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Gulf & Energy Policy

Policy Analysis on Gulf & Energy Policy

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UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
MbZ Visits Washington: Meeting Agendas and Regional Implications
The Emirati leader will likely focus on the future of bilateral economic and technological integration, but discussions will also cover sensitive matters such as great-power concerns over China and Russia, regional nuclear proliferation, and a potential role for his country in postwar Gaza.
Sep 20, 2024
◆
  • Simon Henderson
  • Elizabeth Dent
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa in Riffa, Bahrain - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
U.S.-Bahrain Ties One Year After the Strategic Partnership Agreement
Two veteran ambassadors discuss bilateral efforts in the security, economic, and technology sectors, noting the agreement’s potential as a template for other countries in the region.
Sep 11, 2024
◆
  • Steven C. Bondy
  • Sheikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa
President Joe Biden arrives in Saudi Arabia in July 2022
Brief Analysis
U.S.-Saudi Defense Cooperation: Next Steps
Even if an Israeli-Saudi normalization deal proves unattainable for now, Washington and Riyadh should still seek ways to enhance military and defense cooperation in order to advance common interests and prepare for future security challenges.
Sep 10, 2024
◆
  • Andrew G. Clemmensen
  • Abdullah Hayek
Articles & Testimony
How the U.S. Used Arms Sales to Shift Saudi Behavior
Weapons bans have proven to be a fickle tool historically, so why did they work in Riyadh’s case?
Sep 4, 2024
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
  • Grant Rumley
The crude oil tanker Sounion burns in the Red Sea after an attack by Houthi forces in Yemen - source: EUNAVFOR
Brief Analysis
Five Lessons from the Sounion Salvage Crisis in the Red Sea
The United States and its partners should take several immediate steps to avoid an environmental disaster, counter the Houthi spin about the incident, and prevent the group from creating other hazmat emergencies in the Red Sea.
Aug 29, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
A Russia-linked ship on the Red Sea.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Even After Houthi Attacks, Russia-Linked Tankers Return to Red Sea
The operators are either accepting risk on a vital transport route or else no longer concerned about perceptions about their vessels’ past links to Britain.
Aug 22, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
◆ Maritime Spotlight
Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Bahraini crown prince and prime minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa - source: Department of State
Brief Analysis
One Year of the U.S.-Bahrain C-SIPA: Signs of Progress, Regional Potential
The progress the two partners have made through C-SIPA offers a fresh model for future U.S. cooperation with other Middle East countries in the security, economic, and technology sectors.
Aug 21, 2024
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
Brief Analysis
Saudi Arabia Increases Its Cooperation with World’s Nuclear Watchdog
The small but significant step could facilitate U.S. technology transfers to the kingdom, said to be a key element in any potential Israeli-Saudi normalization deal—but proliferation concerns persist.
Aug 8, 2024
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Screenshot excerpt of a StoryMap covering maritime attacks in the Middle East.
Maps & Graphics
Articles & Testimony
Tracking Maritime Attacks in the Middle East Since 2019
An interactive map showing the extent to which Houthi forces, their Iranian military patrons, and other actors have been targeting vessels in regional waterways for years, including well before the Hamas-Israel war.
Aug 3, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
◆ Maritime Spotlight
Houthi missile hits Chios Lion tanker, Red Sea, July 2024.
Maps & Graphics
Houthi Attacks on Russia-Linked Tankers
Available data suggests the Yemeni group has been going after vessels carrying Russian cargo, particularly if an operator's ships have visited Israeli ports.
Jul 26, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
◆ Maritime Spotlight
A screenshot from MarineTraffic shows the past tracks of the livestock carrier Shorthorn Express (IMO 9167318), which as of July 2, 2024, was sailing toward the British Isles.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Are the Houthis Attacking Ships in the Mediterranean?
Direct strikes from the Yemeni group are unlikely at the moment, but a more aggressive Hezbollah could alter the threat picture.
Jul 3, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
◆ Maritime Spotlight
The U.S. Navy aircraft carriers Harry S. Truman and Dwight D. Eisenhower on joint operations in the CENTCOM region - source: Department of Defense
Brief Analysis
Carrier Gap Increases the Red Sea’s Vulnerability to Houthi Attacks
To fill the capabilities gap between carrier groups and prepare for potential Houthi escalation in the next few weeks, the United States and its partners need to implement stopgap measures and, ideally, surge more military assets into the region temporarily.
Jun 28, 2024
◆
  • Elizabeth Dent
An explosion hits the civilian cargo vessel MV Tutor in the Red Sea - source: Houthi Media Center
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Houthi Ship Attacks Pose a Longer-Term Challenge to Regional Security and Trade Plans
The immediate effects of the Houthi antishipping campaign are measurably serious, but the United States, Saudi Arabia, and other partners also need to prepare for the emboldened group to exert its newfound leverage in other ways beyond the Gaza war.
Jun 26, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
Brief Analysis
Energy Watchdog Predicts Big Oil Surplus by 2030
Implied lower prices would weaken economic forecasts for major Middle East oil producers.
Jun 14, 2024
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Kuwait City at sunset.
Brief Analysis
A Kuwaiti Reset?
The new emir’s suspension of parliament, followed by the appointment of a prime minister and crown prince, suggests a different direction for the oil-rich Gulf state.
Jun 7, 2024
◆
  • Simon Henderson
  • David Schenker
Marshall Islands–flagged bulk carrier Laax (IMO 9512355), which was attacked in the southern Red Sea on May 28, 2024. photo obtained via the X/Twitter account of French forces stationed in the UAE and deployed in the Indian Ocean, https://x.com/FFEAU_ALINDIEN/status/1795837694960189920.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Behind Houthi Attacks on Ships Operated by Greece-Based Companies
Links to Israel-linked companies, especially in light of the Rafah invasion, are again the culprit.
May 31, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
◆ Maritime Spotlight
U.S. and Saudi air force officers greet one another during a joint exercise - source: Department of Defense
Brief Analysis
Security Cooperation in a Changed Region: How to Advance the U.S.-GCC Defense Working Groups
From aligning weapons acquisition strategies and improving intelligence sharing to getting the diplomatic framing right, U.S. officials can do more to advance regional air defense and maritime security through this week’s working groups and beyond.
May 21, 2024
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  • Dana Stroul
◆ Risks and Opportunities in the Post-April 13 Middle East
A Houthi propaganda image published by the group's al-Masirah TV network.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Assessing the Latest Houthi Maritime Threats
Even increased aggressive activity in the Indian Ocean will be unlikely to seriously disrupt maritime traffic and global trade—but vessels calling on Israeli ports will need to take extra precautions.
May 16, 2024
◆
  • Noam Raydan
  • Farzin Nadimi
◆ Maritime Spotlight
Flags of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Turkey on display in Riyadh
Articles & Testimony
The Arab Approach to Mediation—Reshaping Diplomacy in a Multipolar World
Given their unique cultural concepts and major economic and political clout, the Gulf states are poised to play an even more significant role in future peace and security initiatives.
Spring 2024
◆
  • Nickolay Mladenov
Yemen's Houthis in formation.
Articles & Testimony
Assessing the Houthi War Effort Since October 2023
An in-depth look at the movement’s current capabilities, military situation inside Yemen, and strategic intentions amid the Gaza war and beyond.
April 2024
◆
  • Michael Knights

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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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Featured experts

Patrick Clawson
Patrick Clawson
Patrick Clawson is the Morningstar Senior Fellow and Research Counselor at The Washington Institute.
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson is the Baker Senior Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
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