Middle East

Iran’s drones are a buzzing menace for Saudi Arabia

By Ilan Zalayat

The small but sophisticated Iranian-made armed drones have undercut the security balance in the Gulf region and the Arabian Peninsula over the past few years, ushering in a novel asymmetrical menace.

Iranians give ‘Squid Game’ the green light

By Holly Dagres

With "Squid Game" becoming a global phenomenon, it’s no surprise that it’s also gaining popularity in Iran. But the Iranian fascination with the show comes at a time when Iran and South Korea are having their own drama.

Ahmad in The Wall Street Journal: How Pakistan won in Afghanistan

"For decades Islamabad played a double game, hosting the Taliban while posing as a US partner," writes Javid Ahmad in the Wall Street Journal.

North Africa 2030: What the future holds for the region

By Frederick Kempe, Giampiero Massolo, Yahia Zoubir, Abdelkader Abderrahmane, Pietro Gagliardi, Guillaume Biganzoli, Aldo Liga, Nader Kabbani, Nejla Ben Mimoune, Hannah Abdullah, Karim Elgendy, Shlomo Roiter Jesner, Jay Mens, Armando Sanguini, Karim Mezran, and Alissa Pavia

In the last decade, several events redefined North Africa’s heterogeneous character and identity. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the beginning of the Arab spring, but most of the root causes fueling the unrest remain unaddressed.

Building growth: The future of MENA’s construction sector

By Atlantic Council

In Season 2, Episode 5 of empowerME Conversations podcast, host and Atlantic Council empowerME Director Amjad Ahmad speaks with Consolidated Contractors Company (CCC) Chairman Samer Khoury about the future of the construction industry, how companies can partner with and support startups, policies needed to boost the region’s economic growth, and ways to improve the talent pipeline and bring more women into the workforce.

Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation benefits the UAE too

By Omar Al-Ubaydli

While many commentators have been keen to interpret Saudi Arabia’s attempts to transform Riyadh into the Middle East’s economic capital as a threat to the economic interests of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a more nuanced analysis suggests something akin to a rising tide that will lift all boats.

Global Sanctions Dashboard: Halloween edition

By Julia Friedlander, Michael Albanese and Castellum.AI

US’s evolving approach to cryptocurrencies, Pandora Papers; sanctions against Iran, Myanmar, and Russian authorities in Crimea.