Energy & Economics

Policy Analysis on Energy & Economics

Articles & Testimony

Shifting Sands in the House of Saud with a King’s Declining Health

King Salman may not be on his deathbed, but his son is renowned for not wanting to waste an opportunity.

Jul 21, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

East Mediterranean Energy Rivalries Face Harsh Economic Realities

Even if acute diplomatic differences are resolved, low natural gas prices will have a cooling effect on regional energy initiatives.

Jul 17, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Political Instability Deepens in Tunisia

The prime minister’s resignation throws the country into political uncertainty at a time of mounting economic challenges, coronavirus fears, social unrest, and potential spillover from the Libya conflict.

Jul 17, 2020

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Sarah Feuer

Articles & Testimony

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States Under Stress

As Riyadh aims to revamp the kingdom’s place in the international community, its near-term approach to Iran and Israel will have much to say about the Gulf neighborhood’s future trajectory.

Jul 15, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Articles & Testimony

Iraqi Kurdistan: Priority Issues for International Mediation

Baghdad, Erbil, and their foreign partners should focus on mending harmful intra-Kurdish rifts, forging a multiyear budget deal, and reactivating elite counterterrorism coordination, among other initiatives.

Jul 10, 2020

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Michael Knights

Brief Analysis

Sudan on Edge: An Inevitable Fall or a Better Way Ahead?

Washington needs to go fast on Sudan, not slow, frontloading relief to bolster the civilian government while warning regional leaders not to use the country as another geopolitical football.

Jul 10, 2020

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Alberto Fernandez

Articles & Testimony

Israel’s Short-Lived ‘Victory’ Over Coronavirus

Political, social, and epidemiological missteps have left the country with limited options short of an onerous national lockdown.

Jul 7, 2020

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Neri Zilber

Brief Analysis

The Fragile Status Quo in Northeast Syria

The mixed Kurdish-Arab zone could buckle under any number of security, health, and economic threats, especially if the United States surrenders to Russian and Turkish interests by withdrawing its remaining forces.

Jul 1, 2020

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Fabrice Balanche

Video

Brief Analysis

The New U.S.-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Expert Views from Both Sides

One of Iraq’s most prominent public opinion analysts joins two American experts to assess the dialogue’s achievements and discuss what Baghdad and Washington can do to advance real reform.

Jun 18, 2020

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Munqith Dagher
Barbara A. Leaf
Bilal Wahab

Brief Analysis

Middle East Mega-Trends, COVID-19, and Beyond:

Views from France

A leading scholar of Islam explores the region’s crises and their effects on Western policy, assessing what has changed since the Arab Spring.

Jun 12, 2020

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Gilles Kepel

Brief Analysis

The Caesar Act Comes Into Force (Part 2): Pressuring Hezbollah in Lebanon

In addition to targeting Hezbollah and other local actors who support the Assad regime and harm Lebanon’s economy, the new U.S. legislation can help bolster Beirut’s sovereignty.

Jun 12, 2020

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Hanin Ghaddar

Brief Analysis

The Caesar Act Comes Into Force (Part 1): Increasing the Assad Regime’s Isolation

New Syria sanctions signal bipartisan support for continued diplomatic isolation and economic coercion, but their impact ultimately depends on whether the executive branch is willing to prioritize the issue.

Jun 11, 2020

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Dana Stroul
Katherine Bauer

Video

Brief Analysis

Lebanon's Bumpy Road to an IMF Deal:

Implications for U.S. Policy

A former senior Lebanese official joins two experts to discuss the country's growing financial crisis and the deep institutional problems it must address in order to meet IMF reform requirements.

Jun 10, 2020

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Maroun Hitti
Jessica Obeid
Sami Nader Sami Nader

Articles & Testimony

You May Pay More at the Pump, as OPEC+ Cuts Oil Production

The cartel’s latest bid to increase profits will likely be counterbalanced by depressed summer demand and increased output by other producers.

Jun 8, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Bumped Crops: Iran’s Grain Imports and Geopolitical Shocks

Despite its declarations of self-sufficiency, the country still imports large amounts of agricultural staples from abroad, leaving its food basket vulnerable to supply shocks, sanctions-related payment difficulties, environmental volatility, and other risks.

Jun 8, 2020

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Kevjn Lim

Brief Analysis

Recent Aid Agreements Provide Opportunity to Support Women in Jordan

New USAID funds and a pending strategy for enhanced development cooperation could facilitate reforms that foster a better economic environment for women, and for the kingdom as a whole.

Jun 4, 2020

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Allison Jacobs Anderson

Brief Analysis

East Mediterranean Gas Running Into Commercial, Technical, and Political Challenges

Reduced demand caused by the coronavirus and low oil/gas prices has complicated plans for further development of the region’s offshore reserves.

May 27, 2020

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Simon Henderson

Brief Analysis

Don’t Overthink the Assad-Makhlouf Feud

The Syrian leader’s dramatic war of words with his massively wealthy cousin may seem like a major fracture inside the regime, but the dynamics of past and present family disputes paint a different picture.

May 22, 2020

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Oula A. Alrifai

Brief Analysis

Violence Targeting Palestinian Banks Comes at a Sensitive Time

The latest row over prisoner payments has highlighted the PA’s longstanding legitimacy deficit and its potential inability to control events on the ground if public unrest escalates this summer.

May 14, 2020

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Ghaith al-Omari
Katherine Bauer

Articles & Testimony

Has Trump Finally Lost Patience with the Saudis?

Whatever combination of factors spurred the latest withdrawal of U.S. military equipment from the kingdom, the administration is tempting fate given Iran’s ongoing challenges and shifting tactics in the Gulf.

May 8, 2020

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Simon Henderson

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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