Publications

Introduction    This is the second dossier of a multi-year project entitled, “The Future of the Middle Eastern (dis) Order.” The first dossier analyzed the ongoing regional reset and emerging multipolarity, assessing their impact on intra-regional dynamics and the strategic recalibrations of regional actors in relation to external powers, as well as their approaches to conflict… Continue reading The Future of the Middle Eastern (dis)Order

The Trump Administration began the morning of February 3, 2025, by telling staff and contractors of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to stay home. Elon Musk and his team at the newly minted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) spent the day digging through staff computers, digital records, and accounts seeking information on programs they felt were wasteful or not aligned with the new administration’s priorities.

This issue brief analyzes the EU’s challenges in maintaining its influence within the GCC amidst a burgeoning GCC-Asia relationship and China’s rising prominence. It argues that the EU’s complex relationship with the GCC, entanglement with China, and internal struggles hinder its ability to compete effectively.

This policy note argues that a Greek-Turkish thaw needs to be couched within a broader Türkiye-EU reset.

This Issue Brief argues that MENA countries and their neighbors should enhance cooperation over water resources to avert future conflict. Such cooperation will be critical to safeguarding the long-term stability of the region and ensuring sustainable water management.

Climate change is high on the agenda of countries around the world. Efforts to limit the average global temperature increase to less than 1.5°C – an amount that scientist say would limit the most dire consequences of climate change – have so far faltered. Recent United Nations Climate Change Conferences have focused on exploring ways to substantially cut carbon emissions and scale up financing for emissions reductions. 

Iraq constitutes a key arena in the region-wide conflict that has emerged from the war in Gaza, and Iran-backed militias in the country constitute a vital component of the “Axis of Resistance.”

Concerns about corruption have been at the center of public dissatisfaction over the quality of governance in many Arab countries. Anger over bureaucratic indifference and malfeasance was one of the main drivers behind the Arab Spring in 2010 and 2011. In 2019, corruption concerns animated the unrest in Lebanon, Iraq and Sudan. Polling data from… Continue reading How Effective Are Arab Anticorruption Agencies? Is the Glass Half Empty or Half Full?

The Horn of Africa (HoA) and the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) share a long history of commercial, cultural, religious, and security ties. In recent years, relations between both witnessed consequential developments, primarily within the security and economic realms. These domains have grown to hold an important role in ties between both regions due to the global strategic importance of the Red Sea, a vital maritime route.

The geopolitical landscape of the Middle East has long been shaped by the interests of major global powers. Traditionally, Western powers, particularly the United States and a number of European countries, have played dominant roles in the region’s defense frameworks and security architecture. However, recent years have seen a notable shift in this dynamic, with Asian countries increasingly emerging as contributors in the Middle East’s security and defense.  

Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), a political party deeply rooted in Turkish nationalism, recently made a groundbreaking call to invite Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to address Türkiye’s parliament. This move marks a significant shift in the country’s approach to the 40-year conflict. On October 22, 2024, Bahçeli urged parliament to allow Öcalan to “unilaterally declare that terrorism is over and his organization dissolved.”

Saied’s suppression of dissent has had severe implications for Tunisian journalists and freedom of the press.