Our Purpose

Committed To Providing Businesses With Reliable Advisory

Arabia Analytica was founded in 2010 to provide political, economic, and commercial advisory services focused on Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. Over the past decade, we have successfully counseled large multinational corporations, macroeconomic hedge funds, and small start-ups.

Our deep expertise in regional history, politics, language, and business culture cannot be developed quickly, easily, or inexpensively.

We integrate this expertise with continuous local media monitoring and an extensive network of local contacts. In order to provide clients with actionable insights, we analyze both current events and long-term trends. This analysis includes both tripwires necessitating immediate action and leading indicators for long term analysis. We combine our diplomatic and commercial experience with state-of-the-art predictive analytics, including proprietary artificial intelligence tools. This enables us to identify and measure political, economic, legal, and security risks as well as commercial opportunities. Our forecasting record on issues ranging from commodity prices to political developments has been exceptionally accurate.

Ambassador Michael Gfoeller served as Political Advisor to the Commander of the U.S. Central Command General David Petraeus. Fluent in Arabic and Russian, he won the State Department’s Linguist of the Year Award for his work in Iraq as well as the Director General’s Award for Impact and Originality in Reporting for his analysis from Saudi Arabia.

David Rundell is the author of Vision or Mirage, Saudi Arabia at the Crossroads and is widely regarded as one on America’s leading experts on Saudi Arabia.  He spent 15 years at the American Embassy in Riyadh serving as Chief of Mission, Political Counselor, Economic Counselor and Commercial Counselor. Along with numerous Superior Honor Awards for his economic and political reporting, he won the annual Charles Cobb Award for Initiative and Success in Trade Development.

Mohammed Giraud served for many years as the senior political analyst at the American Embassy in Riyadh and later as Vice President for Government Relations at Exxon Mobil Saudi Arabia. Bill Richards brings with him over 30 years of experience in investment banking and hedge fund management.

Together, we question accepted answers with well informed, rigorous analysis and effectively align our clients’ commercial interests with national development priorities. We are proud to be recognized for our discretion, as well as our independent thinking.

Our People

Gfoeller photo

Amb. Michael Gfoeller (ret.)

He served as the Senior Political Advisor to General David Petraeus, then Commander, US Central Command. His other...
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Bill Richards

He has been involved in the hedge funds industry since 1983 and is well known for his involvement...
Rundell Photo

David H. Rundell

He is widely regarded as one of America’s leading experts on Saudi Arabia where he spent 15 years...
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Mohammed Giraud

Mohammed Giraud earned his B.Sc from the American University of Beirut and in fluent in Arabic, English and...