Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

Saudi Prince’s “Net Zero by 2060” Goal Comes with Intriguing Contradictions

His presence at a major climate event will be awash in speculation regarding Canadian hit squads, British charities, and uncertain relations with the Biden administration.

Oct 25, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Saudi Arabia: What Has Changed, What Hasn’t

An expert discusses persistent questions about Saudi policy two decades since the September 11 attacks, explaining why some of them are still so difficult to answer definitively.

Oct 13, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Newcastle United fans celebrate the Saudi purchase of their team

Brief Analysis

Saudi Soccer Investment Augurs a Different Gulf Rivalry

Riyadh’s purchase of a struggling English club could shift some of the region’s core tensions and maneuvering to a different field of play.

Oct 8, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

High Prices, Winter Shortages Delay Arrival of Post-Fossil Fuel World

The long timeframes and commercial calculations involved in such a transition have left Washington and other capitals more reliant on OPEC+ decisionmaking than they would like.

Oct 6, 2021

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Simon Henderson

U.S., Israeli, Bahraini, and Qatari flags on a mural celebrating the Abraham Accords

Articles & Testimony

Think Regionally: A US Role for Deepening the Abraham Accords

Washington should look to economic forums in other regions as a model for establishing regular cooperation between Arab and Israeli officials, business leaders, academics, and civil society groups.

Oct 3, 2021

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David Makovsky
Josh Kram

Articles & Testimony

The Assad Regime’s Business Model for Supporting the Islamic State

The international community stepped up to the ISIS challenge but has failed miserably to address the multifaceted problems presented by Assad, whose regime has worked with the terrorist group on and off for years.

Sep 26, 2021

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Matthew Levitt

Photo of Naftali Bennett and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi meeting in Sharm al-Sheikh.

Brief Analysis

The Bennett-Sisi Meeting: A Rare Chance to Publicly Boost Relations

The welcome visit indicates that Egypt-Israel ties can thrive post-Netanyahu, potentially expanding from the security domain to economic and civil affairs.

Sep 13, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Brief Analysis

UAE-Israel Gas Deal (Finally) Finalized

Given ongoing environmental concerns over energy cooperation, the chances that the two partners will fully realize their commercial potential are still up in the air.

Sep 3, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

UN Session on GERD Dispute Strains Egypt-Russia Relations

Moscow is keen on courting Ethiopia, and Cairo is beginning to realize its partner’s limitations, yet the two governments will nevertheless continue cooperating on hot-button issues like weapons procurement.

Aug 17, 2021

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Haisam Hassanein

Articles & Testimony

What’s Behind Biden’s Not-So-Green Request for More Oil?

The announcement raises several awkward geopolitical questions, but market factors may ultimately make U.S. pressure moot.

Aug 12, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Iranian military drone aircraft on display.

Articles & Testimony

What’s Worse for the Price of Oil—a Belligerent Iran or a Resurgent COVID?

The latest price lurch was rooted in the pandemic’s impact on China’s economy, not the apparent Iranian strike on an Israeli tanker.

Aug 2, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Political Crisis in Tunisia: U.S. Response Options

As the fragile Arab democracy faces its most serious test in nearly a decade, Washington should oppose any unconstitutional centralization of power, urge President Saied to clarify his roadmap for ending the impasse, and consider additional economic and medical assistance.

Jul 27, 2021

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Sarah Feuer

An oil pipeline terminal jetty in Eilat, Israel

Brief Analysis

Israel-UAE Pipeline Deal Delayed by Environmental Concerns

A bureaucratic skirmish in Naftali Bennett’s coalition government could impede Jerusalem’s growing ties with Abu Dhabi.

Jul 26, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

OPEC Will Boost Oil Output—But Don't Expect Lower Prices at the Pump

Although more supplies will be coming to market, the economic impact of this decision will depend on issues of timing, royal rapprochement, and new COVID surges.

Jul 19, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Biden Welcomes His First Arab Head of State

The visit will set the stage for future U.S. assistance negotiations and allow King Abdullah to express his views on Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy and other regional issues, while the White House can bolster the relationship and (quietly) push for achievable reforms.

Jul 15, 2021

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Ghaith al-Omari
Ben Fishman

Articles & Testimony

Expect Political Consequences from Higher Oil Prices During the Summer Driving Season

Gulf squabbles over production quotas highlight the industry’s uncertain future, but in the meantime Washington may have to deal with heightened pressure at home.

Jul 8, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Supporting Sudan’s Essential but Risky Progress

Since experiencing major upheaval and demands for change in 2019, the country has achieved real gains in its political transition, but it needs serious American assistance to safely advance the fragile process.

Jul 8, 2021

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Alberto Fernandez

Saudi Arabia's Prince Khalid bin Salman meets with U.S. military officials in 2018.

Brief Analysis

Saudi Visit to Washington Will Have a Thorny Agenda

Hosting Prince Khalid is a good look for the bilateral relationship, but discussions may prove difficult given complications over defense sales, Israeli normalization, OPEC infighting, and continued fallout over the Khashoggi affair.

Jul 6, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

The Worst of COVID-19 May Be Over, But It’s Still a Factor in the Price of Oil

The issue will likely dominate discussions at the next OPEC+ meeting, but the longer-term economic and geopolitical repercussions are trickier to gauge.

Jun 30, 2021

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Simon Henderson

President Donald Trump speaks about Syria

Articles & Testimony

The Inside Story of How Trump ‘Kept the Oil’ in Syria and Lost

The ambitious plan would have seen Delta Crescent, a tiny Delaware company, try to bring peace and stability to the war-ravaged northeast, but local corruption, a lack of U.S. commitment, and other complications doomed the idea.

May 31, 2021

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Kenneth R. Rosen

Supported by the

Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy

The Washington Institute's Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy embodies the Institute's long-term research focus on the conservative Arab Gulf states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman -- and the key role these countries play collectively as a primary source of the world's oil and natural gas.

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