Ibrahim al-Hatlani - Al-Monitor: The Middle Eastʼs leading independent news source since 2012

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani is a Saudi writer based in Jeddah.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 10, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque - RTS1619B

What Saudi leaders expect from Trump’s visit

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir attends the opening of a meeting of the coalition to defeat the Islamic State group at the State Department in Washington, DC, on March 22, 2017.
Ministers from the 68-nation US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Washington Wednesday to hear more about US President Donald Trump's plan to destroy the jihadists' remaining strongholds in Iraq and Syria. / AFP PHOTO / NICHOLAS KAMM (Photo credit should read NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images)

Is Saudi Arabia really willing to normalize ties with Iraq?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

A protester, holding a Bahraini flag, confronts a riot police armoured personnel carrier in an attempt to stop it from entering the village of Bilad Al Qadeem south of Manama, January 6, 2015.
Bahraini police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to scatter protesters who gathered outside the home of Sheikh Ali Salman, a Shi'ite Muslim opposition leader on Monday, witnesses said, after he was remanded in custody for a further 15 days. Around 100 protesters angry at the decision had assembled outside his house

Will Bahrain use military trials against Shiite leader's supporters?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

CORRECTION - Saudis attend a concert in Jeddah on January 30, 2017.
Saudi Arabia's "Paul McCartney" took to the stage as the kingdom seeks to boost entertainment despite religious warnings of "depravity." The performance was the first major concert in seven years in the kingdom's second city, according to Arab News.
/ AFP / Amer HILABI / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by AMER HILABI has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [AMER HILABI] instead of [AMEER A

Saudi clerics keep mum about concerts in the kingdom

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Is this the beginning of a revolution by Saudi women?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends during signing of agreements ceremony with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir (unseen) at the El-Thadiya presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt October 5, 2016. Picture taken October 5, 2016. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh - RTX2Q29F

How a joke about Sisi’s fridge has strained Cairo-Riyadh ties

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Protesters and family members of 9/11 victims protest in front of the White House regarding President Barack Obama's threatened veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) in Washington, U.S., September 20, 2016. REUTERS/Gary Cameron - RTSOMWI

Has JASTA pushed Saudi Arabia and Israel closer?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

A Saudi money exchanger counts Saudi riyals in Riyadh August 4, 2008. Saudi Arabia's annual inflation rose 10.6% in June to a 30-year high due primarily to increases in food and housing costs, official data released on Sunday showed. The cost of living index for the largest Arab economy rose to 115.5 points on June 30 from 115 points in May, the Saudi Press Agency cited a report by the Ministry of Economy and Planning's Central Department of Statistics. REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed (SAUDI ARABIA) - RTR20M01

Costs of Saudi economic failures show up in electric bills

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Female driver Azza Al Shmasani alights from her car after driving in defiance of the ban in Riyadh June 22, 2011. Saudi Arabia has no formal ban on women driving. But as citizens must use only Saudi-issued licences in the country, and as these are issued only to men, women drivers are anathema. An outcry at the segregation, which contributes to the general cloistering of Saudi women, has been fuelled by social media interest in two would-be female motorists arrested in May.REUTERS/Fahad Shadeed (SAUDI ARABI

Will Saudi women break chains of male guardianship?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Is Mohammed bin Salman gaining upper hand in Saudi Arabia?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Is Saudi Arabia bringing sexy back?

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Saudi IS members killing their own relatives

Ibrahim al-Hatlani

Ibrahim al-Hatlani