Open-source satellite imagery has fundamentally altered the security landscape of the Middle East. Platforms such as Google Earth and commercially produced geospatial data have made forms of intelligence once associated with state militaries widely accessible to organizations, researchers, journalists, and non-state actors. This has enabled armed groups to monitor infrastructure, assess battlefield conditions, and shape… Continue reading Open-Source Visibility and Security Risks in the Middle East

The U.S.-Israel-Iran war has placed the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) — under growing economic pressure, though the nature and severity of this pressure vary considerably across the six states. These states now face a significant challenge. They must gauge the immediate impact of the conflict and assess their capacity to sustain economic stability under the strain… Continue reading Gulf Sovereign Wealth Funds and the Cost of Crisis Resilience

Introduction The U.S.-Israel-Iran war has disrupted higher education across the region. These effects have been particularly felt in Qatar, where the conflict has revealed the vulnerabilities in the current higher education model. The tensions have highlighted that branch campuses cannot, on their own, sustain Qatar’s status as an education hub or fulfill its long-term vision… Continue reading Higher Education in Qatar: Lessons from the U.S.-Israel-Iran War