Introduction
This Opinion was first published on Al-Monitor.com on June 28, 2012
What are the limits of free speech and open dissent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? They are often unclear and seemingly arbitrary, but there is no doubt that Dr. Mohammad al-Qahtani, a professor and activist, went well beyond them, and he knew it. He was hardly surprised when Saudi prosecutors, finally fed up with his vociferous denunciations of the regime, hit him with a long list of criminal charges. He had predicted it, and in the context of Saudi Arabia, he was asking for it.
This Opinion first appeared in Al-Monitor on June 16, 2012
The death Saturday (June 16) of Saudi Crown Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz is likely to have little short-term impact on the economic or political life of the kingdom or on its international relations. But it does accelerate the inevitable transition to a new generation of rulers who may have very different ideas about how the al-Saud should rule their people, deal with their neighbors and manage the critical relationship with the United States.
Originally posted February 2011
This special edition of MEI Viewpoints offers snapshots of sports and the Middle East.
The Middle East Institute is pleased to host poet, writer and activist Nimah Nawwab for a conversation about Saudi women in an era of unprecedented change in the Middle East. Despite the many advances of the Arab Spring, the region continues to face mounting social, political, and economic challenges. In Nawwab's native Saudi Arabia, these challenges form the basis for her art and activism.
Podcast for Saudi Women in a Time of Change, 26 April, 2012
Podcast for Saudi Women in a Time of Change, 26 April, 2012
Podcast for Saudi Women in a Time of Change, 26 April, 2012
Podcast for Saudi Women in a Time of Change, 26 April, 2012
This infographic explains one facet of the argument posed in MEI Scholar Zubair Iqbal‘s recent article The Economic Determinants of Arab Democratization, posted March 13.
Click the image to enlarge
The Russian government, like its counterparts in the West, the Middle East, and elsewhere, was caught off guard by the outburst of Arab uprisings beginning in January 2011 that swept away long-ruling authoritarian regimes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and (it appears) Yemen, and have threatened to topple those in Bahrain and Syria. The response of the Russian government to these events has, like that of Western governments, often been confused and inconsistent. Just as Western governments have done, Moscow has sought to protect its interests in the region.
Originally posted August 2011