One of the interesting debates that emerged over the last few years in Washington revolved around whether the Islamic Republic of Iran could be a natural partner for the United States in the Middle East. Some argued that Iran was opposed to the Taliban in Afghanistan and was also fighting ISIS in Ir
Syrian opposition forces have captured the village of Dabiq from ISIS, forcing the jihadist group from a stronghold, the factions said Sunday morning. The group’s propaganda had promised an apocalyptic fight for the northern Syrian town, citing Islamic lore that it would be the scene of a majo
I read an interview with Oman’s Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi in the Okaz newspaper and prior to that I watched his interview on Russia Today. The two interviews raise many questions about Oman’s policy. For those who do not understand it, Oman is an ambiguous country. However, the foundati
You dash into the supermarket for a few necessities. You figure it will be 10 minutes — tops — before you are done and on your way home. Then you get to the checkout lanes and they are brimming with shoppers. Your plan for a quick exit begins to evaporate. But all is not lost. […]
SEOUL- When South Korean officials talk about the growing nuclear challenge from North Korea, they use red-alert phrases such as “existential threat,” “imminent danger” and “dagger at the throat.” They want Americans to understand that this long-running story of brinkmanship has entered a new phase.
Riyadh- Syria’s High Negotiations Committee (HNC), based in Riyadh, revealed that it will be moving along with many world countries to push for enacting the ‘uniting for peace’ resolution as of Monday. Over a hundred countries will be contributing to the initiative, with 11 European countries meetin
Khobar- Former OPEC analyst says that arriving to a swift agreement between oil giants on production is expected to be a far-reach. But Brent is expected to reach an internationally settled rate ranging $40-$50 per barrel. Dr. Hasan M. Qabazard, former Director of OPEC’s Research Division(2006-2013)
Riyadh- Arun Kumar, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, told Asharq al-Awsat that “Saudi Arabia is the biggest commercial partner of the U.S. in the Middle East,” describing the relations between the two countries as solid. “U.S.-Saudi relations are based on several important and diverse factors s
Ankara – The Investment Support and Promotion Agency of Turkey (ISPAT) is drafting a comprehensive report on major investment opportunities that are available to Saudi Aramco in Turkey, in the fields of energy and petroleum refining. ISPAT Advisor Dr. Mustafa Goksu said that Saudi Aramco has r
Baghdad- While Iraqis show willingness to liberate the second biggest city Mosul and Ninawa Province which means getting rid of ISIS direct occupation of Iraqi cities and territories since more than two years, other active parties in this battle (Americans, Turks and Iranians) have interrelated inte
New York – Saudi Arabia said that the National Transformation Program 2020 would strengthen the role and status of women in the Saudi society, stressing that equal access to education and training was a key element to enable women to contribute fully and equally in the country’s development. A
Brussels- Belgium’s Verviers has gained massive popularity among the media, for two years now it has embarked on a full-on mission to combat extremist ideology. The city of 55,000 residents has now risen to the challenge and competes with Brussels’ efforts for combating the spread of ultra-hardline
Beirut – A new round of international-regional deliberations on Syria have failed to reach concrete solutions on means to end the bloodshed, while an Arab-Turkish initiative has put forward some measures to alleviate the sufferings of around 250 thousand besieged residents in the eastern part of Ale
Ramallah- Many Palestinians, Arabs, Israelis and Western parties seem preoccupied by the topic of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas choosing a vice president. However Abbas does not seem to have an equal interest as he has handed the matter to Palestinian leaders who failed to pick up a name and a
German police discovered explosives in a Syrian refugee’s apartment, a newspaper reported on Saturday. The refugee, who now is arrested on suspicion of planning a major attack in Berlin, had spoken to a member of ISIS in Syria by telephone about a possible target. Jaber Albakr, detained on Monday, t
An explosion targeting the funeral of a military commander took place in the Yemeni city of Marib, east of the capital Sanaa, yesterday. The explosion took place as people paid their respects to Major General Abdulrab Al-Shadady, a military commander in the national army. Six people were killed and
Syrian Opposition fighters backed by Turkey launched an attack on ISIS’ stronghold of Dabiq in northwestern Syria on Saturday, a Syrian Opposition commander said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said opposition forces had also taken the villages of Irshaf and Gh
Talks seeking a settlement for the situation in Syria opened once again in the Swiss lakeside town of Lausanne on Saturday, with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry hunting for a new path to peace after failing to secure a ceasefire in direct talks with Russia. Kerry hosted Russian Foreign Minister S
The last group of people who migrated from the town of Al-Hamah in the Rif Dimashq governorate near the Syrian capital arrived in the Idlib governorate yesterday morning. According to the Syrian opposition, the operation to evacuate another suburb, the Qudsiya suburb, will be completed on Saturday (
The coalition command for restoring legitimacy in Yemen announced on Saturday that it had examined the results of The Joint Incidents Assessment Team probe into the Great Hall incident in Sana’a. “The coalition affirms that it accepts the results of the investigation, and has begun to implement the
