Via Foreign Policy, a look at Algeria, which some argue, could become more than a petrostate with the right reforms: On Sept. 14, Algeria’s constitutional court certified President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s reelection to a second—and final—term in office. Under Tebboune, Algeria has taken steps to transform its economy, making significant progress in the areas of infrastructure, […]
Read more »A fifth of the world’s steel is being used by Saudi Arabia’s mega project, according to this article from Semafor: Neom.com A fifth of the world’s steel is being gobbled up by just one site: Saudi Arabia’s behemoth project NEOM. So said NEOM’s Chief Investment Officer Manar al-Moneef during Riyadh’s Global Logistics Forum this week, according […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, a look at how China’s growing footprint in South and Central Asia has been made possible by the influx of grants, loans, mergers, and economic concessions for projects: In the middle of the Pamir mountains, near the remote Tajik-Afghan border area of Badakhshan, I find myself staring at a large red banner […]
Read more »Courtesy of Foreign Policy, a report on one Nigerian village showing how to develop human opportunity and protect the planet at the same time: In June, I walked through the streets of Lugbe, a small community in Nigeria about 7 miles outside the capital of Abuja. Over the last 25 years, as head of USAID […]
Read more »Via the Atlantic Council, commentary on China’s growing engagement with North Africa: Talk of China in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) rarely focuses on the latter, but Beijing has made significant gains in its recent outreach to the Maghreb. This was highlighted in September when the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) Ministerial Conference […]
Read more »Via The Diplomat, a report on Ankara’s efforts to strengthen its bid for influence in the region by stressing historical and cultural ties: Turkey has decided to replace the term “Central Asia” with “Turkestan” in its national history curriculum. By using the term “Turkestan,” Turkey aims to realign itself with Central Asia while also evaluating the region […]
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