Al Majalla covered the eventful World Economic Forum last week, with Ravi Agrawal penning a piece titled In Davos, a tale of two speeches. In it, he says, “Trump follows Greenland threats by announcing a 'future deal,' while Canada’s prime minister describes it all as a 'rupture in the world order’.” For his part, Tarek Rashed pens a piece titled Trump's Board of Peace gives hints to his vision for a new world order. In it, he says, “Critics worry the BOP is a bid to dismantle the post-1945 international order and replace it with structures under the US president's direct control, with scope stretching well beyond Gaza.”

We also covered the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces’ decision to integrate into Syria’s state institutions following a week of deadly clashes between SDF forces and the Syrian army. Omer Onhon explains How the SDF's hand was twisted into Syria integration. For his part, Michael Harari explains Why Syrian army gains against the SDF unnerve Israel. In his piece, he says, “Israeli media have painted the 'defeat of the Kurds' as a win for Türkiye, while Israel's military worries that this may carry negative implications for its presence in the Golan.” And Haid Haid says that Syria’s deals with Assad-era cronies raise unsettling questions, and wonders if "the economic architecture of the old system is being quietly repackaged, rather than dismantled."

Switching gears, Ahmed Maher interviews Somalia’s foreign minister, Ali Omar, who says his country is eyeing an alliance with Saudi Arabia and Egypt amid external threats to its sovereignty, flagging Israel's recent recognition of the breakaway region of Somaliland as “an urgent concern that carries strategic implications for the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which run counter to Arab collective interests.” Meanwhile, Amr Emam explains why Egypt is stiffening its resolve to stop Sudan's fragmentation. In his piece, he says, “For Cairo, stability in its southern neighbour is a national security issue. After almost three years of seeking a diplomatic solution, there are signs that it is now turning to firepower.”

In Business & Economy, Faisal Faeq asks: Will US involvement change Venezuela’s role in OPEC?, predicting “its role within the group is likely to remain institutional rather than operational in the near term, but its status as a founding member will continue to carry historical and symbolic weight.” And Abdulfattah Khattab explains why G7 countries are getting serious about critical minerals. “With China dominating the ‘rare earths’ needed to power the technology of the future, the West is playing catch-up in a race that began years ago.” For her part, Shirley Ze Yu explains why “this could be a decisive year for Beijing as long-running strategies collide with harsher geopolitical realities. The outcomes will shape global power balances well beyond 2026.”

And finally, in Culture, Areej Jamal dedicates this month’s Film Watch to commemorate the centenary of legendary Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine’s birth. She reviews some of his standout films and their impact on Egyptian and Arab culture, while also tracing Chahine’s artistic evolution. And last but not least, Ibrahim Adel highlights Arab novels that are redefining the thriller genre.