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Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

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Muhandis company launch event leadership attendeees
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Muhandis Company: Iraq’s Khatam al-Anbia
Similar to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Iraqi "resistance" groups have long sought a company with preferential access to lucrative state contracts, and the Sudani government is finally providing them after years of opposition—on the Saudi border no less.
Mar 21, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
The Saudi-Iran Deal Reflects a New Global Reality
Leaders in the Middle East feel more threatened by the competition between China and the United States than by the individual powers themselves, so Washington needs to adapt accordingly.
Mar 16, 2023
◆
  • Michael Singh
Saudi Deputy Prime Minister Prince Abdullah greets Iranian President Khatami in Jeddah in May 1999 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Clarifying the Status of Previous Iran-Saudi Agreements
The steps taken to actually implement Riyadh and Tehran’s new normalization accord bear close watching given the uncertainties surrounding their 1998 and 2001 agreements.
Mar 16, 2023
◆
  • Faris Almaari
Newspapers at a shop in Tehran display headlines about the China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
What Beijing’s Iran-Saudi Deal Means—and What It Doesn’t
China brokered the agreement, but this does not signal a new Beijing-led order in the Middle East—in fact, it could make regional tensions worse.
Mar 15, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
  • Grant Rumley
Brief Analysis
China’s Track Record on Middle East Diplomacy
Beijing has responded to regional conflicts with a bevy of multilateral forums, peace plans, and envoys, but without the deeper commitments and follow-through required to resolve them.
Mar 15, 2023
◆
  • Carol Silber
Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.
Articles & Testimony
With Saudi-Iran Diplomacy, Is China Pushing the US Aside in the Middle East?
The surprise development may have more to do with resolving the Yemen war than rebuking the Biden administration, but the full implications will take time to register.
Mar 13, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Russian President Vladimi Putin tours an exhibit of Tsarist weapons on display in the UAE in 2007 - source: Reuteurs
Articles & Testimony
Russia Uses Middle Eastern Ties to Mitigate Isolation
By taking largely ambivalent stances on the Ukraine war, states in the region have helped ease the effects of international sanctions against Moscow.
Mar 7, 2023
◆
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Brief Analysis
Yemen Peace Accord Appears Increasingly Possible
A deal would leave the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in control but allow the Saudis to disengage from a costly and intractable war, potentially opening up further diplomatic possibilities.
Feb 28, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Arash-2 drones (Iran), Patriot launcher (U.S.)
In-Depth Reports
Striking Back:
Iran and the Rise of Asymmetric Drone Warfare in the Middle East
The regime’s drone and missile forces pose a stark threat to the Gulf states and Israel, necessitating a firmer, more cohesive U.S.-led response.
Feb 26, 2023
◆
  • Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr.
Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Gulf Navigates a Multipolar World
Amid global uncertainty, Gulf states are seeking to strike a delicate balance between old and new partners.
Feb 24, 2023
◆
  • Fawzi al-Zubaidi
Photo of Chinese and Emirati leaders walking.
Articles & Testimony
Is Ukraine the ‘War Before the War’?
As with Russia, Persian Gulf states may be reluctant to cross Beijing if conflict erupts in Asia, but Washington should remind them that even narrow financial action can help counter any Chinese moves on Taiwan.
Feb 23, 2023
◆
  • Michael Singh
A delegation of Gulf Arab men and women visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Articles & Testimony
Why Arabs Should Learn About the Holocaust
The vow of “never again” taken by virtually all nations after the Second World War remains unfulfilled.
Feb 21, 2023
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
China’s Growing Naval Influence in the Middle East
​​​​​​​Current Chinese basing capacity and force commitment in the region seem insufficient to support the level of economic and diplomatic engagement that appears to be Beijing’s new normal, so Washington should prepare for further expansion.
Feb 17, 2023
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  • Blake Herzinger
  • Ben Lefkowitz
Dalia Adel
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Saudi Arabia’s Sports Promotion is a Win-Win for the Kingdom
Saudi Arabia's increased investment in sports represents an effort to empower youth and expand the economy, rather than "sportswashing."
Feb 16, 2023
◆
  • Fahad Nazer
Negev Forum
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Morocco, Israel, and the Future of the Negev Forum
Morocco is preparing to host the upcoming Negev Forum summit, an opportunity for the Kingdom to expand economic ties and bridge regional divides.
Feb 16, 2023
◆
  • Mohamed Chtatou
Brief Analysis
Bahrain Reveals Visit by Israel’s Top General
The meeting highlights the continuing U.S.-led focus on the Iranian threat and the underlying strength of the Abraham Accords.
Feb 10, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Articles & Testimony
We’ll Need Oil for Decades to Come—and OPEC Needs the High Price
As the cartel’s top players discuss their future production goals, Western leaders are becoming increasingly concerned that oil policy will be warped by Moscow’s desire to grind out a victory in Ukraine and punish Kyiv’s backers.
Jan 31, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Flags of Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Turkey on display in Riyadh
Brief Analysis
Arab Gulf States Shift Toward More Harmonious Relations
After years of simmering tension, the recent evidence of positive change cannot be ignored.
Jan 30, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
CENTCOM seal
Brief Analysis
Assessing CENTCOM’s Posture in 2023
To meet ambitious goals with reduced resources, the U.S. military and its regional partners will need to continue expanding their focus on unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, agile combat employment, and integrated air defense.
Jan 24, 2023
◆
  • Nathan P. Olsen
Israeli and Arab foreign ministers, along with U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, at the Negev Summit - source: Reuters
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Forty Percent of Saudis and Emiratis Still Accept Israeli Contacts, Even Under Netanyahu
Approval for contacts with Israelis remained steady through 2022, even as hesitancy on Abraham Accords continued.
Jan 19, 2023
◆
  • David Pollock

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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

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson is the Baker 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.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Fellow of The Washington Institute, specializing in the military and security affairs of Iraq, Iran, and the Persian Gulf states. He is a co-founder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to the Iranian-backed militias in Iraq and Syria.
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