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Dr. James M. Dorsey is a senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, co-director of the University of Würzburg’s Institute for Fan Culture, and co-host of the New Books in Middle Eastern Studies podcast. James is the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer blog, a book with the same title as well as Comparative Political Transitions between Southeast Asia and the Middle East and North Africa, co-authored with Dr. Teresita Cruz-Del Rosario and Shifting Sand ...
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The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer
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When is usury usury? Turkish fatwa casts doubt on Erdogan’s religious soft power drive
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Turkey’s state-controlled top religious authority has conditionally endorsed usury in a ruling that is likely to fuel debate about concepts of Islamic finance and could weaken President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s efforts to garner religious soft power by projecting Turkey as a leader defending Muslim causes.…
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Egypt’s Search For A Fig Leaf - Its Not The Handball World Championship
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Egyptian general-turned president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi sees the 2021 men’s handball world championship in Cairo and Alexandria as an opportunity to put his best foot forward at a time when Egypt’s relations with its closest regional and global partners are encountering substantial headwinds.By James M. Dorsey
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Gulf state religious moderation falls by the wayside in Pakistan
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Silent about rising sectarian violence in Pakistan, Gulf states vying for religious soft power risk exposing the limitations of their concepts of an undefined ‘moderate’ Islam that is tolerant and endorses pluralism.By James M. Dorsey
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Erdogan positions powerful Turkish military as backbone of regional strategy
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President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ushered in the new year, pledging to employ his country’s military to secure Turkey’s place in a rebalanced new world order.By James M. Dorsey
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Indonesia potentially set to take on China and claim leadership of moderate Islam
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President Joko Widodo’s recent cabinet reshuffle suggests that Indonesia may adopt a more critical attitude towards China and reinforce government support for efforts by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest Muslim movement, to reform Islam and position the Southeast Asian state as a key player in a battle with Middle Eastern rivals for the sou…
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Turkey gambles in bid to rival China as a key supply chain node
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A projected sharp reduction in trade between the United States and China in the next two years coupled with moves to diversify supply chains potentially position Turkey alongside Vietnam, Mexico, Taiwan and Poland as competitors in efforts to reduce dependency on the People’s Republic, according to a just published study.…
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Turkish shadow boxing reflects growing rivalry with Iran
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Turkey is leveraging its successful backing of Azerbaijan’s recent war against Armenia to counter Iran in the Caucasus and gradually challenge Russia in Central Asia, the heart of what Moscow considers its backyard.By James M. Dorsey
Saudi Arabia appears to be drawing lines in the sand as the kingdom prepares for a new era in relations with the United States once President-elect Joe Biden assumes office in January.By James M. Dorsey
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France,Belgium and Austria Move into the Frontline of a Battle for the Soul of Islam
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Punching above its weight, the United Arab Emirates is wielding a combination of religious soft power, commercial and economic sway, and hard power in its bid to counter political Islam in ways that potentially could threaten pillars of Western democracy as well as US and European strategic interests.…
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The Muslim world’s changing dynamics-Pakistan struggles to retain its footing
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Increasing strains between Pakistan and its traditional Arab allies, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, is about more than Gulf states opportunistically targeting India’s far more lucrative market.At the heart of the tensions, that potentially complicate Pakistan’s economic recovery, is also India’s ability to enhance Gulf states’ capacity…
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Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads
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David Rundell brings to his book, Vision or Mirage: Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads (I. B. Tauris, 2020), a granular analysis and insider’s understanding of the inner workings of the kingdom garnered as a US foreign service officer who served a total of 15 years in the country.Rundell skilfully weaves history into a multi-layered portrait of the tra…
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Saudi rushes to improve its image in advance of G20 and Biden
