gulf royals and businessmen are being tested in the English Premier League.
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
Early death
Prince Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Nawaf Al-Saud, the 26-year-old son of the Saudi ambassador to London, has died after a sudden heart attack in the United States.
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
PetroSaudi in Malaysia deal
PetroSaudi International, which belongs to Prince Turki Bin Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz, and Malaysian state-owned Malaysia Development Berhad have said they will establish a $2.5bn partnership to invest in oil, gas and real estate projects.
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
Fahd widow court case
British newspapers have reported that Janan Harb, a divorced widow of King Fahd, is to bring another court case against the Al-Saud family, this time for allegedly breaching a contract to pay £12m for her agreement to retract damaging allegations about Fahd.
Issue 862, 9 October 2009. more
Nayef’s rise up the Al-Saud pecking order adds to the complexity of Saudi relations with the UAE
The elevation of Prince Nayef to second deputy premier has been closely observed in the UAE, where the veteran Saudi interior minister is regarded as being party to bilateral disputes since the foundation of the federation, writes Sultan Sooud Al-Qassemi*
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Saudi rumour mill continues to churn
King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz has stepped up the pressure on ailing Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz to reconsider his position as heir to the throne.
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Suicide bomb attack on Mohammed Bin Nayef underlines renewed terror threat in Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom is on high alert after the audacious assassination attempt during Ramadan – the first recorded Al-Qaeda attack on a Saudi royal in recent times – and the security focus is on the border with Yemen
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Pattern of Saudi terrorism in 2009
The past eight months have been unusually busy for counter-terrorism in Saudi Arabia, which has been on a raised level of alert since the increase in terrorist attacks in Yemen in Q1 08.
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
New counter-terrorism department
Interior Minister Prince Nayef Bin Abdelaziz has said the Kingdom will soon open a special department for combating terrorism.
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Mohammed Al-Faisal emerges as a voice in the anti-jihadist campaign
Among the most vocal princes in articulating Saudi anti-terrorism policy has been prominent businessman Prince Mohammed Al-Faisal
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Al-Bazie appointed deputy finance minister
Dr Hamad Bin Suleiman Al-Bazie is the new deputy finance minister. He has worked at the Finance Ministry since 1999, and before that held a prominent academic position in the Kingdom.
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Speculation rife over cause of Saudi Arabia’s gradual turn to Moscow
Alarm bells have sounded over reports that Saudi Arabia is preparing to sign an unprecedented $2bn arms deal with Russia. Saudi defence procurement is usually the domain of the United States, Britain and France – leading observers to speculate that a geopolitical shift is under way. This might also involve shifting attitudes towards Iran, with Riyadh offering Moscow juicy contracts if it cools relations with Tehran.
Issue 861, 25 September 2009. more
Minorities policy falls victim to Al-Saud dynastic rivalries as princes vie for power
Tough judicial and security interventions undermine King Abdullah’s overtures to Shias and Ismailis as Prince Nayef and his allies grow more assertive
Issue 860, 11 September 2009. more
Saudi financier’s death brings era of ‘Golden Chain’ conspiracy theories to a close
Khalid Bin Salim Bin Mahfouz (KBM), who died aged 60 in late August, deserved a page in history for turning National Commercial Bank (NCB ) into the Kingdom’s largest bank. But it was rather his notoriety in the West, following his involvement in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI ) scandal and subsequent accusations of terrorist funding, that merited the Saudi banker a prominent obituary in The New York Times.
Issue 860, 11 September 2009. more
Risk Management Report
Economy forecast to contract before 2010 recovery; Sultan still expected home
Issue 860, 11 September 2009. more
Princes: Reappointment to senior jobs
The service of Prince Badr Bin Mohammed Bin Abdullah as Al-Ahsa governor has been extended for another four years. His family, the Al-Jiluwi, have been prominent in Sharqiya (Eastern Province) for decades.
Issue 860, 11 September 2009. more
Bandar ‘out of favour’ over alleged freelance contacts with disaffected military
Controversy over the whereabouts of former Saudi ambassador to the United States Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdelaziz has been reignited by comments made on Iran’s Al-Alam TV by the exiled Islamist oppositionist Saad Al-Fagih. In comments picked up by some other regional media, Al-Fagih alleged that the former envoy was confined to his home because of “contacts” with officers in the Saudi Arabian National Guard (SANG) and Royal Guard. It has not been possible to verify the claims but in a 5 August interview with GSN Fagih was insistent they had veracity.
