Politics and Governance

France is positioning to be a more influential actor across the Middle East, but the European powerhouse is most likely to see immediate traction on the economic tracks that run to and from the Gulf.

A Saudi decision to invite Gulf partners to cohost the World Cup would reinforce the kingdom’s role as the driving force behind a more integrated, connected, and resilient Gulf.

On July 14, an AGSI delegation participated in a joint roundtable hosted by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Under Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, Qatar would be known – as a mediator, a broadcaster, a host of mega sports events, and an investor – and that notoriety would itself become a form of security: deterrence by relevance.

When regional actors or great powers ask these days what determines the success or failure of their strategies in the region, they are increasingly discovering that developments in Syria heavily shape the outcome.

The Arab Gulf States Institute, Middle East Institute Switzerland, and Università Ca' Foscari co-hosted a roundtable on U.S. investment in Syria.

The Saudi-Pakistani defense pact has been tested with the Iran war, as Pakistan seeks to maintain the fragile status quo in the neighborhood.

A strong relationship with the GCC acts as a stabilizing force for an inherently fragile Iraqi state. But to maintain this, Iraq needs to pair sophisticated regional diplomacy with assertive control over the nonstate actors operating within its borders.