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Saudi Arabia has taken multiple steps to polish its tarnished image in advance of this weekend’s hosting of the virtual summit of the G20 that groups the world’s foremost economies and in anticipation of an incoming Biden administration in the United States that is expected to be critical of Riyadh and potentially more conciliatory towards Iran and…
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Subtly, China pressures Gulf states to reduce regional tensions
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Public debates about China’s Middle East policy are as much internal Chinese discussions as they are indications of where Beijing’s thinking is going and efforts to nudge countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to accommodate potential policy changes.By James M. Dorsey
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UAE and Israeli settlers find common ground in Jerusalem
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Weakened by Joe Biden’s electoral defeat of US President Donald J. Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu risks being caught between a rock and a hard place as Jordan, the Palestine Authority and the United Arab Emirates manoeuvre for control of what is to Jews the Temple Mount and to Muslims the Haram ash-Sharif, the third most holy site…
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Ceasefire in the Caucasus opens door to rebalancing of regional power
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A Russian mediated-ceasefire in the Caucasus cements a Turkish-backed Azerbaijani military defeat of Armenia but raises tantalizing questions.By James M. Dorsey
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Conflict in Ethiopia extends the Greater Middle East’s arc of crisis
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Ethiopia, an African darling of the international community, is sliding towards civil war as the coronavirus pandemic hardens ethnic fault lines. The consequences of prolonged hostilities could echo across East Africa, the Middle East and Europe.By James M. Dorsey
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Michael Q. Morton, "Masters of the Pearl: A History of Qatar" (Reaktion Books, 2020)
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Michael Quentin MortonNov 3, 2020 / James M. DorseyMasters of the PearlA History of QatarREAKTION BOOKS 2020History is not the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of young, energy-rich monarchies of the Gulf that often punch above their weight in geopolitics and geoeconomics. Yet, that is the rich, mostly unknown story of Qatar that Mich…
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The Qatar World Cup-Dreaming of Bridging the Gulf Rift
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With the 2022 World Cup in Qatar only two years away, and a resolution of the three-year-old Gulf rift nowhere in sight, government officials, soccer governance executives, and pundits are playing with the notion that the tournament could serve as an icebreaker in the dispute between Qatar and its detractors, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates …
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US Secretary of State Pompeo set to boost Indonesian religious reform efforts
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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is set to boost efforts by the world’s largest Muslim movement to recontextualize Islam during a forthcoming visit to Indonesia as part of a three-nation Asian tour. The tour is likely to be the secretary’s last official trip prior to next month’s US presidential election.…
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War in the Caucasus-One more effort to shape a new world order
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Fighting in the Caucasus between Azerbaijan and Armenia is about much more than deep-seated ethnic divisions and territorial disputes. It’s the latest clash designed, at least in part, to shape a new world order.By James M. Dorsey
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Alan Chong, "Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative" (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020)
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ALAN CHONG AND QUANG MIN PHAMCritical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road InitiativePALGRAVE MACMILLAN 2020October 16, 2020 James M. DorseyPolitical scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume, Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative (Palgrave MacMillan, 2020), originality as well as dimensions and pers…
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The Battle for Jerusalem-Turkey’s Erdogan stakes his claim
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan didn’t mince his words at this month’s opening of parliament. In his first assertion of a claim to a lost non-Turkic part of the Ottoman empire, Mr. Erdogan declared that Jerusalem is Turkish.By James M. Dorsey
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Changing attitudes towards religiosity-A double-edged sword for Arab rulers
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Public opinion polling in the Arab world suggests that autocratic leaders like Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and his UAE counterpart, Mohammed bin Zayed, have gotten some things right.By James M. Dorsey
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Saudi chairmanship of G20 proves to be mixed blessing
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Saudi Arabia’s chairmanship of the Group of Twenty (G20) is proving to be a mixed blessing.By James M. Dorsey
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Chinas Belt and Road pinpoints fundamental issues of our times
