Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

Wondering Why Gas Costs So Much? Blame Consumer Demands and the Oil Market

A post-oil future isn’t without risks, whether for Middle Eastern producers or Western economies still tied to hydrocarbons in myriad ways.

May 28, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Algeria’s Economic Challenges: Opportunities for U.S. Engagement

The pandemic has exacerbated persistent structural problems in the government’s approach to foreign investment, banking reform, monetary policy, and other sectors, but Algiers may be more open to U.S. advice on such matters.

May 28, 2021

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Geoff Porter

Syrian rebel fighters play a board game in a cafe

Brief Analysis

Stalemate in Northeast Syria: Options for Advancing U.S. Interests

In addition to clarifying its intentions and fortifying its presence in the area, the U.S. government needs to increase its focus on stability, security, and economic development.

May 21, 2021

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Kenneth R. Rosen

Video

Brief Analysis

An Expanded Agenda for U.S.-Israel Partnership: New Technologies, New Opportunities

Experts discuss how the two allies can work more closely on everything from artificial intelligence to missile defense, ideally with help from emerging Arab partners.

May 7, 2021

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Michael Eisenstadt
Henry "Trey" Obering III
Samantha Ravich
David Pollock

Brief Analysis

Lines in the Sea: The Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Dispute

Benefitting from offshore natural gas reserves should be a win-win situation, but in this case the players may turn it into a zero-sum game.

May 3, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

UAE Wealth Fund to Buy Share of Israeli Gas Field

If the $1.1 billion deal goes ahead, it will strengthen Abu Dhabi’s claim to be a player in the East Mediterranean.

Apr 27, 2021

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Simon Henderson

Video

Brief Analysis

The Economic Future of Northeast Syria

Experts discuss the humanitarian, trade, and security measures that are necessary to stabilizing the northeast and preventing the Islamic State and Assad from extending their harmful influence there.

Apr 23, 2021

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Jennifer Cafarella
Sasha Ghosh-Siminoff
Kenneth R. Rosen

Video

Brief Analysis

Can Erdogan Charm Biden?

An expert conversation on the pitfalls and potential areas of cooperation between Washington and Ankara in the coming years.

Apr 21, 2021

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Soner Cagaptay
Asli Aydintasbas
Max Hoffman
Jenny White

Articles & Testimony

Can New Tech Save Iraq’s Old Economy?

In recalibrating its relationship with Baghdad, the Biden administration should consider how it can encourage the evolution of the country’s nascent cyber economy.

Apr 20, 2021

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Bilal Wahab
Michael Rubin

Satellite image of the Red Sea region and the Arabian Peninsula

Video

Brief Analysis

Don't Part the Red Sea: Formulating Holistic Policy Toward a Key Region

A former NAVCENT commander joins a panel of distinguished diplomats and experts to discuss why Washington should approach the region’s disparate economic, political, and security issues in a more integrated fashion.

Apr 19, 2021

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John Miller
Susan L. Ziadeh
Tibor Nagy
Elana DeLozier

Brief Analysis

Iran’s Underground Las Vegas

From pop stars to porn stars to bitcoins, the rise of online gambling sites in Iran is raising eyebrows—as well as questions about whether the IRGC and other regime organs are benefitting from the scandalous new industry.

Apr 16, 2021

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Arash Aalaei

Iranian sailors on board a naval vessel in the Strait of Hormuz

Brief Analysis

Iran and Israel’s Undeclared War at Sea (Part 2): The Potential for Military Escalation

Although both sides have sought to keep their tit-for-tat maritime attacks under control, they pose a substantial risk of miscalculation and escalation that could jeopardize international shipping.

Apr 13, 2021

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Farzin Nadimi

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi meets Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman in Riyadh

Brief Analysis

China’s Foreign Minister Tours the Middle East: Outcomes and Implications

The trip echoed Beijing’s strategy of stringing together initiatives that seem insubstantial on their own but cumulatively threaten to undermine U.S. and regional interests.

Apr 9, 2021

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Ilari Papa

Frech president Emmanuel Macron inspects the site of the Beirut port explosion

Brief Analysis

French-German Proposals to Rebuild Beirut Port: Policy Implications

Whoever winds up spearheading the reconstruction effort, Washington should stay on top of them to ensure that international prerequisites for reform and monitoring are enforced—and to keep China from exploiting Lebanon’s struggles.

Apr 9, 2021

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David Schenker

Brief Analysis

Iran and Israel’s Undeclared War at Sea (Part 1): IRGC-Hezbollah Financing Schemes

Recent maritime escalation between the two countries stems mainly from Iranian efforts to fund Hezbollah, underscoring the financial interdependency between the Lebanese militia, Tehran, and the Syrian regime.

Apr 6, 2021

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Matthew Levitt

Brief Analysis

One Less Hurdle Before Iraqi Elections

A complicated parliamentary compromise has reactivated some of the machinery required for this year’s proposed ballot and a potential resolution to the KRG energy dispute, though the country’s hobbled legal institutions are still holding back reform.

Apr 1, 2021

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Safwan Al-Amin
Bilal Wahab

Map showing Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance.

Maps & Graphics

Brief Analysis

Expanding Humanitarian Assistance to Syrians: Two Deadlines Approaching

Syria may not be a priority for the Biden administration, but the Brussels pledging conference and the July vote on the UN cross-border mechanism mean that major donors can no longer keep the disastrous humanitarian situation on the back burner or expect NGOs to resolve it on their own.

Mar 23, 2021

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Calvin Wilder

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking

Brief Analysis

Khamenei Continues Playing Hardball in Nowruz Speech

Far from compromising his nuclear position, the Supreme Leader keeps asserting that Iran can neutralize sanctions and solve its economic challenges on its own, both by leveraging domestic capabilities and demonstrating the people’s supposed electoral support for the regime.

Mar 22, 2021

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Omer Carmi

Brief Analysis

To Push Past Hezbollah Stonewalling, Leverage the LAF

The political fallout from a recent speech by the Lebanese Armed Forces commander gives Washington and its partners a golden opportunity to prod the country from crisis management toward actual solutions.

Mar 18, 2021

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

Continued Houthi Strikes Threaten Saudi Oil and the Global Economic Recovery

Saudi Arabia used what Congress might consider “offensive weapons” to successfully defend major oil terminals, but a much more devastating attack is inevitable if Houthi missile and drone attacks persist.

Mar 12, 2021

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Michael Knights

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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