King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia
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Yemen conflict
Saudi Arabia's botched war
Saudi Arabia has spent the past five years fighting off Iran-backed Shia rebels in a seemingly endless conflict that has cost more than 100,000 lives and left 80% of the population in need of humanitarian assistance. Only by backing UN-led peace talks will it be possible to achieve a political settlement. By Amin Saikal
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Between religion, oil dependence and reforms
Saudi Arabia under Mohammed bin Salman
An expert on Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, Guido Steinberg explains that the drone attacks on Saudi oil facilities last week were partly a manifestation of complex religious and historical forces. By Sabine Peschel
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Music and human rights in Saudi Arabia
To perform or not to perform?
International pop artists like K-pop group Super Junior are hugely popular in Saudi Arabia. But should international stars shun the Gulf monarchy because of its poor record on human rights? And if they do choose to perform there, are they indirectly supporting the country's repressive policies? By Nermin Ismail
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Saudi Arabia seen from above
Far from the glittering skyscrapers of Riyadh and Mecca mania, there is another side to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia just waiting to be discovered. By Eric Lafforgue
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German-Saudi relations
A Salafist bone of contention
Ever since the Iranian Revolution Saudi Arabia has pushed a hardline Wahhabist model of religiosity, both in the Islamic world and among Muslim minorities in the West, in an attempt to prevent Shia expansionism. Yet Berlinʹs security concerns over Salafist extremism in Germany could easily re-ignite latent tensions with Riyadh. By Mahmoud Jaraba
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DW in-depth
German arms feeding the Yemen conflict
A team of investigative journalists involving the Deutsche Welle have discovered that German weaponry and tech play a far greater role in the Yemen conflict than previously thought. Meanwhile the German government continues to feign ignorance. By Nina Werkhauser and Naomi Conrad
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Bearing the brunt of the war
Yemeni families in dire straits
War, famine and poverty are devastating Yemen. Millions of people are in dire need of food and medical supplies. Among the worst-affected are young mothers and their children. Gouri Sharma and Mohamed Hussein report
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The world according to Mohammed bin Salman
Prove your loyalty, Saudis – deny reality
Saudi Arabia first denied the Khashoggi murder and then blamed it on rogue security agents. Neither version has enjoyed much credibility, but the ability to make the population repeat incredible claims is itself a form of power for Arab autocrats, argues Hannes Baumann
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Murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi
Donald Trump's ersatz reality
The gruesome killing of former Saudi government advisor and journalist Jamal Khashoggi will not lead to dissociation with Saudi Arabia, says Stefan Buchen in his essay. After all, the most powerful man in the West is Donald Trump, one of the murdererʹs best friends
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Interview with Middle East expert Guido Steinberg
No one wants conflict with Saudi Arabia
Even though the case of the disappeared Saudi journalist Khashoggi weighs heavily, no government is prepared to risk open conflict with the Saudis. Meanwhile, the concerns of dissidents who have fled their authoritarian countries of origin to the West are growing. By Diana Hodali
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Saudi Arabia and the West
Europe's window of opportunity
A new social contract is being drawn up in Saudi Arabia. This presents Germany and its EU partners with new opportunities. But if these are to be properly utilised, they should demonstrate greater commitment to defusing the conflict with Iran. By Matthias Sailer
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Geopolitics in the Middle East
End the Arab-Iranian tug-of-war
You can’t change regional geography, notes the political analyst Khaled Hroub. Iran and the Arabs will always be neighbours, but we can change and re-shape history and politics. The common interest must therefore lie in ending the period of conflict and moving towards co-operation and regional security