Skip to main content

The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

Main navigation

Analysis
Experts
About
Support
Maps & Multimedia

Trending:

Great Power Competition
Proliferation

Turkey
Syria
Iran

Regions & Countries

Egypt
Gulf States
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Lebanon
Middle East
North Africa
Palestinians
Syria
Turkey

Issues

Arab & Islamic Politics
Arab-Israeli Relations
Democracy & Reform
Energy & Economics
Great Power Competition
Gulf & Energy Policy
Military & Security
Peace Process
Proliferation
Terrorism
U.S. Policy

TWI Arabic: اللغة العربية TWI Persian: فارسی Fikra Forum

Search Policy Analysis

Breadcrumb

Policy Analysis

Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

Filter by:

Keyword

Issue

Type

Bahrain’s National Charter and Political Reform in the Gulf

Bahraini Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa announced January 23 that a national referendum will be held February 14-15 on a National Charter, under which the lower house of a national assembly would be elected in 2004. Sheikh Hamads reformist moves are the latest example of a trend in the

The Gulf Cooperation Council Defense Pact:

An Exercise in Ambiguity

January 17 marks the tenth anniversary of the start of Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East, when U.S.-led forces began the liberation of Kuwait. In that operation, the militaries of the Gulf monarchies played a minor role. At their meeting in Bahrain at the end of December, the leaders

Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Washington Concerns about Saudi Oil

Saudi decision-makers would be well advised to examine what lies behind the deep U.S. concern about oil prices. America is more worried about a politically-motivated crisis than about the usual market manipulation, writes Patrick Clawson, director for research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The smaller part of

Patrick Clawson

Terrorism against the USS <em>Cole</em> and the Context in Yemen

Yemen embarked on a dramatic evolution after the 1990 merger of two remote, distinctly different, and conflict-ridden regimes (the former South Yemen and North Yemen). Unity has held, and Yemen is becoming more moderate and integrated into its region. However, a decade later the transition is incomplete. For the first

Saudi Family Council Suggests Transition Is Imminent

The surprise announcement on June 4 of the establishment and first meeting of a Saudi royal family council indicates that the kingdom is preparing itself for a shift in full authority from the ailing King Fahd to his deputy, Crown Prince Abdullah. The change should bring to an end the

Simon Henderson

The Oil Market, the Middle East, and Saudi Policy

Recently, Nawaf Obaid, author of The Washington Institute's recent book The Oil Kingdom at 100: Petroleum Policy Making in Saudi Arabia, and Edward Morse, executive adviser at the Hess Energy Trading Company, addressed the Institute's Special Policy Forum. The following is a rapporteur’s summary of their remarks. EDWARD MORSE The

Exceeding Expectations:

Bahrain One Year after Succession

March 6 marks the one-year anniversary of the succession of Shaykh Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa in Bahrain following the death of his father, Shaykh Isa Bin Salman al-Khalifa, who had ruled the Persian Gulf nation since independence in 1971. A Strategic Ally. Bahrain is an important ally in America's drive

Crucial Tests Await New Saudi Oil Council

This week the major oil companies are expected to announce big increases in profits, a reflection of the current high oil prices which last week soared to their highest level since the 1991 Gulf War. But apart from benefiting shareholders and helping fill the depleted financial coffers of Middle Eastern

Simon Henderson

In-Depth Reports

Holier Than Thou:

Saudi Arabia's Islamic Opposition

Although Saudi Arabia is popularly perceived as the most religious of Arab countries, the question of who in the kingdom determines its dominant Islamic discourse has been the subject of controversy since the state's founding. The formation of Saudi Arabia in the early twentieth century involved the unique harnessing of

In-Depth Reports

The Oil Kingdom at 100:

Petroleum Policymaking in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Succession:

The Return of King Fahd

King Fahd returned to Saudi Arabia last week after spending more than two months at his palace in southern Spain on what was described as a vacation. Because he is quite old and in poor health, Fahd is no longer the sole top decision maker of the world’s largest oil

Simon Henderson

Challenges to U.S. Access to Saudi Energy Investment

The U.S. Department of Commerce must rule by August 9 on whether a suit can proceed against Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Iraq, accusing them of selling oil in the U.S. market at an unfairly low price. The suit was filed with little fanfare in early July by a consortium

Saudi Arabia Releases Leading Islamists

Crown Prince Abdallah bin Abd al-Aziz, who has run the affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the ailing King Fahd since November 1995, released four of the country's leading Sunni radical fundamentalists on June 25; they had served nearly five years. The most well-known of them, Shaykhs Salman

Kuwait Elections:

A Referendum on Reform?

