By Shehab Al Makahleh •    The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is experiencing a fundamental geopolitical transformation which has pushed both superpowers to get more involved in the affairs of the MENA region. The frequent visits of both American and Russian officials to the region reflect …

Rakiya Albaloot | September 9, 2017 Turkish president Erdoğan and his Iranian counterpart arrived on Saturday to the Kazakh capital to attend Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit scheduled to kick off on Sunday. According to official statements, the leaders will be discussing bilateral ties between their countries, …

Erdogan wants to join China-Russia bloc via Pakistan. By Zain Khan • The power bloc A power bloc may just be formed from the friendship between Ankara, Islamabad, Russia and China. As celebrations are ongoing for the 70 years of diplomatic ties between Turkey and Pakistan, the long economic relations …

By Peter Korzun • Despite differences over Syria and the Iranian nuclear deal, current Russia-Saudi Arabia relations are arguably at an apex, both in terms of shared interests and mutual understanding. It has just been announced that King of Saudi Arabia Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud will visit Russia in late October. …

Monday, 04 September 2017  Oil exporters such as Russia and Iran will soon be able to bypass the US dollar — and convert their yuan into gold The world’s top oil importer, China, is preparing to launch a crude oil futures contract denominated in Chinese yuan and convertible …

Shehab Al Makahleh  Special to Al Arabiya English | Monday, 4 September 2017  Jordan has expressed optimism over the reopening of its border crossing in southern Syria, with government spokesman Mohammed Momani affirming that relations between the two sides were “heading in the right direction”. Expressing satisfaction at increased …

Stana Dubajic • With the current US administration visibly divided over all major international issues, coupled with the fierce fight of the American political establishment to discredit Donald Trump’s presidency, and the diplomatic Cold War with Russia, the questions arise as to which Western country will replace Washington in the settlement …

On August 31, the US-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups of Jaysh Ahrar al-Ashayer and Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya released a Syrian pilot, Lieutenant Colonel Ali al-Helw and 30 Syrian soldiers. Al-Helw’s warplane, a Mig-23BN, crashed in the northern Suwayda countryside on August 15. Jaysh Usud al-Sharqiya captured the …

By Li Hui • The world is now casting its eyes on Xiamen, the coastal city in China’s Fujian Province, as it will host the ninth BRICS Summit themed “deepening the BRICS partnership and opening up a brighter future” in early September. “BRICS”, since its birth as a new concept, …