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The political hydraulics of OPEC

Tom HundleyApril 13, 2010 06:15Updated May 30, 2010 13:28
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — OPEC is a maddeningly opaque outfit; its public pronouncements frequently seem carefully crafted to conceal its private calculations. The 12-member cartel controls about one-third of the world’s daily oil supply — not quite enough to give it absolute control over the price per barrel, but enough to allow it to consistently manipulate the price to its advantage.

Opinion: A right to lampoon Arab leaders

Justin D. MartinApril 9, 2010 06:53Updated May 30, 2010 13:28
CAIRO, Egypt — Every Arab country in the Middle East and North Africa has laws or policies criminalizing speech that questions or offends the head of state, according to data from Freedom House and Reporters Without Borders. By the time young journalists in Arab countries tackle their first reporting assignment, they’re well aware of this admonition: Don’t touch the folks at the top.

Saudi arrests militants planning attacks

March 24, 2010 14:56Updated May 30, 2010 13:26
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Underscoring Al Qaeda’s continuing threat to the world’s largest oil producer, Saudi officials announced today that in recent months they had arrested 113 alleged extremists, including six apparently preparing for suicide attacks on the kingdom’s vital oil installations. The arrests included a network of 101 people, including 47 Saudis and 51 foreigners, as well as two alleged suicide bombing cells of six men each.

Aid to Yemen: money well spent?

March 4, 2010 07:33Updated May 30, 2010 13:22
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Yemen’s new profile on the international radar screen as an imperiled state — and potential sanctuary for Al Qaeda — has recently brought it more money and military support from allies like the United States and Saudi Arabia. These benefits are intended to help President Ali Abdullah Saleh better cope with his many internal problems, which are threatening to turn Yemen into a failed national enterprise.

StreetLife: Jerusalem — This place is a zoo

Sara Sorcher and Matt Beynon ReesFebruary 10, 2010 08:15Updated May 30, 2010 13:20

Saudi women revel in online lives

February 4, 2010 07:34Updated May 30, 2010 13:20
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Ashwaq’s father had heard the scary stories about men using the internet to seduce young, impressionable girls. So when his three daughters asked permission to go online, the answer was an emphatic "no." But the girls persisted and he eventually relented — a bit. They each could spend a half hour a day browsing the web.

Obama struggles to meet high expectations in the Middle East

January 20, 2010 17:57Updated May 30, 2010 13:19
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — President Barack Obama’s Middle East policies have achieved little so far and increasingly appear similar to those of the Bush administration, generating widespread disappointment in the region, according to Arab and U.S. analysts. The disillusionment is not universal, and some Arab policymakers express hope that the one-year-old Obama administration will eventually succeed where previous U.S. presidents have failed, especially in the pivotal issue of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Where making movies is making trouble

December 3, 2009 07:55Updated May 30, 2010 13:15
JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — For six months, movie-lover Mamdouh Salem devoted his waking hours to what he affectionately calls his “child.” He recruited sponsors, arranged advertising, rented hotel rooms, organized workshops and sent out invitations to scores of young filmmakers, directors and fans for the fourth annual Jeddah Film Festival.

Eid Al Adha in Riyadh

November 27, 2009 08:25
This morning, I looked out my window and saw a goat. Actually, four goats. Today is Eid al Adha, or Feast of the Sacrifice. One of Islam’s two major religious holidays, it is celebrated by Muslims around the world. The major ritual of this holiday involves slaughtering a goat or a sheep or a camel to commemorate Prophet Abraham’s obedience to God after he was divinely ordered to sacrifice his son. The ritual also recalls the mercy of God, who provided Abraham, known in Arabic as Ibrahim, with a ram to sacrifice instead of his son.

Analysis: What is behind Saudi offensive in Yemen

November 14, 2009 17:50Updated May 30, 2010 13:13
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Saudi Arabia’s ongoing military offensive against rebels in neighboring Yemen — the first time its armed forces have gone into combat in almost 20 years — underscores Riyadh’s deep concern about Yemen’s crumbling internal stability, and the possibility that Iran will exploit the turmoil to spread its influence.
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