James M. DorseyMay 65 minHamas eyes Malaysia as a possible operations baseJames M. Dorsey A podcast version is available on Soundcloud,Itunes, Spotify, Spreaker, and Podbean. Malaysia has emerged as a potential...
James M. DorseyApr 35 minThe 2022 World Cup: Is Qatar Putting its Best Foot Forward?By James M. Dorsey To watch a video version of this story please click here. This is Qatar's year to put its best foot forward. A major...
James M. DorseyMar 174 minThe Gulf crisis has lessons for Vladimir Putin. Not all may work in his favourBy James M. Dorsey The Ukraine crisis may constitute a more impactful, historic watershed than the 1989 fall of the Berlin wall in the...
James M. DorseyMar 135 minUkraine may force Middle Eastern rivals to upgrade their toolkitBy James M. Dorsey Struggling to remain on the sidelines of the 21st century’s watershed war in Ukraine, Middle Eastern nations are...
James M. DorseyJan 86 minSaudi and Emirati religious moderation inspires few beyond their bordersJames M. Dorsey Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have drawn praise for social reforms that have domestically reduced the role of...
James M. DorseyNov 29, 20215 minSaudi religious moderation is as much pr as it is theologyNovember 30, 2021 By James M. Dorsey Mohammed Ali al-Husseini, one of Saudi Arabia’s newest naturalized citizens, ticks all the boxes...
James M. DorseyNov 24, 20215 minUAE chalks up diplomatic successes with uncertain payoffsNovember 25, 2021 By James M. Dorsey It has been a good week for United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed. Headline-grabbing,...
James M. DorseyNov 22, 20215 minQatari World Cup sparks healthy controversy across multiple issuesNovember 23, 2021 By James M. Dorsey When seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton wore a helmet this weekend featuring the...
James M. DorseyNov 16, 20215 minSaudi keeps eye on religious ball in global competition for talentNovember 17, 2021 By James M. Dorsey Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has tamed his kingdom’s ultra-conservative religious...
James M. DorseyNov 7, 20214 minSouth Asia replaces the Middle East as the epicentre of Muslim religious ultra-conservatismNovember 08, 2021 By James M. Dorsey As Middle Eastern states attempt to manage their political and security differences, Muslim-majority...
James M. DorseyOct 26, 20214 minThe pendulum gradually swings towards international engagement with the TalibanOctober 27, 2021 By James M. Dorsey The Taliban and Pakistan, both viewed warily by the West and others in the international community,...
James M. DorseyOct 8, 20215 minReducing Middle East tensions potentially lessens sectarianism and opens doors for womenBy James M. Dorsey Two separate developments involving improved relations between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and women’s sporting rights...
James M. DorseySep 30, 20215 minAfghanistan highlights link between religious soft power and Gulf securityBy James M. Dorsey When Qatari foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Thani this week described the Taliban’s repressive...
James M. DorseySep 1, 20216 minAfghanistan has lessons for the Gulfby James M. Dorsey The US withdrawal from Afghanistan will likely clarify what the Gulf’s security options are. Gulf states are likely to...
James M. DorseyJul 26, 20218 minMiddle Eastern interventionism galore: Neither US nor Chinese policies alleviateBy James M. Dorsey A recent analysis of Middle Eastern states’ interventionist policies suggests that misguided big power approaches have...
James M. DorseyJun 30, 20214 minSaudi transport and logistics plan steps up competition with Gulf statesBy James M. Dorsey Recent announcements by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of plans to turn the kingdom into a transportation and...
James M. DorseyJun 12, 20215 minSaudi Arabia steps up effort to replace UAE and Qatar as go-to regional hubDear All, Thank you for being patient and loyal readers. That means a lot to me as I recover from surgery and more than a month in...
James M. DorseyApr 13, 20214 minAthletes knock the legs from under global sports governanceBy James M. Dorsey Sports governance worldwide has had the legs knocked out from under it. Yet, national and international sports...
James M. DorseyMar 7, 20214 minRussia Foreign Minister’s Gulf tour: A bellwether of US-Saudi relationsBy James M. Dorsey As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov embarks on a four-day visit to the Gulf, Middle Eastern leaders are either...
James M. DorseyJan 14, 20215 minEgypt’s search for a fig leaf: It’s not the Handball World ChampionshipThis article first appeared on Play the Game 13.01.2021 Analysis by James M. Dorsey Hosting major sports tournaments can confer prestige...