Bernard Haykel
Bernard Haykel is Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and the co-editor (with Thomas Hegghammer) of Saudi Arabia in Transition.
Bernard Haykel is Professor of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University and the co-editor (with Thomas Hegghammer) of Saudi Arabia in Transition.
However negatively most Americans view Saudi Arabia, the country remains an important regional ally. When US President Barack Obama travels to Saudi Arabia this week to attend the summit of the Gulf C… read more
The breach in diplomatic relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia is a dangerous watershed in an unstable, war-torn region. The trigger was the Saudis' execution of a firebrand Shia sheikh, but the rup… read more
The recent declaration of a caliphate by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, now to be known simply as the Islamic State, is unprecedented in modern times. Regardless of how it turns out, one thing i… read more
The recent agreement between Iran and the P5+1 has attracted unprecedented criticism of the US from its two main Middle East allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia. While the prospect of broad Saudi-Israeli … read more
In Syria, what began as a revolt against an oppressive regime has devolved into a sectarian civil war and, more recently, into a proxy conflict. In the process, the struggle has become increasingly co… read more
Saudi Arabia is widely perceived as leading the counter-revolution against the Arab Spring uprisings. In reality, the Kingdom’s response is centered, as its foreign and domestic policy has long been, … read more
There is no single narrative that makes sense of the change now sweeping the Middle East. Regimes throughout the region, as well as the United States, European governments, and Al Qaeda and other Isla… read more
Al-Qaeda’s leadership, beliefs, and ideology are rooted in Saudi Arabia, but the organization has been all but crushed in the Kingdom by the government carrot-and-stick policies. The attempted assassi… read more
Arab culture places a high value on poetic expression, so it is no coincidence that it appears repeatedly in Al Qaeda’s propaganda. Although much of this poetry is not very good, it nonetheless unders… read more
In 2017, Saudi Arabia will continue to pursue two key goals: to reduce its economy's dependence on oil revenues and government spending; and to position the Kingdom as a regional hegemon that can meet… read more
