Podcasts
Broaden your horizons with Al-Monitor podcasts, where our contributors deliver the latest news and developments. Be sure to listen and subscribe via your favorite podcast app.
On the Middle East with Andrew Parasiliti and Amberin Zaman
Andrew Parasiliti and Amberin Zaman interview newsmakers each week from the US and Middle East about the latest news and trends in the region, with additional commentary from Al-Monitor’s ‘on-the-ground’ correspondents.
Most Recent Episode #62
Stephen Kalin, Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Riyadh, describes the scope of social, economic, and political change in Saudi Arabia; the prospects for diplomacy with Iran and an end to the Yemen war; the impact of COVID-19 on the Saudi economy; the outlook for Saudi energy policy; US-Saudi relations; and more.
Links:
-Suspected Drone Attack on Israeli-Linked Tanker in Arabian Sea Kills Two Crew - WSJ
-OPEC Spat Spotlights Saudi Arabia’s Struggle to Kick Oil Dependency - WSJ
-Sunshine-rich Gulf slow to adapt solar, clean energy - Al-Monitor
On Israel with Ben Caspit
Ben Caspit, an Israel correspondent for Al-Monitor, brings you weekly interviews with newsmakers and officials to discuss the latest news in Israel.
Most Recent Episode #54
Ben hosts this week legislator Gaby Lasky of the leftwing Meretz party. Lasky, a human rights activist who had served as head of anti-occupation NGO Peace Now, is now member of the new ruling coalition, headed by pro-settler Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Lasky says that five months ago no one could have imagined such a coalition could be formed or was even possible. "This government faces so many missions that are important for Israeli society. No one now is inciting citizens against other citizens. The prime minister believes he is the leader of all Israeli citizens. This should be the norm, but for the last twelve years it wasn’t," she noted.
Links:
-Can Lapid-Bennett coalition keep it together? - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
-Is Israel breaking left under Bennett? - Al-Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Off The Hookah with Phil and Cooper
We get it: the Middle East can be a complicated place, and sometimes it’s difficult to wrap your head around all the regional conflicts and political drama - that’s where we come in. We’re here to break down the major headlines, talk with experts and journalists, and give you a clearer picture of what’s happening in the region so you can impress your friends and promote our podcast. Sorry, that’s the shameless plug we were supposed to delete. Oh well. Off the Hookah with Phil and Cooper is a production of Al-Monitor.
As the coronavirus crisis continues to grip the world, the markets have been on the shakiest ground yet since the 2008 economic recession - especially with regards to the price of oil. In the last few years, Saudi Arabia and Russia have developed a special relationship to stabilize oil prices in the face of growing competition from the Americans, who for the first time has begun to outpace both countries in terms of production. But when demand for oil began to fall precipitously in the face of COVID-19, the relationship ended in a messy way. Phil and Cooper break down the bad breakup and how it’s affected economies worldwide.
- Russia might not be ready for long-term OPEC commitment (Nikolay Kozhanov)
- Russia hoping to outdo Saudis over time in coronavirus-hit oil market (Max Suchkov)
- Does Moscow's withdrawal from OPEC-plus deal end Russia-Saudi honeymoon? (Nikolay Kozhanov)
- Intel: How the US is relying on Riyadh to reassure global markets (Elizabeth Hagedorn)
Extra Listening
- Episode #114, Double Double, Oil and Trouble (9/27/2019): Exploring the special relationship between the US and Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure.
Music: Elman - “Антигерой” (Spotify)