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Saudi Arabia

Commentary
Fighting in Sudan Is Creating a Rift Among U.S. Security Partners
While the national security community often focuses on strategic competition between the United States and its near-peer adversaries, the conflict in Sudan is a good reminder that regional powers are also engaged in competition for influence and resources.
Jul 20, 2023
Report
A Targeted Industry Approach for Raising Quality Private-Sector Employment in Saudi Arabia
To help the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia develop its private sector and generate quality employment for Saudi citizens, the authors of this report assess the potential for Saudi Arabia to develop a specific industry: food manufacturing.
Jul 29, 2021
Commentary
Implementing Arab Gulf Reconciliation
As the Arab Gulf states prepare to engage with a new U.S. administration, their recent reconciliation announcement offers an opportunity to advance their interests as well as mutual interests with the United States. But the Gulf states' intent to end their feud will very likely not be sufficient unless the agreement is deepened through confidence-building measures and expanded by reaching a parallel understanding with Turkey.
Jan 27, 2021
Report
Could Yemen's Houthis Be the Next Hizballah?
Iran turns to sponsor-proxy relationships to expand its reach in the Middle East while minimizing the risk of inviting direct conflict. The Houthis give Iran reach into Yemen and the Red Sea, providing a means to harass its rival, Saudi Arabia. Will Iran further invest in the Houthis?
Jul 13, 2020
Commentary
Iran, the Unitary State
Current and future U.S. policy toward Iran must begin with the premise that the Islamic Republic is the sum of its parts and that to try to empower moderates or disempower hard-liners is naive. Rather, Washington should strive to deal with Iran as it is, not as Washington wishes it were.
Oct 18, 2019
Journal Article
Food Security in the Gulf Cooperation Council
This report characterizes food security in GCC countries, documents the strategies they have taken to facilitate domestic food production and imports, and considers these strategies under scenarios with high versus low risk of supply disruption.
Nov 28, 2018
Blog
Saudi Arabia, Border Troops, China's Military: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how to deter aggression abroad, examining the need for U.S. troops at the border, China's aerospace capabilities, and more.
Nov 23, 2018
Commentary
Could America Use Its Leverage to Alter the Saudis' Behavior?
As the Saudis' chief political and military partner and the undisputed security guarantor in the Middle East, the United States has considerable influence it can wield over Saudi decisionmaking. The Trump administration could consider using its influence to encourage Saudi leadership to moderate its assertive and damaging policies abroad.
Nov 15, 2018
Commentary
Is Major Realignment Taking Place in the Middle East?
The shifting alignments in the Middle East have intensified since the murder of the Saudi journalist Khashoggi in Istanbul. Turkey has drifted away from NATO and toward Iran and Russia. Like Tehran and Moscow, Ankara is now more anti-Western than at any point in recent memory. What does this mean for the United States?
Oct 31, 2018
Commentary
The Khashoggi Case and the Cost of Subcontracting U.S. Policy
Following the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the United States needs to, at minimum, return toward a distinctly American policy toward the Middle East, one which can be distinguished from that of its local partners.
Oct 23, 2018
Commentary
Expanding the ISIS Brand
Since its founding, the Islamic State has consistently expanded and contracted in order to achieve its objectives. To discern how ISIS might continue to expand, it makes sense to trace Al Qaeda's trajectory, which followed a similar pattern in the 2000s.
Feb 19, 2018
Commentary
Saudi Arabia and Iran May Be Headed Toward War
America should encourage Tehran and Riyadh to settle their differences, not facilitate aggressive Saudi action. Otherwise, the region will be plunged into an even bigger crisis—without an end in sight.
Nov 13, 2017
Commentary
Saudi Shakeup Gives the U.S. an Opening with Iran
If Saudi Arabia forces a showdown with Iran, the U.S. will find itself in the middle of it. Washington and Tehran need to come to an understanding so as not to further inflame the region. Demonizing Iran for all the ills of the Middle East is counterproductive and will lead to further escalation.
Nov 13, 2017
Commentary
King Salman and Putin Deals Leave the U.S. Out in the Cold
Riyadh plans to invest in Russian energy assets and possibly arms. The deals will lead to the manufacture of arms in Saudi Arabia and likely the transfer of military technology. These agreements thwart the U.S.- and EU-led sanctions regime and send an important signal to Washington.
Oct 4, 2017
Commentary
Female Drivers Can Put Saudis on Road to Enhanced Growth
Allowing women to get behind the wheel will likely lead to significant long-term changes in Saudi Arabia's economy and the participation of women in the labor force.
Sep 29, 2017
Commentary
State Competition, Not Sectarianism, Key Driver of Middle East Politics
Sectarianism is real and dangerous in the Middle East, but the region is more complicated. The next leaders in Iran and Saudi Arabia, under pressure from youthful populations and worsening economic challenges, may no longer see value in a costly sectarian agenda.
Aug 3, 2017
Commentary
Time for Quiet Diplomacy, Not Taking Sides
Disputes within the Gulf Cooperation Council are inevitable given differing threat perceptions and political interests, but there is no reason for the U.S. to pursue policies that aggravate the differences and risk fueling greater instability. Instead, Washington could assure both sides that it will support any agreement they reach.
Jun 7, 2017
Commentary
The Future of Sectarian Relations in the Middle East
Sectarianism is shaping developments across the Middle East. But sectarianism is only one lens for understanding the region's conflicts, and some of its drivers are amenable to policy interventions.
May 22, 2017
News Release
China Invests Warily in Middle East
China endeavors to protect its expanding interests in the Middle East by not taking sides in conflicts and controversies. The United States should encourage China to become more involved in efforts to improve regional stability while reassuring partners of its own commitment to the region.
Dec 5, 2016
Report
China Invests Warily in the Middle East
China endeavors to protect its expanding interests in the Middle East by not taking sides in conflicts and controversies. The United States should encourage China to get more involved in efforts to improve regional stability while reassuring partners of its own commitment to the region.
Dec 5, 2016

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