Bahrain

On April 23, AGSIW hosted a virtual private roundtable with H.E. Sheikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, ambassador of Bahrain to the United States.

Israel’s ties intensified in recent years with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain and created an infrastructure conducive to the normalization of relations.

The coronavirus pandemic represents an opportunity to reevaluate existing policies and tools, and climate change provides the needed lens for redirecting development onto sustainable trajectories.

The normalization of relations with Israel provides another grievance Tehran can use to mobilize Bahrain’s Shias against their rulers.

While the UAE had a complex range of goals, Bahrain is focused on Iran.

While political narratives on Israel are shifting under the influence of some determined state leaders, resistance to normalization remains across Gulf societies.

A number of countries are expected to follow suit, each for its own distinct reasons.

As Gulf Arab policymakers continue to confront an ambiguous future, they will rely heavily on familiar economic policy measures and avoid straying from the status quo as long as possible.