Recent content by Halimi

I generally don't watch television series, but I think they are a useful socio-cultural instrument. Instead of a reliance on foreign productions, Arab media needs to develop content that is both entertaining and educational, thus serving a broader and wholesome agenda. For example, I've seen...

There is no evidence that the Gulf States are supporting the PKK against Turkey and Turkish-backed rebels. And if there is, I'd like to see it.

Does anyone have an index or list of China's largest current military developments and projects?

Al-Arabiya Saudi Arabia is set to produce at least 65 million pieces of military spare parts as part of their aim to expand local for arms manufacturing. The announcement on Tuesday comes after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced on last May the launching of a national state...

Excellent development.

Russian garbage has failed at every serious test in the Middle East when faced with Western (especially American) weaponry. Only good for military parades -- just ask Gamal Abdul-Nasser and Hafez al-Assad.

Russia has positioned itself, strategically, as a rival to the Saudis. Just a cursory look at Syria or a glance at Russia Today is enough to see that. Russia is also a criminal, recalcitrant and brutish actor in the Middle East. The idea that the Saudis should empower their military industry or...

An 'Arabian Empire' is impossible. The 'Arab World', largely synonymous with the Middle East, is an ethnically-diverse and interconnected region at the crossroads of the world, and trying to collapse a geographic and political entity upon the Arab ethnicity is simply not viable, unless you...

Incredible ambition. I'd love to know where along the value chain they'd be able to make meet that 50% domestic production target.

Turkey has lost a lot of credibility in northern Syria. There appears to be no coherent strategy and a very inefficient diplomatic process, with much talks that yield nothing.

It'd be interesting what Gulf Arabs would do if ever faced between choosing a strategic security partnership with Pakistan and a full-throttle economic integration with India.

Saudi Arabia should not only not purchase from Russia, rather it should help invest in the Ukrainian aerospace and military industry which are suffering due to the country's well-known economic and geopolitical problems. This is an excellent time for Saudi Arabia to buy on the cheap in Ukraine...

Money is a massive factor in a military's capability, but experience, battle-hardedness, existing infrastructure and the development of the military-industrial complex are all very important also. China is well ahead of Russia on the economics side and that gap will only grow. Similarly, Russia...

Saudi Arabia seems to be at an inflection point, moving away from the stereotypes and cliched readings that seem to pervade. Saudis are becoming more militarily independent, as demonstrated by Yemen. Their forces are becoming more experienced and battle-hardened, as demonstrated by Yemen...

It's been two and a half years and Saudi Arabia has now waged a prolonged campaign in Yemen. Have perceptions of Saudi Arabia's military strengths and weaknesses changed?