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James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, a syndicated columnist and the author of the blog, The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.
Comment: Saudi Arabia's hardline religious conservatives have traditionally thwarted the quest for knowledge in astronomy because it threatens their long-standing status, writes James M. Dorsey.
Comment: Bangladesh is enlisting Saudi Arabia's help to help counter militant Islam, but the Gulf kingdom has yet to end to its own multiple ultra-conservative practices, writes James M. Dorsey.
Comment: Saudi Arabia's proposed channel separating it from Qatar sends a message of polarisation and division, rather than regional cooperation, writes James Dorsey.
Comment: If Mohammed bin Salman continues to whitewash his family's role, whip former allies into subservience and suppress expressions of dissent, his reforms will be unsuccessful, writes James Dorsey.
Comment: Saudi Arabia and Iran are extending their bitter rivalry beyond the Middle East, into the Caucasus, writes James Dorsey.
Comment: These protests will likely strengthen hardline conservative factions within Iran, which Saudi and US foreign policy may seek to exploit, writes James Dorsey.
China's massive investments in its neighbourhood and the world are being used to shape the political environment in key countries in its authoritarian mould, says James M. Dorsey
Saudi Arabia's plans for nuclear power have been in part influenced by arch-rival Iran's drive to enrich uranium, which setts a dangerous precedent for the region, writes James M. Dorsey.
Comment: Saudi Arabia's decision to ban the Qatar-based International Union of Muslim Scholars has sparked political controversy in Malaysia, Tunisia and beyond, writes James M. Dorsey.
Comment: Saudi Arabia's recent political purge will place extra pressure on the country's media during a time of frenzied discussion over the country's future, writes James M. Dorsey.
Comment: Women in Saudi Arabia will be allowed to drive, but the male guardianship that subjects women to the will of their menfolk remains in place, writes James M. Dorsey.
With attention in the Middle East focused on the Gulf crisis, the United Arab Emirates is elsewhere seeking to reshape the region in ways that could alter its power dynamics
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