Toms Ratfelders is an associated researcher at the Latvian Institute of International Affairs. His area of focus is the Gulf region, particularly the foreign policies of the small Gulf Cooperation Council states (especially Qatar and Oman). He is also interested in Russian foreign policy in the region. Ratfelders holds a master’s degree in security studies of the Middle East, Caucasus, and Central Asia from the University of St Andrews and is currently pursuing a PhD in political science and international relations at the University of Delaware.