From Islam to Oil: Inside Saudi Arabia’s Influence
With oil prices now at their lowest point in decades, journalist Krithika Varagur joined the Council's Cécile Shea for a revealing look at the rise of Saudi regional and global influence.
About This Event
A regional powerhouse, Saudi Arabia’s significance in the Middle East is undeniable. With oil prices now at their lowest point in decades, following a protracted price war with Russia and plummeting demand under the COVID-19 pandemic, join journalist Krithika Varagur in a conversation with the Council's Cécile Shea for a revealing look at the rise of Saudi regional and global influence, from its propagation of an ultraconservative strand of Islam, and military involvement in neighboring Yemen, to its domination of the global oil markets.
About the Speakers
Journalist & author
As a reporter and author, Varagur spent four years as a foreign correspondent in Southeast and South Asia, writing on religion, politics, and fundamentalism—especially in Indonesia, where she was a correspondent for the Guardian. She is also the author of “The Call: Inside the Global Saudi Religious Project”, published in 2020.
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Security and Diplomacy
Cécile Shea is a nonresident senior fellow on security and diplomacy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. She is the president of Wakaru Communications and a special advisor to the Council’s Next Generation programs.