The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) is organizing a webinar to explore how Syria can navigate the challenges of fostering security, state-building, inclusive governance, minority protection, humanitarian relief, and economic recovery, despite decades of Ba’athist rule and the lasting impact of a 13-year civil conflict since 2011. This webinar will also examine the implications on Palestine and Lebanon, emphasizing Iran-backed resistance to Israel’s territorial ambitions contributing to rising regional tensions. It will also address regional relations with Syria’s Northeast and border security with Jordan, Iraq, Türkiye, and Israel.
Archives: Events List
Humanitarian Engagement with Non-State Armed Groups
Over 195 million people live under armed group control, making engagement with NSAGs vital for delivering aid, protecting civilians, and upholding humanitarian law in conflict zones.
Innovative Solutions to Common Health Challenges in the Global South
A dedicated session at Doha Forum 2024 will spotlight the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative, bringing together representatives and experts to assess progress and strategize solutions for advancing primary healthcare access in the Global South.
Palestine’s Path Forward: Operationalizing Vehicles of Accountability
Discussions at Doha Forum 2024, focusing on ‘The Innovation Imperative’ to reshape global governance, foster cooperation, and address critical challenges.
Closed Policy Roundtable with the EU Middle East and Gulf Working Party
insights from the Middle East Council’s closed policy roundtable with EU Delegation on key regional developments, including Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, Iran, and GCC dynamics.
From Challenges to Change: Enhancing Global South Health through Collaboration
Explore collaborative solutions to critical health challenges in the Global South. Learn about the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative, launched by the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with Qatar’s support, fostering dialogue and action for enhanced global health.
Shifting Arab Public Opinion and the Gaza War
the Middle East Council on Global Affairs in partnership with the Arab Barometer examine the implications of these shifts on the region’s future and hopes for a resolution to the Palestinian Israeli conflict.
Exclusive Policy Roundtable with H.E. Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof
H.E. Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof discussing regional conflict mediation at the ME Council’s closed policy roundtable, November 2024
The 20th KOREA-MIDDLE EAST COOPERATION FORUM
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) is co-hosting the 20th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum on November 26, 2024, in Seoul, Korea under the theme “Korea and the Middle East: Past, Present and Future Trajectories”.
Carbon Emissions Reduction Strategies for Qatar
On 30 September 2024, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future organized a workshop to explore viable carbon emissions reductions strategies and pragmatic policy alternatives that could help Qatar achieve its ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2030.
Growth in the Middle East and North Africa: MENA Economic Update October 2024
On November 11, 2024, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs hosted Dr. Roberta Gatti, Chief Economist for MENA at the World Bank, for an exclusive policy roundtable on “Growth in the Middle East and North Africa.” Dr. Gatti shared insights from the October 2024 MENA Economic Update (MEU), addressing the region’s economic challenges with… Continue reading Growth in the Middle East and North Africa: MENA Economic Update October 2024
The Gulf and the Horn of Africa: Crossroads of Influence in the Trans-Red Sea Region
The Horn of Africa (HOA) and the Gulf region are tied by a long history of cultural, social, economic, and political links. While intra-Gulf geostrategic competition has brought both the Gulf and the Horn regions closer in various fields, it has also fueled local rivalries and contributed to the escalation of regional tensions and conflicts. The Bab al-Mandeb strait, a crucial node and vulnerable chokepoint along global trade routes, has accelerated geostrategic rivalries and interventions by global and regional actors including the United States, China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye.
Cooperation and Development in the MENA Region Amid a Polarized World
As the global landscape grows more interconnected, addressing shared challenges has never been more urgent.
Think Tank Forum: Organizing for Collective Impact
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is confronting serious political and socioeconomic challenges, from mass demonstrations and civil conflicts to intensifying macroeconomic volatility and governance crises eroding citizen-state relations.
MENA Youth Voices on Climate Change
As regional leaders from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) prepare to attend COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, young scholars, journalists, and community leaders are hoping to make their voice heard about the host of pressing climate challenges facing their countries and communities. Among the issues raised by youth activists in MENA are the insufficient action on… Continue reading MENA Youth Voices on Climate Change
Middle East Dialogue 2024
The Middle East Dialogue, a panel of regional and extra-regional experts convened by the Middle East Institute’s (MEI) Conflict Resolution and Track II Dialogues Program and the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), met in Doha, Qatar, on May 21-22, 2024, to explore regional political and economic dynamics.
