As Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman makes his cross-country tour of the United States this week, debate on the relevance of U.S.-Saudi ties, the feasibility of Saudi social reform, and the legitimacy of U.S. support for military engagement in Yemen may dominate the news cycle. But Americans should also be concerned with the stability of the Saudi economy, considering how closely its trajectory may be linked to that of the U.S. economy. Saudi Arabia and the United States are linked by investment ties, energy markets, and a shared interest in the stability of the global economy.
On March 19, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MbS) will begin his first visit to the United States as presumptive heir to the throne. The extensive trip is scheduled to run through April 8 and involve visits to multiple cities. The crown prince will be aware of the need to polish his image in the United States since concerns regarding the recent corruption crackdown and detention of prominent Saudis, the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, and other issues could impact diplomacy and investment.
Given the military stalemate on the ground in Yemen, it may be that the next meaningful battle in that war is about to be fought on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Perhaps as early as Tuesday, March 20, just about the time Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will be meeting with senior administration officials in Washington, the Senate may vote on S.J.Res.54, which calls for “the removal of U.S. armed forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress.”
OPEC may need to maintain crude oil supplies at current lower levels for longer than planned, as surging U.S. shale oil dominates global oil markets for the next several years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The historic OPEC and non-OPEC cooperation pact to lower production targets has provided a strong foundation for a reversal of fortunes in global oil markets since the end of 2016, with surplus global inventories sharply contracting and oil prices 25 percent higher than a year ago. However, as widely expected, the recovery in oil markets paved the way for sharp growth in U.S. shale oil production, the latest data from the IEA’s 2018 annual medium-term outlook show.
التعديلات التي أعلنها الرئيس دونالد ترامب في بنية فريقيه الديبلوماسي والاستخباراتي قبل أيام، بما فيها إقالة وزير الخارجية ريكس تيلرسون وتعيين مدير وكالة الاستخبارات المركزية مايك بومبيو مكانه، والتغييرات الجديدة المتوقع الإعلان عنها في الأسابيع المقبلة، سوف يكون لها تأثيرا ملحوظا، وربما جذريا، على مجمل سياسات ومصالح واشنطن في الشرق الأوسط، وتحديدا مستقبل الاتفاق النووي مع إيران، واحتمال اتخاذ مواقف وإجراءات متشددة أكثر في التصدي لنشاطات طهران والميليشيات التابعة لها والمعادية لواشنطن وحلفائها في اليمن والعراق وسوريا ولبنان.
In addition to original content, AGSIW.org in Arabic is regularly updated with new Arabic translations of AGSIW's analysis. Recent translations include:
On March 14, AGSIW hosted a conversation with Seamus Hughes, deputy director of the Program on Extremism at the George Washington University and Maqsoud Kruse, executive director of Hedayah, discussing strategies for countering violent extremism around the globe. Since the Obama administration unveiled Countering Violent Extremism as a national paradigm for fighting terrorism in 2011, countries and civil society groups around the world have increasingly embraced the concept as an essential component of any response to the threats posed by extremists.
On March 16, AGSIW hosted a delegation from the United Arab Emirates National Defense College. The discussion focused on U.S. diplomacy in the Middle East, the state of the global economy, U.S. efforts to combat illicit financing in the Gulf, and the state of the media in the United States.
The Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington is pleased to announce that Taimur Khan has joined the institute as a non-resident fellow. Khan is a journalist who has written extensively on the contemporary politics of the Gulf Arab states and Pakistan. He covered U.S. Middle East policy from Washington and New York for The National newspaper, and more recently reported for the paper on the region as a Gulf-based correspondent. His work has appeared in Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, World Policy Journal, Al Jazeera America, Men’s Journal, Critical Muslim, GQ.com, New York Magazine, and Devex. Executive Vice President Stephen A. Seche welcomed Khan to AGSIW: “His experience as a journalist has honed his skills both as a writer and an analyst, and we are confident that his expertise will enrich both our publications and our programs going forward.”
Speaking with The National, Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young commented on U.S.-Saudi economic relations ahead of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the United States. Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish discussed the crown prince's visit and U.S.-Saudi relations with Kuwait News Agency and Haaretz.
Bernard Haykel, board member at AGSIW, and Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young spoke on a panel on the current state of affairs in Saudi Arabia at the University of Pennsylvania.