Issue 859, 7 August 2009. more
Political caution accompanies social reform as King Abdullah keeps establishment on side
The King is overseeing a programme of cautious change, but is reluctant to ease the family hold on real power or alienate powerful religious interests. It takes fine political judgment to bolster the position of his Shammar branch of the family without provoking a rift with the Sudeiris and other powerful factions.
Issue 858, 24 July 2009. more
Also see Issue 858, 24 July 2009. As princes praise patriarch, protocol points to current Al-Saud pecking order
Kingdom pursues controversial rail contract
French transport and energy company Alstom is continuing to work on the rail project linking Mecca and Medina, despite a request from the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cancel the $1.8bn contract. The PA wants Riyadh to cancel the deal because Alstom is building a $610m light rail network in occupied East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians hope will become its capital in any future state.
Issue 858, 24 July 2009. more
Defence procurement boom
Securocrat’s nervousness at a deteriorating regional security situation was highlighted by reports that Saudi Arabia may place an order for extra Typhoon warplanes from BAE Systems.
Issue 857, 10 July 2009. more
Saudis pick EADS as Miksa border security partner
IEADS has begun detailed planning and co-ordination work in Riyadh after winning the contract to equip Saudi Arabia with electronic security and management systems for 9,000km of land and maritime frontier. The European defence and aeronautics group company told GSN it would be recruiting hundreds of staff – the majority of them Saudis – to joins its contract implementation team, which will be headquartered in Riyadh, where it already has 50 staff.
Issue 857, 10 July 2009. more
King Abdullah’s governor son will feel pressure as land promise raises Najrani hopes
Mishal Bin Abdullah has stepped into one of the Kingdom’s most sensitive domestic government positions, facing expectations and suspicions.
Issue 855, 12 June 2009. more
Defaults and ratings downgrades point to deep problems for major Saudi investors
The authorities remain confident that it’s all just a blip, but with some previously well-regarded companies defaulting on payments, the impact of the credit crunch is being felt in Saudi Arabia. The shock downgrading or removal of Al-Gosaibi and Maan Al-Sanea’s ratings has rattled bankers and investors across the region.
Issue 855, 12 June 2009. more
Crown Prince Sultan: Plenty of visitors but no news
Second Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Prince Nayef flew to Morocco on 4 June to visit his full brother Crown Prince Sultan. Accompanying him were senior princes Khalid Bin Abdullah, Khalid Bin Fahd Bin Khalid and Khalid Bin Saad Bin Fahd, all of the Al-Abdelrahman branch, Faisal Bin Saud Bin Mohammed, Sattam Bin Saud Bin Abdelaziz, Mohammed Bin Faisal Bin Saud, Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Musaid, and Nayef’s grandson Abdelaziz Bin Saud.
Issue 855, 12 June 2009. more
Abdullah woos the UAE after central bank spat highlights lack of trust in the GCC
Rarely do GCC disputes get more public, and it will take more than warm words from Riyadh to win back the Al-Nahyan into the currency union fold. For Abu Dhabi, bank location is the deal-breaker.
Issue 854, 29 May 2009. more
Businesswomen ‘restricted by conservative views’, princess
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s much-criticised circular informing Saudi businesswomen of the need to appoint a male general manager is not the law, “but [it is] what is happening in Saudi Arabia”, Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal Bin Abdelaziz told GSN. The issue came to the fore after Aliya Banja closed her IT company 2 The Point in protest at the directive (GSN 853/15).
Issue 854, 29 May 2009. more
Risk management report
GSN Risk Grade — C/2: Kingdom postpones municipal elections, King Abdullah gives interviews
Issue 854, 29 May 2009. more
Sunni cleric opposes Shia entry to Ulemaa council
Sheikh Adil Al-Kalbani, appointed last year as imam of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, has bluntly dismissed calls for the admission of Shiite scholars to the Supreme Council of Ulemaa. With a jarring directness that can hardly have pleased King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz, Al-Kalbani used an interview with the BBC’s new Arabic satellite TV channel to dismiss Shia clerics as “heretics”.
Issue 853, 15 May 2009. more
Choosing Riyadh as a base shows GCC commitment to monetary union
Saudi Arabia, after all, is to house the planned Gulf Co-operation Council central bank. Following the 11th GCC consultative summit, held in the Kingdom on 5 May, the GCC’s outgoing secretary-general Abdelrahman Al-Attiyah announced that Riyadh would be the new joint monetary council’s base; this institution will eventually evolve into the GCC central bank. Significant challenges remain before achieving this goal, but the move at least suggested that Saudi Arabia was committed to playing a role akin to Euro-pioneer Germany, the European Union’s largest economy, in providing the foundations for a major new regional currency.