The War in Sudan: Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis and Diplomatic Impasse
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs is organizing a webinar with a panel of experts to discuss the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe and the regional and international implications of the war. The discussion will convene leading experts to discuss most pressing challenges civilians face, strategies could be employed to protect vulnerable populations, especially in Darfur, key factors influencing mediation efforts, and the role of external actors playing in the conflict.
Digital Diplomacy in the Gulf Region: Theory, Practice, and Policy
To examine the shifting landscape of digital diplomacy, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), in partnership with the Institute for Advanced Study in the Global South at Northwestern University in Qatar, will be hosting a panel discussion. Experts will explore how digital technologies can enhance communication, security, and adaptability in diplomacy.
A Year After October 7: Gaza and Its Global Implications – In Conversation with John Mearsheimer
The international system appears to be at an inflection point. Israel’s destruction of Gaza and the regional spillover, the wars in Ukraine and Sudan, have all tested the system’s ability to cope with grave violations of international law in seemingly unprecedented ways, while exposing the stark double standards in how advocates of the current international order respond to those violations.
Qatar’s Role in Global Emissions Mitigation
On 3 June 2024, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) and Qatar Foundation’s Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future (Earthna) convened a roundtable discussion focusing on Qatar’s role in global emissions mitigation.
Asia and the Middle East (MENASIA) Beyond Energy: Towards Security and Defense Cooperation Workshop
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) coorganized a workshop that seeks to analyze the evolving role of Asian countries in the security and defense of the Middle East.
Natural Disasters and Climate Change in the MENA Region
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs is bringing together leading experts to explore the causes, impacts, and long-term consequences of these disasters.
Digital Deception: Disinformation, Elections, and Islamophobia
A recent report by disinformation researchers Marc Owen Jones and Sohan Dsouza revealed a multi-platform global influence campaign promoting anti-Muslim hate and sectarianism. Jones and Dsouza’s report highlights the use of disinformation to spread a broadly neoconservative agenda, including xenophobic, anti-immigration, and anti-Muslim propaganda and disinformation. The campaigns also sought to promote sectarian division in… Continue reading Digital Deception: Disinformation, Elections, and Islamophobia
A Region at War: Views from Lebanon, Iran, and Palestine
the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) will host a webinar to unpack these major escalations and their regional aftershocks. The discussion will convene leading experts to analyze the impact of the recent assassinations and retaliations on the strategic calculations of Hezbollah, Hamas, Israel, and Iran.
Iran’s Elections: Domestic and Regional Implications
ME Council is holding a webinar to discuss with a panel of experts the results of the presidential elections in Iran following the death of former President Ebrahim Raisi.
Reinventing Money: Central Bank Digital Currencies and their Global Implications
ME Council held a roundtable discussion on Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and their implications on May 10 and 11, 2024 in Istanbul, Türkiye, and in collaboration with the UNDP’s Istanbul International Center for Private Sector Development.
The Belt and Road Initiative Ten Years On: Challenges, Opportunities, and Prospects for China-Middle East Cooperation
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) co-hosted a workshop titled “The Belt and Road Initiative Ten Years On: Challenges, Opportunities, and Prospects for China-Middle East Cooperation” in partnership with the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). The event took place on April 25-26, 2024, at SASS.
Looking Forward: Assessing Conflict Trajectories in the Middle East
To explore the future trajectories of conflict in the region, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), in collaboration with the Middle East Institute (MEI), will host a public panel discussion. Experts will explore regional de-escalation and conflict resolution efforts amidst the war on Gaza.
The Middle East Reset Amid the War on Gaza
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs is hosting a webinar to analyze the shifting regional order amid Israel’s brutal military campaign in Gaza and in the wake of Iran-Israel escalation.
Iran in the Middle East: Building Bridges or Expanding Influence?
