King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia
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Saudi Arabia
When a tweet gets you 34 years in prison
The ruling is part of an ongoing clampdown on dissent and minorities in the kingdom. But so far, it's unlikely to have an effect on the kingdom's newly polished image as a global oil provider in times of crisis. Jennifer Holleis reports
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'The Line' in Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Salman's febrile dream
Plans for Neom, the futuristic ecocity in Saudi Arabia's desert, are taking shape. In the form of a straight line, for nine million inhabitants. Merely a pipe-dream? Commentary by Gerhard Matzig
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Data centre plans in Saudi Arabia
Google puts Saudi activists in danger
Internet giant Google is creating a "cloud region" in Saudi Arabia. It says it will protect users there. But digital rights activists say the firm will be putting the lives of government critics at risk. Cathrin Schaer reports
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Middle East
How cybercrime laws are used to silence dissent
Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are among those countries increasingly misusing cybercrime legislation to silence dissent and curb freedom of speech. Could a new global cybercrime framework under UN supervision save regime critics? Jennifer Holleis reports
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Saudia Arabia and the UAE
Getting Washington wrong
Analyst Iyad El-Baghdadi examines the ongoing tensions between the United States and the two Gulf states – Saudi Arabia and the UAE – and their geopolitical implications in interview with Rayyan Al-Shawaf
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Sportswashing in Saudi Arabia
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Formula 1 in Saudi Arabia
Grand Prix of double standards
The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix raises questions as to how seriously Formula 1 really takes its commitment to respecting human rights. The criticism might be loud, but the financial incentives are irresistible. By Andreas Sten-Ziemons
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Saudi Arabia's detainees
Speak your mind – face the consequences
Family and activists hope that Raif Badawi will be released soon. However, the well-known blogger is not the only activist behind bars for expressing dissenting views. By Kerstin Knipp
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COP26 climate conference
Saudi Arabia's climate strategy – greenwashing or genuine transformation?
Saudi Arabia has announced a comprehensive transformation strategy toward a green future. But what are the real drivers of the world's biggest oil exporter's "net-zero" vision for 2060? Jennifer Holleis reports
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Saudi Arabia, football and the Olympics
Making the leap from off-side to big league?
The Saudi national team is set to play the German Olympic squad at the Olympics in Tokyo later this month – a chance for the outsiders to make their mark. At the same time, and keen to buff up the nation's badly tarnished image, the Kingdom is looking to pitch for glory in the multi-million dollar football business. It's a risky strategy. By Sebastian Sons
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U.S.-Saudi relations
Joe Biden's recalibration
Former U.S. President Donald Trump often publicly humiliated the Saudi leadership, benefiting neither America nor the kingdom. His successor Joe Biden's softer approach, based on mutual interests, will prove more salutary and enduring. By Bernard Haykel
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Six years of Yemen conflict
Nearly 700,000 Yemenis expected to flee their homes this year
With the world's worst humanitarian crisis now entering its seventh year, the United Nations predicts that another 672,000 people could be displaced by the end of 2021 if the current level of violence continues. Already this year, 834 civilian homes have been hit by gun violence.