Issue 853, 15 May 2009. more
Refinery to kick-start PF deals
The Jubail export refinery is scheduled to hit the financing market in June, “but will probably come a little later,” a leading regional project finance banker, who wished not to be identified, told GSN. The Jubail facility was estimated initially to cost a massive $12bn, but Saudi Aramco is seeking a reduction to below $10bn for the proposed 400,000 b/d refinery, being developed in joint venture with French oil major Total.
Issue 852, 1 May 2009. more
Questions about AQAP’s return as Saudi arrests point to ambitious jihadist plans
Eleven alleged Al-Qaeda fighters arrested just north of the Yemeni border in early April were experienced jihadists who carried with them the components for a staggering 35 suicide vests. This raises the alarming prospect that jihadist activity may be poised to burst out again, with this group emerging as the tip of the iceberg as Saudi security forces set to work investigating their ties in the search for a suspected network of safe houses and arms caches.
Issue 851, 17 April 2009. more
Security veteran Nayef is the coming man, but not yet an assured successor in Saudi Arabia
Promotion to become second deputy PM is a key step towards a throne the interior minister has long coveted, but reports that, with Crown Prince Sultan ailing, Prince Nayef is the anointed successor seem premature as King Abdullah’s true intentions remain unclear.
Issue 851, 17 April 2009. more
Risk management report
GSN Risk Grade —C/2: Riyadh pushes for Arab unity in face of regional splits and Iranian influence
Issue 849, 13 March 2009. more
Messages of tolerance and modernisation from Abdullah’s reshuffle, but sectarian tensions persist
It will take more than a reshuffle to resolve the deep-seated contradictory pressures within Saudi Arabian politics and society. Even so, King Abdullah’s recent personnel changes send a powerful signal at a time of renewed succession concerns.
Issue 848, 27 February 2009. more
Also see Issue 848, 27 February 2009. The Saudi reshuffle: who’s in and who’s out at the top of the Kingdom
Miqrin Bin Abdelaziz: To Syria and Taliban talks
General Intelligence head Prince Miqrin Bin Abdelaziz in mid-February held talks with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, which some analysts saw as the beginning of a potential thaw in Saudi/Syrian relations. They reportedly agreed to mend fences at January’s regional summit in Kuwait.
Issue 848, 27 February 2009. more
Project finance report: Gulf markets start rebuilding process
GCC-based bankers are piecing together simpler project finance structures to work their way around the decimation of international debt capacity in the past few months. Market players canvassed by GSN agreed that the Saudi market had emerged in far better shape than other regional economies.
Issue 847, 13 February 2009. more
Economy faces slow growth
Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency governor Hamad Saud Al-Sayari has said the Kingdom’s economy is not in recession and that the central bank will do what is necessary for the domestic economy. Al-Sayari said he was not concerned about the interbank market, although oil prices were “very low” and this year would be challenging for the global economy.
Issue 846, 30 January 2009. more
Special report
Gulf companies buy into African energy assets
Issue 846, 30 January 2009. Saudis buy into Mauritania; Saudis look to North African projects
Saudi succession issues surface once more as Sultan rests after US medical trip
Reports of his imminent death again seem premature, but with Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdelaziz resting in Morocco after further medical tests in the United States, Saudi sources report that King Abdullah has privately suggested that members of the Allegiance Council (Al-Hayaat Al-Bayaa) start to consider possible candidates for a new heir apparent. King Abdullah is said to have advised family members to reflect on the qualities of at least two sons of the Kingdom’s founder Abdelaziz Ibn Saud, Municipal Affairs Minister Prince Mitaeb and General Intelligence Directorate head Prince Miqrin, plus a third unnamed contender, as possible replacements, should Sultan prove unable to continue (GSN 842/4).
Issue 845, 16 January 2009. more
Also see Issue 848, 27 February 2009: CP Sultan goes back to America; Issue 842, 5 December 2008: Succession manoeuvres with Sultan in US for tests; Issue 829, 16 May 2008: As Sultan convalesces, it’s time for a Saudi generational rethink; Issue 828, 2 May 2008: Sultan health fears add impetus to Saudi elite politicking
Saudi princess speaks out on domestic violence
King Abdullah’s increasingly high-profile daughter Princess Adila has spoken about family violence in the Kingdom (GSN 841/6). She is deputy chairperson of the National Family Safety Programme, and speaking at an event to mark the signing of a MoU between two Saudi organisations, said that the negative picture of human rights in the Kingdom cannot be denied.
