Middle East

Shehab Al-Makahleh Few days ago, Qatar signed an agreement with Turkey to establish a naval base which will include a training center for maritime patrols and monitoring. In addition, 60,000 Turkish soldiers will be deployed across four military bases abroad in accordance with a new 2022 military plan set by …

By Ali Mohammed al-Rakaf “NEOM is a dreamland for whomever may possess the ability and fortitude to innovate for all mankind.” With these simple words, a new era was ushered in the Arabian Peninsula at the official launch of NEOM by Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi …

Maria Al Makahleh (Dubovikova) and Shehab Al Makahleh US President Donald Trump will host Gulf leaders separately in a bid to pave the way for American-Gulf summit scheduled for next spring, albeit in May in Camp David. This year’s meeting is different than those in previous years as almost …

Maria Dubovikova and Shehab Al-Makahleh It is significant for a Syrian opposition member to take a photo with a top American official. When the US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson held a meeting in Jordan’s capital, Amman, with the head of the Syrian Negotiations Commission, Nasr al-Hariri, and an accompanying …

Shehab Al-Makahleh Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, deputy premier and minister of defense’s visit to the US is very indicative at this time as it is the first for him as crown prince and it paves the way for proceeding ahead with economic plans in pursuance …

By Shehab Al Makahleh On March 18, Russians will go through the process of (re)electing their president Vladimir Putin for a fourth term as recent polls forecast. This foreseeable victory is not only affecting Russia but rather the world including the Middle East region which is close geographically …

By Giorgio Cafiero & Shehab Al Makahleh This month’s news about the United Kingdom’s (UK) consideration of a permanent military base in Kuwait at the Gulf state’s request marked an important development in London’s return East of Suez strategy. Although the idea is not new, ongoing developments in the …

By Shehab Al Makahleh The Middle East has entered the nuclear age. The existing strategic equilibrium in the Middle East is shifting as the region seeks a new balance, an equipoise which has been in perpetual flux over the past 30 years. The Arab-Israeli and the Iranian-Arab conventional …

By Shehab Al Makahleh The moment his plane landed in Moscow on February 15, Russian media broadcast the king while saying: “I am always very delighted and warmed by the opportunity to see my dear brother, President Putin, as a friend, a dear friend of his as well …