Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia

Biden Needs a Middle East Strategy to Avoid New Crises

To dispel confusion among America’s partners and better counter its adversaries, the administration will have to do a better job of integrating its country-specific strategies into an overarching approach for accomplishing larger goals.

Aug 10, 2021

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Kenneth Pollack
Dennis Ross

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

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

Managing Middle East Defense Partnerships Amid Great Power Competition

The U.S. government can counter the narrative of withdrawal by disassociating its regional commitment from the number of “boots on the ground,” building longer-term security cooperation plans, and clarifying its CAATSA sanctions policy.

Jul 13, 2021

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Grant Rumley
Kathryn Wheelbarger

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

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

Brief Analysis

Uneasy State of Play Awaits New UN Envoy in Yemen

The next envoy will be asked to find a quick path to peace where no obvious one exists, armed with little leverage for budging the emboldened and well-positioned Houthis.

Jul 1, 2021

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Elana DeLozier

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

Articles & Testimony

The Policy Consequences of Arab State Normalization with the Assad Regime

In addition to undermining the Biden administration’s promised focus on human rights, allowing Assad to regain legitimacy abroad would constitute a strategic blunder that cannot be explained away.

Jun 2, 2021

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Oula A. Alrifai
Aaron Y. Zelin

Articles & Testimony

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

Chinese and U.S. flags flutter at a trade meeting in Shanghai

Articles & Testimony

Beijing Is Social Media Trolling Biden Over Gaza

China’s "wolf warrior" diplomacy has discovered the Middle East, catching Washington unprepared.

May 26, 2021

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Michael Singh

Articles & Testimony

Achieving Sustainable Peace in Yemen

A political settlement with the Houthis is important, but no agreement can last without local buy-in and concerted efforts to rebuild Yemen’s infrastructure, institutions, and governance practices.

May 19, 2021

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Elana DeLozier
Adam Baron

Brief Analysis

Bahrain’s Interlocking Regional and Domestic Tensions

Manama is still grappling with the complex challenge of developing ties with Israel while coping with homegrown Shia militancy.

May 10, 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

Articles & Testimony

Want to Sell F-35s to the UAE? Time to Address the China Factor

To safeguard U.S. national security, the Biden administration needs to hold the UAE to the same standards it demands of other partners in the Joint Strike Fighter program.

Apr 26, 2021

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David Schenker

Articles & Testimony

Iran Moves Closer to a Diplomatic Breakthrough That May Upset Israel

A bevy of Israeli security officials will soon visit Washington against a backdrop of Vienna talks, Saudi engagement with Tehran, and continued nuclear moves.

Apr 22, 2021

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Simon Henderson

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

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

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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