Issue 845, 16 January 2009. more
TOP
| 2008 Archives – Saudi Arabia |
Risk management report
GSN Risk Grade — C/2: Abdullah promotes tolerance, stability but social & succession concerns persist
Issue 843, 19 December 2008. more
Terrorist and gun crime jitters as Hajj approaches
As Saudi security forces in Makkah and Medina remain busy preparing for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, securocrats continue to fret at the possibility of a major anti-western attack in Riyadh or Eastern Province. Memories of the recent interrupted reconnaissance of the Jedawal compound in Riyadh are fresh and no arrests were made after the would-be attackers escaped (GSN 839/6). The newest state of alert began on 9 November when the Petroleum Ministry distributed a threat warning concerning intelligence that a suspected vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) was being sought in the Kingdom. As GSN has argued before, the ministry has been somewhat shrill in its release of warnings throughout the past two years, particularly from its Eastern Province security headquarters.
Issue 842, 5 December 2008. more
Saudi clerical leaders bend with Abdullah’s tolerance agenda
In parallel to an SR9bn ($2.4bn) upgrade of school facilities and teaching methods under the banner of the King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz Project for Developing Public Education (Tatweer), the Saudi Ministry of Education (MoE) is tackling the ideological roots of jihadist activity. MoE officials have confirmed that school pupils will be denied access to supposedly extremist works by or about Muslim Brotherhood founder Sayyid Qutub, and it appears that also on the list of literature banned from the classroom is a key work by Mohammed Ibn Abdelwahab, who developed the Kingdom’s officially adopted strand of Islam. Abdelwahab’s Kitab At Tawheed and Al-Faj Hul Majeed written by his grandson are reportedly no longer made available in Saudi schools. The banned Qutb texts are The Lies about Sayyid Qutb and The Jihad in the Way of God.
Issue 842, 5 December 2008. more
Risk management report
GSN Risk Grade — B+/2+: King Abdullah promises to maintain stable oil markets and boost the economy
Issue 841, 21 November 2008. more
Saudi foreign policy: Obama will find a self-confident Kingdom that states its terms
In little over three years of rule, King Abdullah’s Saudi Arabia has steadily gained in diplomatic confidence. It’s not just because of its wealth that Riyadh is now a major destination on the foreign policy map for international leaders. Saudi Arabia has emerged as a partner that knows its own mind, able to forge policy that is in line with the government’s view of national self-interest but which also pushes a positive global and regional agenda.
Issue 840, 7 November 2008.
more
Dancing in the streets as Mishaal is removed from Najran
Spontaneous celebrations began in Najran as news broke that hard-line governor Prince Mishaal Bin Saud Bin Abdelaziz had been removed by King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz after years of discrimination against the local Ismaili community.
Issue 840, 7 November 2008. more
Also see Issue 851, 17 April 2009: Mishal Bin Abdallah: Appointed Najran governor
Saudi authorities foil Riyadh attack cell, as jihadists are shipped back from Iraq
The ‘hard stop’ armed takedown of a vehicle at a government checkpoint – a regular occurrence in 2004-05 – has become so rare that the unsuccessful 14 October attempt to stop a suspected terrorist vehicle in Eastern Riyadh was big news. The authorities seem to have the jihadist challenge under control, but Yemeni-based militants still pose a threat, as does potential ‘blow-back’ from Iraq.
Issue 839, 24 October 2008. more
Old style sponsorship to go as Saudis move to overhaul an outmoded labour regime
Domestic human rights campaigns and international pressure have combined to persuade an increasingly image-conscious government down the path of a reform that has social and economic implications for the whole region.
Issue 837, 29 September 2008.more
Plight of Najran’s Ismailis captures international attention
The sustained discrimination meted out to the Saudi Ismaili population concentrated in Najran province – frequently reported by opposition sources over recent years – has been chronicled in detail by the internationally respected advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW). In a new report based on more than 150 interviews and reviews of official documents, HRW’s 90-page study describes how the Sulaimani Ismailis – who adhere to a distinct branch of Shiism – have continued to endure employment discrimination and severe constraints on their social and religious freedom.
Issue 837, 29 September 2008. more
Also see Issue 831, 13 June 2008: Saudi Ismailis under pressure, Issue 789, 15 September 2006: Najran sees Ismaeli resentments bubble, Issue 700, 20 December 2002: Saudis Soften On Treatment Of Najran Ismailis; Issue 636, 15 May 2000: Ismaili unrest in Southwest Saudi Arabia
Fog of rumour surrounds failed bid to extend Saudi faction’s influence
Obtaining details and confirmations remains as problematic as ever, but some sources are talking about upheavals in the Saudi military/security establishment linked to continuing dynastic struggles in the Kingdom. According to one version of events, as many as 150 middle-ranking and junior Saudi Arabian National Guard (Sang) officers face the risk of court martial after commanders loyal to King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz – for decades head of the organisation – uncovered attempts to construct a secret network of guard members patronised by a senior prince.