In collaboration with the Middle East Studies Forum (MESF) at Deakin University, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted an online panel discussion on “Iran’s role in the Middle East: Building Bridges or Expanding Influence?” The event marked the launch of an ME Council dossier encompassing the same topic, edited by Shahram Akbarzadeh, a nonresident senior fellow at the ME Council, and Hamidreza Azizi, a nonresident fellow at the ME Council. Shahram Akbarzadeh moderated the event and highlighted the session’s significance against the backdrop of escalating regional tensions amid the ongoing war in Gaza. The panel featured Hamidreza Azizi alongside experts Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University in Qatar, and Azadeh Zamirirad, deputy head of the Africa and the Middle East division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
Unfolding Tragedy: Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis
More than six months into the war between Israel and Hamas, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is every day more severe. More than 33,000 Palestinians have been killed, and over 75% of the total population has been displaced. Aid agencies agree that a famine is now imminent. Aid delivery has long been hindered by restrictions and concrete challenges on the ground, while the lives of humanitarian workers are endangered. This event delves into the crisis affecting the Gaza Strip, focusing on the humanitarian impact of the conflict, the management of aid in the Strip, and the politisation of humanitarian efforts since the outbreak of the conflict.
Annual Suhoor: Voices from the Arab Diaspora: Public intellectuals, Literature, and Exile
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted a Suhoor Gala, featuring a panel discussion featuring prominent Arab writers and public intellectuals who address various issues concerning the Arab world from their perspectives in the diaspora. The panel discussed topics such as identities, hyphenated identities, how their status as Arab exiles influences their writing, and their position in both historical and contemporary contexts of Arab intellectuals in exile or the diaspora.
Japan and the GCC: Towards a Comprehensive Partnership
The Middle East Council of Global Affairs (ME Council) convened a panel of experts who touched on the historical foundations of Japan-GCC ties, the economic interdependence between both regions, and the evolving strategic and geopolitical considerations shaping this critical partnership.
The Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, have officially launched the Doha Global South Health Policy Initiative. To kick off this initiative, a high-level panel discussion titled “Enhancing Primary Healthcare Access in the Global South: Challenges and Solutions” was held on February 19, 2024, at the Sheraton Grand Doha. The event brought together representatives from nine low-and-middle-income Countries (LMICs) in Africa and Asia, alongside international experts and key stakeholders from Qatar, including the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Qatar Fund for Development, Qatar University, and Hamad Bin Khalifa University.
Shaping Public Opinion on Gaza: Disinformation, Propaganda, and Alternative Narratives
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) co-hosted the 18th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum on November 18, 200 in Seoul, Korea, in partnership with the Korea-Arab Society (KAS) and Jeju Peace Institute (JPI), the event was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. First launched in 2003, this forum is a track 1.5 forum held annually in Korea and countries in the Middle East alternately and attended by both private and public sectors. The 19th forum will be held next year in Doha.
Palestine Has Become a Global Crisis – Does It Have a Global Solution?
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) organized a plenary discussion at the Doha Forum titled “Palestine Has Become a Global Crisis – Does It Have a Global Solution?” The plenary was moderated by Becky Anderson, managing editor and anchor of Connect the World at CNN, and included Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, minister… Continue reading Palestine Has Become a Global Crisis – Does It Have a Global Solution?
Asia and the GCC: A Deepening Partnership
As the economic weight of the world shifts towards Asia, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is deepening ties with Asia’s biggest economies, including China, South Korea, Japan and India.
The Middle East’s Fragile Reset: What Future?
As part of the 2023 Doha Forum, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs held a panel discussion titled “The Middle East’s Fragile Reset: What Future?”
Gaza’s Unfolding Tragedy: Palestinian and Regional Perspectives
In response to these tragic events, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) in partnership with the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut hosted a webinar to offer Palestinian and regional perspectives. What is Israel’s endgame as it begins a military ground invasion? Does Hamas and the larger Palestinian national movement have a strategy? Is the regionalization of this conflict inevitable? How will the broader international community respond, and what are the geopolitical implications beyond the region?
The 19th Korea Middle East Cooperation Forum: Towards Stronger Cooperation and Partnership
The 19th edition of the Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, held in Doha, Qatar, is sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and co-hosted by the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), Korea-Arab Society (KAS), Jeju Peace Institute (JPI), and the Ibn Khaldon Center at Qatar University.
