Why Bin Salman cannot abandon his alliance with UAE

Given events in Yemen and the UAE’s clear undermining of Saudi Arabia’s fundamental ally (the internationally recognised government under Hadi), one would assume that Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman is having deep reconsiderations over his relationship with Abu Dhabi and Mohamed Bin Zayed. In August, the King himself Salman Bin AbdulAziz reportedly openly expressed irritation with the UAE in …

Saudi foreign policy is anything but mad

Mohamed Bin Salman has made a splash since he was handed the reins of control from his father King Salman. The kingdom has since entered into a war with the Houthis in Yemen, engaged heavily as a partner in constructing the ‘Deal of the Century’, announced ambitious reforms in NEOM and Vision 2030, imprisoned a whole swathe of influential social …

Mohamed Bin Salman is not Washington’s choice

Mohamed Bin Salman (also known as ‘MBS’) secured another milestone in his meteoric rise by successfully engineering his appointment as Crown Prince, removing one of the last bastions of power that stood in his quest to become King. In incredible circumstances, Saudi Arabia announced that the once powerful Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Nayef would step down in favour of his …

Saudi Arabian Economy Braces for Foreign Domination

On Tuesday, the Saudi cabinet agreed to allow 100% foreign ownership of companies in the retail and wholesale industry. The wording of the announcement was careful; ‘only in retail and wholesale’, suggesting a limitation on foreign ownership when in fact, the industries in which foreign ownership has been permitted are some of the most lucrative. The retail industry thrives off …