Publications

Introduction Iran’s role in the Middle East is both historical and evolving, marked by a strategic interplay of religion, ideology, politics, and regional dynamics. As a country situated at the core of vital geopolitical junctures, Iran’s actions have far-reaching implications, resonating across the region and beyond. This dossier is dedicated to deciphering the complexities of… Continue reading Iran in the Middle East: Building Bridges or Expanding Influence?

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.

Strategic relations between Qatar and Iraq through Qatari investments, and the challenges related to protecting Qatari investments in Iraq.

Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) issued by the Gulf countries, and their competition with digital dollar, digital yuan, and other digital currencies.

In June 2023, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune made a high-profile trip to Russia, where he received a warm welcome from President Vladimir Putin. His visit came despite strong criticism from Europe and the United States, whose Secretary of State Antony Blinken had urged Algeria a year earlier to limit its ties with Russia following the war in Ukraine.

There is little doubt that modern Türkiye and its current leadership pose a serious dilemma for many countries in the West. On one hand, the country is a rising star in the international arena, thanks to its growing geostrategic influence based on its membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), unique geographic location which bridges Asia and Europe, growing economy, and increasing diplomatic weight. On the other hand, there has been constant Western unease about Türkiye’s human rights record and the perceived strongman leadership style of its current leader.

This paper recommends transformative yet progressive solutions, embedding women’s education as the rule rather than the exception. It advocates leveraging educational institutions that resonate with society’s beliefs and traditions. Furthermore, it calls for establishing dialogue and integration channels between Afghan society and Islamic communities to dismantle the prevailing obstructions to women’s education and employment.

This paper explores the evolution of Yemen’s power dynamics and highlights how factions vie for control and perpetuate cycles of conflict. It explores competing groups’ motives and factors that enable political elites to eclipse other factions and stifle equitable representation.

The question of (dis)order remains central to current debates on Middle Eastern politics and security. It is a multifaceted question with security, political, and economic dimensions and is intimately interlinked with the Middle East’s place in the changing global system and external powers’ relations with the region. 

This issue brief argues that the war has thus far not changed Russia’s position in the Middle East in any significant way. Moscow strives to maintain its place and influence in regional geopolitics as much as possible.

Iran’s “Look East” policy is generally understood as a strategy aimed at fostering stronger political, economic, and strategic connections with countries in the Eastern hemisphere, particularly in Asia, with the goal of broadening alliance networks and diminishing Iran’s susceptibility to Western powers’ influence.

Over the past few years, Asian powers have strengthened their economic, political, and security relations with countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). While much attention has been given to China’s growing role, another Asian power has been working diligently and consistently to expand its own footprint across the region, notably in the Gulf: South Korea.