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Political scientists Alan Chong and Quang Min Pham bring with their edited volume originality as well as dimensions and perspectives to the discussion about the Belt and Road that are highly relevant but often either unrecognized or underemphasized.By James M. Dorsey
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Shaping Palestinian Politics - The UAE Has A Leg Up On Turkey
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The United Arab Emirates may have the upper hand in its competition with Turkey in efforts to shape Palestinian politics. Similarly, the UAE’s recognition of the Jewish state gives it a leg up in ensuring that its voice is heard in Israel and Washington irrespective of who wins the November US election.…
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The UAE-Israel deal’s historicity is in the fine print
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A close read of the agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel suggests that the Jewish state has won far more than diplomatic recognition. It won acknowledgement of its claim to historic Jewish rights. By the same token, the UAE has received a significant boost to project itself as a leader in inter-faith dialogue.…
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Controversial Israeli soccer club may be litmus test for UAE soft power ploy
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An Emirati offer to invest in Israel’s most controversial soccer club could serve as a figurative litmus test of hopes that Arab recognition of the Jewish state may persuade it to be more empathetic towards Palestinian national aspirations.By James M. Dorsey
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Will They or Won’t They? Saudi Recognition of Israel is the $64,000 Question
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Will the Saudis formalize relations with Israel or will they not? That is the 64,000-dollar question.By James M. Dorsey
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UAE Recognition of Israel Dents Emirati Religious Soft Power
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The United Arab Emirates’ establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel is damaging its efforts to garner religious soft power by projecting itself as a model of Islamic moderation and tolerance and a force for peace. The UAE move has sparked splits within a key group, created and nurtured by the Gulf state, to project its image as a moderate r…
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China could signal increased engagement with Iran but doesnt
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Here are two potential indicators of Chinese interest in moving ahead with a proposed US$400 billion economic and military cooperation agreement with Iran: a Chinese push for Iranian membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and renewed interest in a China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey energy pipeline. China has moved on neither.…
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The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010-2019
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JAMES ZOGBYThe Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019STEUBEN PRESS 2020September 4, 2020 James M. DorseyJames Zogby’s The Tumultuous Decade: Arab Public Opinion and the Upheavals of 2010–2019 (Steuben Press, 2020) takes the reader on a decade-long tour of the Middle East as the region reverberates from popular revolts…
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UAE Geopolitical Gamble Keeps Palestinian Peace Prospects on Life Support
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The decision by the UAE to establish diplomatic relations with Israel keeps a negotiated solution with Palestine on life support. There is no indication that forging relations with Israel will be more successful in nudging the Jewish state towards peace with Palestine on mutually acceptable terms than the failed formula of offering Arab recognition…
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Pakistan-Saudi Spat-Hitting the Kingdom Where It Hurts
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A rift between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia throws into sharp relief deepening fissures in the Muslim world. Coupled with the establishment of diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, and a myriad of other conflicts in the Middle East, the dispute poses serious challenges to Saudi Arabia’s quest for geopolitical and religious …
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Ignore at your peril-Palestine ranks high in Arab public opinion
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Rare polling of public opinion in Saudi Arabia suggests that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may be more sensitive to domestic public opinion on foreign policy issues such as Palestine than he lets on. The polling also indicates that a substantial number of Saudis is empathetic to protest as a vehicle for political change.…
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Playing With Fire-China Fuels Middle East Arms Race
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Unfettered Chinese support for Saudi Arabia’s so far peaceful nuclear energy program risks fueling a burgeoning Middle East arms race amid concerns that the 2015 Iranian nuclear agreement is all but dead, Turkey suggesting it has the right to develop nuclear weapons, and Israel certain to not remain idle if nuclear proliferation becomes the name of…
An agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel and a Saudi-Pakistani spat over Kashmir coupled with feuds among Gulf states and between Turkey, the kingdom, and the Emirates drive nails into the notion that the Arab and Islamic world by definition share common geopolitical interests on the basis of ethnic…
