The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer

Bali governor puts Indonesia on the spot.

A refusal by the governor of Hindu-majority Bali to host an Israeli soccer team at this May’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup puts the Indonesian government, football association, and foremost Muslim civil society movement on the spot.

Arab plan for Syria puts US and Europe in a bind.

A push by Arab allies of the United States to bring Syria in from the cold highlights the limits of a Chinese-mediated rapprochement between the Middle East’s archrivals, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

China’s Saudi Iranian mediation spotlights flawed regional security policies.

A Chinese-mediated Saudi-Iranian reconciliation potentially casts a spotlight on fundamentally flawed security policies of regional powers, including not only the kingdom and Iran but also the United Arab Emirates.

Saudi sports blitz encounters headwinds.

Saudi Arabia's sports blitz is encountering headwinds.

Saudi Iranian détente potentially sparks paradigm shifts.

Chinese mediation between Saudi Arabia and Iran potentially signals paradigm shifts in Middle Eastern diplomacy and alliances.

Debates about Islamic reform loom larger as Ramadan approaches.

Reform of Islamic jurisprudence was the elephant in the room when two prominent Saudi clerics recently clashed publicly on whether apostasy was punishable with death under Islamic law.

The debate's timing on a Saudi state-controlled, artsy entertainment channel, Rotana Khalijiya, suggested as much.

Saudi crown prince balances on Saudi-US-Israeli-Iranian tightrope

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has become adept at walking tightropes.

Mr. Bin Salman's latest balancing act may be among his most challenging.

Iran upgrades perceptions of Saudi threat

If there is one place Saudi Arabia was happy to be low on the totem pole, it was Iran. Those days are over. Strategic thinkers in Tehran have upgraded their perception of the threat posed by the kingdom

Bahrain prosecutes religious reformers: traditionalists fight back.

Gulf autocrats are trying to squash calls for reform of Islamic law with three Bahraini men on trial.

A US trump card in Gulf geopolitics: capacity-enhancing security cooperation

If played well, security is the United States trump card in stabilizing relations with its Gulf partners and competing with China for regional influence.