Iraqi Prime Minister Mustapha al-Kadhimi faces the same challenges that brought down his predecessor - street protests, a flagging economy and entrenched political elites. Numerous comentators are ready to write him off, and he is unlikely to overcome all of the country's problems before the next elections. However, given the political malaise in Baghdad, Kadhimi has a real chance of coming out ahead with a mandate for reform. This report is available in Arabic only. Its English version has been published by National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations.

This report examines Saudi Arabia’s current dual approach to reforming the education system. On the one hand, Riyadh is working to weed out extremist narratives directly by encouraging the religious establishment to adopt and promote a moderate interpretation of Islamic rhetoric. On the other hand, the government is working to introduce modern content to the curricula, such as science, philosophy, music, and Chinese language that will help the Kingdom to build a modern economy led by the private sector.   Under Vision 2030, reform of the education system was presented as the means of implementing economic reforms; this deliberat

This brief study provides a broad examination of the negative assessments of Saudi Arabia published by several authors intrigued to explore, but never patient enough to understand, adjudicate, and empathize with the Saudi people. While not exhaustive, the research aims to identify problems, evaluates various arguments presented by four writers, and assesses the new political realities that confront the Kingdom. The five books selected for evaluation, by Pascal Menoret, Christine Ockrent, Jonathan Rugman, and Ben Hubbard, represent a fair and representative collection. Because recent books concentrate on Heir Apparent Muhammad bin Salman and the killing of Jamal Kha

The military coup in Mali has provoked strong international and regional reactions. At home, however, he received a great public welcome.  This comment takes into account local, regional and international implications, stated [declared] positions, insults and parties involved in the process of change.

The study examines the opportunities and challenges that face a possible Saudi role in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It argues that while Saudi investments in Gwadar might be economically viable over the long-term, their real benefit lies in strengthening the Kingdom’s relationship with both China and Pakistan. Cooperation between the three states there has the potential to give rise to an Islamabad-Beijing-Riyadh triangle based on economic dynamics.

The commentary deals with fires and explosions in Iran that have expanded in recent times. It highlights serious and unprecedented events in Iran's recent history, exposing economic and political damage, as well as trying to understand what is happening in Iran and those entities that are behind these events and their future repercussions on Tehran's regional and international relationship, on one hand, and the future of the Iranian regime in light of the domestic and foreign crises and the policy of pressures and containment that Washington is exerting against it on the other hand.

The August 2020 African Follow-ups edition deals with a series of articles related to some of the political, economic, cultural and security developments taking place in the countries of the African continent.  In particular, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sudan, Mali, Senegal, Chad and Tanzania. The issue also includes a study on the role played by al-Azhar foundation in spreading education and moderate religious thought in Africa.

Based on a survey of more than 300 Saudi youths, this Commentary provides a ‘snapshot’ of current viewpoints and concerns of Saudi youth on their personal future, and specifically, their perceptions of the effect of the pandemic on their education.

The article is a study of the hardships faced by foreign merchants from the Arabian Gulf who travelled to China between the seventh and the thirteenth centuries (coinciding with the Tang and Song dynasties). It highlights the stories of both well-known and more obscure foreign merchants by relying on accounts primarily drawn from classical Chinese historical documents and the foreign travel literature. The discussion is thematically divided into five sub-topics, each focusing on a particular hardship that merchants had to contend with: the dangers at sea; the troubles from warlords and pirates; imperial monopolies, duty-levies, and prohibitions; the corruption of Chinese officialdom; and

This paper provides a detailed analysis of the motivations and ramifications of the assassination of the Hisham al-Hashemy, the expert on militant organizations. It reveals the importance of al-Hashemy’s work in exposing the activities of Iran’s allies in Iraq, which ultimately led them to silence him. It shows how his report on al-Hashd exposed the activities of the leadership of that organization towards undermining the Hashd factions loyal to Sistani, making al-Hashemy a threat to their existence. It elaborates on the response of the Iraqi government and show how their actions against the perpetrators will test the will and determination of the Iraqi Prime Ministe