Middle East/North Africa
Turbulence ahead for the business climate in Turkey
The AKP interference in the private business sphere follows a heightened drive to reform the political system and move toward a presidential republic.
The wider ramifications of the EgyptAir crash
The crash of EgyptAir flight 804 underscores the elevated risks faced by the Egyptian tourist sector. It also highlights the heightened security concerns over potential terrorist attacks in European airports.
The Sykes-Picot agreement and its lasting implications
In 1916, France and the United Kingdom agreed to a partition of areas of influence in the Middle East. The Sykes-Picot continues to have far reaching implications a hundred years later.
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s Egypt is full of tensions and contradictions
At the core of Egypt’s paralysis is the paradoxical blend of Hosni Mubarak and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi politics that define the new system.
After Al-Naimi: Mirage and reality
Ali Al-Naimi’s dismissal marks a pivotal moment in the history of Saudi Arabia and global oil markets.
Could Iran be the key to disarming North Korea?
Iran and South Korea have unveiled a new series of agreements to expand cooperation on energy, trade, and infrastructure development. While the prospect for increasing future economic relations is a
Iraq’s deepening political dysfunction
The recent occupation of Baghdad’s Green Zone by followers of Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr highlights the country’s entrenched political deadlock, which poses a significant source of political and security risk
ISIS feeds on Iraq’s political instability and oil
Iraq needs to immediately accomplish major, comprehensive development projects in order to finally establish a stable and viable Iraqi state.
Syrian War Update: Risks Growing for Southern Turkey
A recent bombing in Gaziantep underscores the current elevated threat posed by the Islamic State to Turkey’s southern border provinces.
Egypt-Saudi islands deal comes amid structural economic issues
Protests against deal with Saudi Arabia over Tiran and Sanafir islands highlight structural economic issues and political tensions in Egypt.
