Umer Karim
Umer Karim is an associate fellow at the King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies. He is also a doctoral researcher in the Department of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. His academic research focuses on Saudi foreign policy and politics, in particular the Saudi regional policy outlook and the broader geopolitics of the Middle East. Karim’s work has appeared in academic journals and mainstream news sources alike.
Analysis
Saudi-Pakistani Defense Pact Highlights Shifts in Alignments
Saudi Arabia’s strategic defense agreement with Pakistan is part of a wider formation of alignments within the broader Muslim world meant to counter Israel’s expanding power and ambitions in the region, as the threat perception has shifted from Iran to Israel.
Key Role of Gulf States in India-Pakistan Mediation
Vigorous diplomatic efforts by Gulf stakeholders, particularly Saudi Arabia, helped put an end to an escalating military confrontation between the two South Asian neighbors.
Iran-Pakistan Border Confrontation Brings Major Fallout
The flare up between Iran and Pakistan may have been snuffed out quickly, but the scars it left on the Pakistani and Iranian security establishments may affect ties going forward.
Great Expectations: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor
The institutionalization of the Gulf-India partnership through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor has solidified India’s shift away from Iran and toward the Gulf states.
10 min read
Gulf Engagement in Flux as Taliban Supreme Leader Consolidates Power
A recent meeting between Qatar and the Taliban’s supreme leader shows that engagement with the Taliban’s leadership in Kandahar is a necessary but not always sufficient condition for progress.
Gulf States at Center Stage in the Conflict in Sudan
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have emerged as key players in the military confrontation in Sudan, highlighting the continued leverage of Gulf stakeholders across the Red Sea.
Events
Apr 7, 2022
Book Launch – The Gulf States and the Horn of Africa: Interests, Influences and Instability
On April 7, AGSIW hosted a discussion examining the complex interactions between the Gulf Arab states and the countries of the Horn of Africa.
Speakers