Issue 836, 15 September 2008. more
Abdullah concerned to build consensus as Al-Saud leaders edge further towards reform
The King is sticking to a reform path, having reinforced his control over family and government power structures, but the pace of change remains cautious and even with the Kingdom awash with liquidity major challenges remain for the Saudi leadership. GSN examines the direction of Abdullah’s rule some three years after the respected elder statesman took over the top job.
Issue 835, 1 September 2008. more
Saudi spin doctors bank arrests, hyping up Arabia’s textbook terrorist threat
Saudi officials are again spinning stories about new terrorist arrests and the extent of the threat, but security is still an issue, and further attempts to target the oil sector cannot be discounted from the residual terrorist threat. Minister of Interior spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki’s 25 June statement that 701 counter-terrorist arrests had been made over the last six months was the latest in a series of announcements through which the MoI has talked up the threat to Saudi Arabia, stretching the truth here and there to prevent complacency – and budget cuts – setting in.
Issue 833, 11 July 2008. more (Also see Issue 826, 4 April 2008: Smoke without fire? Saudis issue new terrorist warnings but the jury is out)
Interfaith programme gets off to cautious start
The challenges facing King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz’s efforts to promote dialogue with other faiths abroad and develop a more tolerant religious climate at home have been highlighted by the interfaith Muslim conference just held in Makkah. Attendance was dominated by conservative Sunni clerics closely aligned with the strict officially endorsed Wahhabi strand of Islam.
Issue 831, 13 June 2008. more
With French deal, Abdallah’s National Guard strengthens its status as the ‘second Saudi army’
It has long been accepted that there are two militaries in the Kingdom: the Ministry of Defence and Aviation (Moda)’s Royal Saudi Land Forces (RSLF) and its sister services for air and sea; and the Saudi Arabian National Guard (Sang). Their roles were initially distinct; Moda dealt with external defence and Sang was positioned for internal discontent and rebellion. The differences have become more blurred, with Sang increasingly capable of taking on all comers, foreign and domestic. Sang’s evolution into a conventional military force has been a slow-burning development, but even so, its recent decision to vie for a major purchase of between 60 and 80 French self-propelled artillery systems is a big deal.
Issue 829, 16 May 2008. more
Aramco bids for regional trading hub status
Imbued by its growing market strength, senior Saudi Aramco figures have been engaging in a bout of blue sky thinking about ways of making more capital out of the burgeoning hydrocarbons sector – with ambitions for increased activity as a regional player, as well as maintaining the parastatal’s traditional Saudi focus.
Issue 829, 16 May 2008.more (Also see Issue 828, 2 May 2008: Oil output expansion will slow as Saudis go on the defensive)
Saudi interest in US vessels sends warning to European defence industry
The US Navy has been pushing hard to secure GCC buyers for its littoral combat ships, putting down a marker of its intentions to get into Saudi and other regional markets that traditional European suppliers cannot ignore.
Issue 824, 29 February 2008. more
Imposing discipline abroad, King sets Saudi foreign policy line
King Abdullah Bin Abdelaziz has imposed his direct personal control over foreign policy, with the close support of his trusted Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, according to senior official sources in Riyadh. National Security Council chief and former Washington ambassador Prince Bandar Al-Sultan has seen his scope to engage in freewheeling personal diplomacy sharply reined in, although he remains an envoy trusted with high-level missions – to convey the King’s views to Tehran and other key capitals.
Issue 823, 15 February 2008. more
Jihadists get a comfortably padded re-education cell
Confronted with the persistent challenge of indigenous jihadism, Saudi Arabia has built five new prisons designed to provide suitable conditions for official programmes that seek to draw captured militants away from the ideology of violence and back into an acceptance of traditional authority structures. The size of the new establishments, each equipped with 1,200 places, indicates the scale of the problem that the Saudi authorities believe they face.
Issue 823, 15 February 2008. more
Saudi women: will an end to the driving ban herald a wider breakthrough?
The opening weeks of 2008 have brought a flurry of rumours and announcements signalling important advances in the rights of the Kingdom’s female citizens. It is surely no coincidence that Saudi Arabia has recently been the subject of a major UN review of the position of women.
Issue 822, 1 February 2008. more
2010 Saudi Arabia archive
2009 Saudi Arabia archive
2008 Saudi Arabia archive
2006-2007 Saudi Arabia archive
2004-2005 Saudi Arabia archive
2003 and earlier Saudi Arabia archives
Return to main GSN's World Saudi Arabia page
Select another country
