Op-ed

Shehab Al-Makahleh Saudi Arabia’s King Salman will head an official delegation on October 4-7, 2017 to have meetings with Russian president Vladimir Putin and senior government officials, the first ever visit by a Saudi King to Moscow since the foundation of the Kingdom. The visit, which has been …

OPINION Shehab Al-Makahleh • Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to meet Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on September 28, 2017. The two leaders are expected to dovetail their positions over regional issues before Turkish Special Forces get the nod to intervene in Idlib, the last stronghold …

Shehab Al Makahleh • Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Ankara, before he headed to Berlin and Paris on his way to New York for the United Nations General Assembly meetings, sent several political signals and messages. One of the messages was directed toward Qatari …

Shehab Al Makahleh • The question whether Turkey would reopen its embassy in Damascus in the near future has become significant for many analysts due to the multiple messages that such a move would send to various regional and international powers. It has been confirmed by the Turkish side …

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 …

by Shehab Al-Makahleh | Published August 25th, 2017  | Foreign Policy Association • As heavy fighting in the city of Hama reminds us of the seemingly endless misery in Syria, a hopeful breakthrough has been overlooked in the media: Syrian opposition forces met in Jordan for two days to …

By Shehab Al Makahleh • A meeting on August 7 between King Abdullah of Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas established a joint crisis committee to follow up the Israeli violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and evaluate the past and expected Israeli violations in Jerusalem. This committee’s significance is …

Shehab Al-Makahleh and Maria Dubovikova The future of Syria is now being decided in Amman after the withdrawal of Syrian armed opposition troops from neighborhoods near the Jordanian-Syrian border, leaving the crossing point of Naseeb under the control of the Syria Arab Army (SAA). The fate of Syria, and importantly …

By Shehab Al-Makahleh •  Seeing Iraq regain stability serves as a source of panic for some in the region. Iraq’s influential Shia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, paid an unexpected visit to Saudi Arabia on July 28 and 29, where he met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman and other senior officials. …