A Pending Crisis? Global Economic Slowdown in the MENA Region
To examine the potential impact of the global economic slowdown on the MENA region, the Middle East Council for Global Affairs (ME Council) will hold a webinar bringing together a panel of esteemed regional experts in finance, banking, and economics.
Refugees in the Middle East: Navigating an Uncertain Future
In recognition of World Refugee Day, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut invite you to a discussion on the future of refugees in the MENA region, with a focus on Syria and lessons learned for Sudan.
AI and Policy Making in the MENA Region: Impact and Risks
the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council), in collaboration with the Gulf Studies Center (GSC) at Qatar University, will host a webinar to discuss the opportunities and threats posed by AI for policymaking and think tanks in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The Battle for Sudan: Drivers and Ramifications
One month after the outbreak of violence, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) will convene a panel of experts to discuss the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
Annual Suhoor Gala: Creatives and Youth Activism in MENA
To provide a platform for young voices, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted a Suhoor Gala, featuring a panel discussion with a group of youth creatives. From film and tech to art and fashion design, the panelists explored the different forms of expression that have been used to amplify youth voices and catalyze social movements in the MENA region, with the ultimate aim of improving the prospects and well-being of the youth and broader population across the region.
The Second Intifada: Reflections and Implications for Palestine Today
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted a webinar on April 12, 2023 to discuss the implications a critical juncture in Palestinian history, the Second Intifada, and address its legacy and influence on recent developments and the present reality. The discussion was moderated by Omar H. Rahman, fellow at the ME Council and editor of Afkār. The distinguished panelists included Ramzy Baroud, editor of The Palestine Chronicle, and Nour Odeh, a political analyst and journalist.
Saudi-Iran Agreement: Implications for the Middle East
The ME Council and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) held a webinar to examine the significance and implications of the Saudi-Iran agreement. The discussion addressed vital questions: what are the drivers behind this historical agreement? What obstacles remain in terms of implementing the agreement and how might they be addressed? How have China’s mediation efforts shaped the agreement, and how might this affect Saudi and Iranian relations with China and other global powers, namely Russia and the United States? And what implications might the warming of ties have for ongoing conflicts in the region, particularly the wars in Yemen and Syria?
MENA Think Tank Roundtable: Improving Relevance and Impact at a Time of Mounting Global Uncertainty
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region faces complex issues, including conflict, inequality, and water scarcity, amid intensifying geopolitical competition and threat multipliers such as climate change. Think tanks play a critical role in generating policy solutions to these issues but must work creatively and collaboratively to navigate the uncertain terrain. Moreover, think tanks themselves face challenges, from connecting with decision-makers to securing operational resources while maintaining their autonomy. In response to these challenges, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) and the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs (IFI) at the American University of Beirut (AUB) convened a roundtable think tank leaders from across the region. The roundtable consisted of five sessions held at the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q). The distinguished participants assessed the opportunities and risks confronting their think tanks and the region.
One Year in: How the Ukraine War Is Reshaping Russia’s presence and policy in the MENA region?
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted a webinar on March 15, 2023, in collaboration with Kedge Business School, examining how the war in Ukraine has impacted Russia’s presence in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Experts examined key issues pertaining to the war, including regional states’ geopolitical posturing, evolving Russian economic relations with the region, and the emerging risks and opportunities for the region as the war continues. Galip Dalay, nonresident senior fellow at the ME Council, moderated the discussion. The expert panelists included Andrey Kortunov, director general of the Russian International Affairs Council; Hannah Notte, senior research associate with the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non‑Proliferation (VCDNP); and Hamidreza Azizi, visiting fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).
Türkiye – Syria Earthquake: How Far Will the Tragedy Reverberate?
The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) hosted a webinar on February 28, 2023, examining the extent to which the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria on February 6 will shape the domestic and regional political orders in the period ahead. The webinar convened a panel of Turkish and Syrian domestic and foreign policy experts to address key issues, including the impact of the crisis on regional security and how the international community can accelerate the reconstruction process. Ranj Alaaldin, fellow at the ME Council, moderated the discussion. The expert panelists included Sara Kayyali, a human rights lawyer and analyst; Piotr Zalewski, Turkey correspondent for The Economist; and Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.