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Ali Bin Musa

Former Visiting Junior

Bio

Ali Bin Musa is a former Visiting Junior Fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs. He is recent graduate from the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies in Qatar, with a master’s degree in political science and international relations.

His research interests include democratic transition, state formation, political history, and foreign policy in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Previously, he worked as a research assistant at the Doha Institute and served as an editor and translator at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies.

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Research Areas

  • Democratic transition
  • State building
  • Political history

Countries of Focus

  • Libya
  • Middle East and North Africa

Other Areas of Interest

  • Contemporary Arab political thought
  • Foreign policy

Education

  • M.A., Political Science and International Relations, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, 2023
  • B.A., Political Science and International Relations, Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus, 2019

Articles

Growing Ties Between Eastern Libya and Türkiye Increase Tensions in the Mediterranean
For years, Ankara and Athens have clashed over maritime borders and resource claims in the eastern Mediterranean. Now, Ankara’s rapprochement with Benghazi could be bearing fruit. But the rulers of eastern Libya are not without their own calculations.  
Ali Bin Musa
In Engaging the Haftars, Türkiye Makes Pragmatic Shift in Libya 
Ankara is strategically expanding its outreach to the Haftar family, adjusting to regional geopolitical shifts and positioning itself as a key mediator.  
Ali Bin Musa
Border Crossing Struggle Reflects Chronic Instability in Western Libya
Illicit trade at a key border crossing has become the focus of competition and a source of instability in Western Libya.
Ali Bin Musa
The Hamas Raid and Israel's Onslaught of Gaza
Middle East Council experts offer their thoughts on the unfolding crisis in Palestine-Israel that began on October 7.
Ali Bin Musa, Shahram Akbarzadeh, Sahar Khamis, Nader S. Kabbani, Beverley Milton Edwards, Hamidreza Azizi, Omar H. Rahman, Galip Dalay, Noha Aboueldahab, Saoud El Mawla, Faozi Al-Goidi
Türkiye Leverages Derna Relief to Reconcile with Eastern Libya
Once embroiled in a competition for external influence in Libya, Türkiye is now adopting an inclusive approach that engages more of Libya’s rival actors.
Ali Bin Musa

Publications

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May 7, 2025
MENA region -
Rivalry and Cooperation: Russia and Türkiye Navigate Libya’s Geopolitical Labyrinth

Russia and Türkiye have emerged as simultaneous geopolitical rivals and partners in conflicts across the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and Europe. Despite being on opposing sides in Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and Ukraine, Moscow and Ankara have managed to maintain cooperation and effectively navigate these conflicts to their mutual advantage.

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August 22, 2024
North Africa -
Division and Disaster: Libya’s Political Fragmentation and Response to the Derna Flood

A devastating flood hit the Libyan city of Derna on September 10 and 11, 2023. It resulted from the collapse of two dams after heavy rainfall pounded the eastern coastline of Libya due to Storm Daniel’s passage through the Mediterranean.

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