Kuwait is in a region characterized by contradictions and dichotomies between young and old, state and society, religion and politics, and national identity and globalization. The Kuwaiti experiment is part of a regional experiment, and what takes place there has an impact on the Arab world, particularly on the other

Shafeeq Ghabra

Saudis 'Tweak' Cabinet, Confirming Commitment to Reform

Yesterday's cabinet reshuffle in Saudi Arabia was another sign that the kingdom is going down a path toward a government that is more professional, more transparent, and more accountable. The cautious Saudis' penchant for slow steps can mask how much change is occurring. In some ways, the most important aspect

Saudi-Iranian Cooperation:

A Sign of Changing Relations among Large Oil Exporters

Yesterday, Prince Sultan, the Saudi second deputy prime minister and minister of defense and civil aviation, left Tehran after meetings with senior Iranian leaders, including Ayatollah 'Ali Khamene'i, President Muhammad Khatami, and Defense Minister 'Ali Shamkhani. The talks centered on ways to increase regional stability, the signing of a civil

Saudi Oil Politics

Recently, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) announced in Vienna its most substantial production cuts in years. But as important as this rare demonstration of solidarity -- and the resultant hike in long slumping oil prices -- is what the meeting reveals about the emerging Saudi-Iranian cooperation and

Saudi Arabia's Emerging Energy Policy:

The Role for U.S. Firms

Spurred by comments made by Crown Prince Abdullah during his October visit to the United States, U.S. oil firms have high hopes that they may be able to become more active in Saudi Arabia. Last week, Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson visited the kingdom to discuss the issue, with mixed

The 1999 Saudi Budget:

Reform in the Face of Acute Problems

The decline in world oil prices has hit Saudi Arabia hard. The benchmark Saudi crude, Arabian light, fell from $17 per barrel in 1997 to little more than $11 in 1998. Gross domestic product (GDP) declined in 1998 to about $125 billion. That translates into a per capita income of

Patrick Clawson

Israel, West Bank/Gaza, Jordan, and Kuwait:

A Middle East Trip Report

ROBERT SATLOFF The Peace Process: President Clinton's visit is generating Palestinian euphoria and Israeli ambivalence. The huge strategic gain for the Palestinians -- de facto U.S. recognition of the legitimacy of their aspirations to statehood -- is the product of a studied campaign by PA Chairman Yasir Arafat to do

Robert Satloff

Pagination

Previous page
First page
…
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Current page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Last page
Next page

Supported by the

Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy

The Washington Institute's Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy embodies the Institute's long-term research focus on the conservative Arab Gulf states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman -- and the key role these countries play collectively as a primary source of the world's oil and natural gas.

Sign Up for Email Updates from The Washington Institute

Never miss a breaking event on U.S. policy interests in the Middle East. Customize your subscription to our expert analysis, op-eds, live events, and special reports.

Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt

Michael Eisenstadt

Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.

Simon Henderson

Simon Henderson

Simon Henderson is the Baker fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf.

Michael Knights

Michael Knights

Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf states. He is a co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.

1111 19th Street NW - Suite 500
Washington D.C. 20036
Tel: 202-452-0650
Fax: 202-223-5364

Footer contact links

Contact
Press Room
Subscribe

The Washington Institute seeks to advance a balanced and realistic understanding of American interests in the Middle East and to promote the policies that secure them.

The Institute is a 501(c)3 organization; all donations are tax-deductible.

Footer quick links

About TWI
Support the Institute

Social media

The Washington Institute on Facebook
The Washington Institute on Twitter
The Washington Institute on YouTube
The Washington Institute on Soundcloud

© 2023 All rights reserved.

Footer

Employment
Privacy Policy
Rights & Permissions