Publications

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.

Accelerating the growth of the green economy should happen rapidly through policy actions. If the global green transition is left to market forces, it can have grave consequences for the world. Considering the varied levels of technological advancements among countries, some will be better placed to develop and push forward green technology, whereas others will simply be adopting these new technologies.

The four major Asian powers—Japan, China, India, and South Korea—have deepened their engagement across the Middle East.

At his first meeting with the Council of Ministers in April 2023, Qatar’s new Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani articulated a clear set of priorities for Qatar’s public sector. They include managing the state and its resources to achieve the greatest efficiency and productivity; providing high-quality services to citizens, residents, investors, and tourists; and diversifying the employment of Qatari nationals away from the public sector

Algeria and Türkiye have built a strategic partnership premised on shared stances towards international issues and mutual interests. Algeria represents a strategic gate, for Türkiye, to the Sahel and Sub-Saharan Africa. For Algeria, Türkiye provides an appealing development model.

Türkiye’s vulnerability to earthquakes, exemplified by the earthquakes of 1999 in Izmit and recently in Anatolia, highlights the urgency for improved earthquake resilience. Despite efforts to upgrade housing stock, a significant portion of the country’s buildings remain vulnerable.

The characterization of Israeli control over Palestinians as an apartheid system represents a significant shift in the way the regime is portrayed and understood. While the application of the term to Israel has been around since the 1960s, traction has intensified over the past two decades, partly due to the emergence of an anti-apartheid movement and increasing recognition that Israel’s grip on Palestinian territory is permanent. Legal experts, scholars, human rights professionals, and multilateral institutions have all contributed to the growing body of research and analysis supporting the charge.  

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, public health specialists across the globe struggled with efforts to accurately count the number of COVID-19 cases and associated deaths.

Over the COVID-19 pandemic, Egyptian data on confirmed cases and deaths remained strikingly low, particularly given rates in neighboring countries, high comorbidities within the population, and evidence of infection among many traveling from Egypt. Despite governmental assertions of limited viral spread, COVID-19 was prevalent across the country—as it was in nearly all countries—and it had led to an uncertain number of deaths.