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Rejiggering Gulf Security-China’s Game of Shadow Boxing
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China and Saudi Arabia are engaged in a complex game of shadow boxing to shape a future security framework for the Gulf designed to contain regional conflicts. In a bid to ensure plausible deniability, the boxers are for now intellectuals and journalists rather than officials.By James M. Dorsey
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Saudi Sports Diplomacy - A Train Barrelling Towards An Abyss
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Saudi efforts to position the kingdom as a key player in global soccer resembles a train crashing multiple times with the locomotive continuing to barrel ever closer to an abyssBy James M. Dorsey
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Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek, "Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East" (Oxford UP, 2019)
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DANYEL REICHE AND TAMIR SOREKSport, Politics, and Society in the Middle EastOXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2019July 29, 2020 James M. DorseySports scholars Danyel Reiche and Tamir Sorek’s edited volume, Sport, Politics, and Society in the Middle East (Oxford University Press, 2019), makes a significant contribution to what remains a largely understudied, …
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Indonesia - A major prize in the battle for the soul of Islam
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Saudi support of religious ultra-conservatism in Indonesia contradicts Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion of an undefined form of moderate Islam intended to project his kingdom as tolerant, innovative, and forward-looking. It also suggests that Saudi Arabia is willing to work with the Muslim Brotherhood despite its denunciation of the gro…
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Breaking with the past-China hints at greater political engagement in the Middle East
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China is contemplating greater political engagement in the Middle East in what would constitute a break with its longstanding effort to avoid being sucked into the region’s myriad conflicts and a bid to counter mounting US pressure to force Gulf states to curtail relations with the People’s Republic.…
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JMD on NBN: The Gulf Region and Israel by Sigurd Neubauer
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Gulf scholar Sigurd Neubauer’s The Gulf Region and Israel: Old Struggles, New Alliances makes a significant contribution to our understanding of what drives shifting alliances in the Middle East, an ever more volatile part of the world.Shunned by Arab states for much of its existence, Israel has become in recent years a key factor in efforts by Gul…
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Flying under the radar-Iran, Russian and India push alternatives to Suez and Belt and Road
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Iran, together with India and Russia, is pushing forward with a sea and rail corridor that could substantially reduce the time and cost of shipping goods from India to Europe. If successful, the corridor could challenge the Suez Canal’s primacy and give Iran a significant advantage as its rivalry with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates plays…
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The China-Iran Deal-It’s not about business but geopolitical poker
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Hobbled by harsh US sanctions and a global economic downturn, Iran has discovered a new opportunity: hot air that carries messages to its opponents. China, albeit far less economically impaired, sees virtue in the business too.By James M. Dorsey
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Palestine Plays Regional Power Politics with Proposed Energy Deal
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A Palestinian move to secure Palestine’s energy needs by tying them to high-stakes Turkish regional gambits constitutes an effort to reduce Palestinian dependence on Israel at a time when the Jewish state is looking at annexing parts of the occupied West BankBy James M. Dorsey
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On the Front Lines-Middle Eastern Rivals Take Their Fight to Jerusalem
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Already at the core of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Jerusalem is emerging as yet another frontline in the struggle for regional hegemony in the Middle East. With its annexationist policies, Israel is backing Saudi and UAE efforts to counter Turkish activity in the city and weaken Jordan’s position as the custodian of Islam’s third most holy sit…
Resolving the tug of war in the Middle East will require a backing away from approaches that treat conflicts as zero-sum games, and engagement by all regional and external players. To achieve that, players would have to recognise that in many ways, perceptions on both sides of the Gulf divide are mirror images of one another: all parties see each o…
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Economic Crisis Does Little to Dampen Mohammed bin Salman’s Pricey Ambitions
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The hiring by Saudi Arabia of an international public relations firm to counter doubts about Mohammed bin Salman’s $500 billion USD dream of a futuristic city on the Red Sea suggests that the kingdom’s economic and financial crisis has not dampened his penchant for big ticket, high-profile projects.By James M. Dorsey
