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Abdalftah Hamed Ali

Visiting Junior Fellow

Bio

Abdalftah Hamed Ali is a Visiting Junior Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, where his research addresses the climate–energy–security nexus, energy transition pathways, and their geopolitical implications in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Horn of Africa. He holds two master’s degrees: an MSc in Electrical Engineering from Eskisehir Osmangazi University in Turkey and an MA in Public Policy, with a focus on energy policy and sustainable development, from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar. He previously held research roles at Earthna (Qatar Foundation) and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies. His portfolio includes earlier professional experience as an electrical engineer, consultancy and field research on community energy access, alongside contributions to climate change and energy-access initiatives with development partners.

Hamed’s commentary and op-eds have appeared in TRT World, Amwaj Media, and Afkār. He has co-authored chapters and peer-reviewed papers published in Energy Strategy Reviews, Sustainable Futures, International Transactions on Electrical Energy Systems, the Economic Research Forum (ERF), and the Doha Institute’s HIKAMA journal.

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Research Areas

  • Economic development
  • Public policy
  • Energy transition

Countries of Focus

  • Sudan
  • Qatar
  • Middle East and North Africa

Other Areas of Interest

  • Sustainability
  • Climate Change

Education

  • M.A., Public Policy, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, 2023
  • M.Sc., Electrical Engineering, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Turkey, 2022.
  • B.Sc., Electric and Electronics Engineering, Omdurman Islamic University, Sudan, 2017.

Articles

As Sudan’s War Shifts, Atrocities Surge and Diplomacy is Tested 
The Rapid Support Forces’ capture of El Fasher has unleashed grave abuses and deepened Sudan’s humanitarian crisis, while competing foreign backers and stalled international diplomacy leave little hope for a ceasefire or political transition. 
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Civilians in the Crosshairs as RSF Escalates Sudan War with Drone Barrage
The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ assault on Port Sudan’s infrastructure marks a chilling escalation in Sudan’s civil war—one that threatens to collapse humanitarian operations, disrupt oil flows, and ignite regional instability.
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Can Qatar Thread the Needle Between LNG Expansion and Carbon Reduction?  
With many countries still reliant on dirty fuels like coal, LNG has a big role to play as a bridge fuel to a cleaner future. But will heavy investment in LNG production make the bridge too long?  
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Will Europe’s Green Agenda Disrupt LNG Imports from Qatar?
As the EU implements its ambitious policies aimed at combatting climate change, it must avoid undermining its own energy security by alienating key suppliers.
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Trump's Return and Implications for the Middle East
In this Council Views, ME Council experts react to Donald Trump’s re-election, analyzing what his return to the White House means for the Middle East and North Africa. 
Ahmed Morsy, Mouin Rabbani, Tarik M. Yousef, Nader S. Kabbani, Paul Dyer, Aisha Al-Sarihi, Galip Dalay, Ranj Alaaldin, Robert P. Beschel Jr., Justin Dargin , Faozi Al-Goidi, Alhala Alkuwari, Abdalftah Hamed Ali, Mahjoob Zweiri, Yahia H. Zoubir
Sudan’s Dam Disaster: Where Climate Change Meets War
The recent floods and collapse of Sudan's Arbaat Dam exposes how climate change is multiplying the impacts of the war.
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Gaza and Its Impact Three Months On - Council Views
Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is entering its fourth month with no end in sight. Council experts explore various dimensions of the fallout.
Adel Abdel Ghafar, Galip Dalay, Omar H. Rahman, Beverley Milton Edwards, Tarik M. Yousef, Abdalftah Hamed Ali, Alhala Alkuwari, Ranj Alaaldin, Sahar Khamis
“Global Boiling” is a Grim Reality: MENA Governments Must do More to Prepare
Climate change poses as great a threat to the Middle East and North Africa as anywhere on the globe. So why aren’t more governments in the region doing much about it?
Abdalftah Hamed Ali
Will COP28 Accelerate Climate Action in the Gulf and Beyond?
As the UAE gears up to host COP28, questions persist as to the sincerity of the oil exporting countries of the Gulf in addressing climate change. They should be judged according to their actions.
Aisha Al-Sarihi, Abdalftah Hamed Ali
BRICS Summit: Shaping a New Geopolitical Landscape – Council Views
The expansion of BRICS, announced at the August summit in South Africa, signals an emerging shift in the international order. Middle East Council experts analyze the significance of the bloc on the global stage and discuss questions raised at the summit about multipolarity, de-dollarization, and more.
Galip Dalay, Beverley Milton Edwards, Aisha Al-Sarihi, Shahram Akbarzadeh, Adel Abdel Ghafar, Ranj Alaaldin, June Park, Oumeyma Chelbi, Abdalftah Hamed Ali

Publications

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November 12, 2025
North Africa -
Rebuilding Sudan’s Energy Sector: Pathways to Equitable Post-Conflict Recovery

Key Takeaways Structural and Financial Issues Weigh Heavily on Sudan’s Energy Sector: The sector is structurally weak, highly centralized, and underfunded, with aging infrastructure and inefficient, state-dominated operations. Conflict has damaged key assets and prevented rebuilding. Low Capacity is Obstructing Adoption of Renewables: Operational inefficiencies and a shortage of technical expertise are hindering uptake. Some… Continue reading Rebuilding Sudan’s Energy Sector: Pathways to Equitable Post-Conflict Recovery

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May 23, 2025
Gulf Countries -
Localizing Renewable Energy Supply Chains in the Gulf: Ambitions, Challenges, and Strategic Pathways

Despite their abundant oil and gas wealth, the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are cautiously navigating the energy transition. Growing international pressure for decarbonization, falling solar and wind technology costs, and the economic imperative to diversify beyond oil have led them to explore renewable energy supply chains to diversify their economies and enhance their energy security

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April 4, 2024
North Africa -
Sudan’s Puzzle: Confronting Climate Change in a War-torn State

Sudan is one of the world’s most vulnerable countries to climate change. Rising temperatures, increasingly erratic monsoon rains, prolonged droughts and frequent flooding pose mounting threats to both the environment and human society. Despite some efforts to mitigate these phenomena, Sudan’s latest conflict has highlighted the complex relationship between environmental fragility and geopolitical turmoil.

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