Beyond legal reform: Advancing women’s healthcare autonomy in Saudi Arabia through institutional accountability

Executive summary Over the past decades, Saudi Arabia has undertaken significant reforms to expand women’s participation in public life under Vision 2030. Legal changes have reduced formal restrictions on guardianship and affirmed women’s independent access to healthcare services. Female labor force participation has increased substantially, and women now constitute a growing proportion of the healthcare[…]

Saudi Arabia: Clean Energy Promises vs. Hydrocarbon Reality

Despite Saudi Arabia’s announced commitments to reduce fossil fuel production and consumption under Vision 2030 and its 2060 net-zero pledge, independent assessments indicate that current policies are not aligned with the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C, with emissions projected to continue rising through 2035 (Climate Action Tracker, 2025). Expansion of oil and gas capacity,[…]

Saudi Arabia’s Role in Obstructing the Energy Transition at COP30

The Importance of COP30: COP30 was held in November 2025 in Brazil at a critical moment after global warming trajectories surpassed the 1.5°C threshold. The conference served as a key platform for discussing global climate policies, reducing emissions, and supporting countries most vulnerable to climate change. It brought together major oil-producing countries such as Saudi[…]

The Digital Fortress: AI, Legal Exceptionalism and the Human Cost of NEOM

Abstract NEOM, Saudi Arabia’s $500 billion megacity, represents a bold experiment in AI-driven governance. Combining an autonomous legal framework with pervasive artificial intelligence, the project aims to optimize urban life and attract global investment. However, its development has involved forced displacement, suppression of dissent, and opaque algorithmic decision-making, raising critical ethical and human rights concerns.[…]

From the Cell to After Release: The Impact of Prisoner Mistreatment and Systematic Medical Neglect in Bahrain

Introduction The experiences of political prisoners in Bahrain reveal a painful truth: their suffering does not end upon release. The effects of the torture and ill-treatment they endured extend for years, daily affecting their physical, psychological, and social well-being. Physical and psychological torture, along with the denial of basic medical care, has become a systematic[…]