Culture What’s next for Cristiano Ronaldo after retirement from Portugal team? The Portuguese superstar is signed to the Saudi side Al Nassr until 2027, but the Yemen war is impacting the sport in the kingdom. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: City Pulse Riyadh Dana Awartani revives lost mosaics Also this week: Lebanese dining, a new Arab art prize and ‘Girls of Riyadh.’ By Rebecca Anne Proctor In Dubai, reporting on culture
Newsletter: Business & Tech Democrats’ win: What’s at stake for Gulf business The immediate concern for the region is whether Washington and Israel will resume strikes on Iran, potentially triggering further Iranian attacks on Gulf states. By Jack Dutton In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech
Aramco begins expansion of oil export route bypassing Hormuz The kingdom plans to expand the East-West Pipeline’s capacity to carry crude to as much as 10 million barrels per day. Saudi Arabia
Newsletter: FutureVerse US elections spotlight Gulf tech risks By Samuel Wendel In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech
Analysis How wartime urgency pushed Iran to court Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Pakistan By A correspondent in Tehran In Tehran, reporting on politics
Saudi Arabia’s Islamist-liberal divide The Saudi regime needs to tend to internal divisions in the kingdom and scale back its interventionism in the region to improve its prospects for long-term stability. Legacy: Gulf
Is Pakistan pivoting away from Saudi Arabia? Pakistan is facing strong domestic opposition against providing support to the Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen, and its parliament came to a unanimous decision to stay neutral in the conflict, to the chagrin of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia
Yemen dispute could hurt Lebanon Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's verbal attack against Saudi Arabia and its regional allies in a televised speech March 27 about Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen could be part of a process leading to much greater tensions and even conflict in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia
Should Saudi Arabia test Iran’s offer of diplomacy on Yemen? Iranian officials offer diplomatic initiative and warnings on Yemen; book burning in Giza; Kremlin ignored Israeli objections on missile system sale to Iran; Russian "soft power" in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia
Iraq maintains neutrality in regional conflicts On a visit to Washington, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi leveled criticism at Iran and Saudi Arabia, reflecting his desire to maintain a neutral position in their regional rivalry. Legacy: Gulf
Head of Iran’s Basij congratulates Houthis on 'victory' Hard-line Iranian officials and media have stated that Saudi Arabia failed to achieve their objectives in Yemen and have strengthened the Houthi position. Saudi Arabia
Jordan focuses on IS fight while Gulf allies pull back Jordan's King Abdullah expresses strong differences from many of his allies on how best to deal with the Islamic State, fighting regional terrorism, developments in Syria and US Middle East policy. Saudi Arabia
Iran, Sudan fall out over Yemen The Saudi Arabian-led coalition against the Houthi rebels in Yemen has tested the decadeslong ties between Iran and Sudan. Saudi Arabia
First delivery of French weapons arrives in Lebanon Nearly 16 months since the announcement of $3 billion in Saudi military aid to Lebanon, the first weapons shipment from France has already disappointed. Saudi Arabia
Saudi elites divided on Yemen war A brief survey of Saudi opinion reveals that many elites consider Operation Decisive Storm a legitimate attempt to halt Iranian expansionism, while some view the intervention in Yemen as a sectarian war. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s deepening isolation in Yemen Saudi Arabia faces a quagmire in Yemen; a US-Iran “catalogue of cooperation” after a nuclear deal; Iranian activists skeptical on human rights progress; Israel unnerved by Russian decision on missile sale to Iran; the Good Friday massacre in Aleppo; is Erdogan shifting from sectarianism? Saudi Arabia
Nasrallah to Saudi Arabia: Enough is enough In a recent address to his supporters Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah voiced his disapproval of Saudi Arabia's regional policies, blaming the kingdom for inciting destruction across the region. Saudi Arabia