Gulf Monarchies Confront the “Arab Spring”

The threat emanating from Iran as well as the lack of confidence in US support gives the Gulf states much to fear and has imbued the GCC with new-found unity and purpose.

Saudi Arabia, Iran, and America in the Wake of the Arab Spring

For the rulers of Riyadh, the primary result of the "Arab Spring" has been a shaking of the strategic foundation and alignments that have shaped Saudi regional policy since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the “Day of Rage” That Wasn’t

While unrest has rattled the Middle East in recent months, oil wealth and tradition have kept things quiet in Saudi Arabia.

The Struggle Over Religious Edicts in Saudi Arabia

Recently, the Saudi Royals have moved to control the issuance of fatwas(religious edicts), restricting them to those appointed by the family as members of the Council of Senior Ulama; but the proliferation of media makes such control difficult.

The GCC States and the Security Challenges of the Twenty-First Century

The US invasion of Iraq in April 2003 generated a new set of threats and challenges for the Arab states of the GCC, including the possibility of Sunni- and Shi'i- instigated terrorism spreading to the GCC states from Iraq, and, as in Iraq, the outbreak of sectarian fighting in these states.