Analysis: Are U.S.-Russia Talks a Win for the...

This week on a special edition of Babel, Will Todman speaks with Jon Alterman, the creator of Babel and the show’s host since it began in 2019. They discuss Jon’s reflections on 22 years directing the CSIS Middle East Program, his analysis of how the Middle East policy ecosystem ...  Show more

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Dr. Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Mohanad's latest paper for Carnegie investigates the rise of a new form of drug smuggling in Lebanon. Together, they discuss Hezbollah’s i ...  Show more

This week saw US and Russian officials meet in Riyadh to discuss ending the Ukraine war as President Donald Trump attended an investor conference in Miami for Saudi's sovereign wealth fund. It appears Saudi Arabia is flexing its diplomatic muscles. On this weekend podcast, our jo ...  Show more

Description: The US will provide Ukraine with new intelligence, the American company behind Fico homebuyer credit scores is shaking up the mortgage industry, and Tesla’s global deliveries hit a new record in the third quarter. Plus, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed bin Salman has s ...  Show more

In Episode 23, hosts Hanaa and Lucien discuss a recent interview with Saudi Arabia's Minister of Sport Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Saud and how the Kingdom is going all-in on football with its recent finalized bid for the World Cup 2034 and major investments into stadiums and the deve ...  Show more

The UK government wants to tell a positive economic story about trade. The problem is Saudi Arabia, a country investing billions in Britain, has been given a "deplorable human rights record" by groups like Human Rights Watch. Our Saudi Arabia bureau chief Christine Burke explains ...  Show more