Sussan Saikali

Research Associate, AGSIW

Sussan Saikali is a research associate at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. Her primary research focus is identity politics and the effects of sectarianism on political attitudes and behaviors in the Middle East as well as the spillover of sectarianism in the Middle Eastern diaspora population in the West. Saikali has worked with a number of local institutes and organizations, both political and nonprofit, and analyzed and assessed the effects racial and religious identity can have on communities as well as their political behaviors and policies.

Saikali is a PhD student at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She holds an MA in political science and a certificate in international affairs from Villanova University and a BA in political science from Temple University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa.

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The UAE: Tackling Climate Change From Space

Emirati leaders hope the UAE Space Agency can speed up the journey to carbon neutrality and position the country as a hub of climate technology and research.

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Smart and Sustainable: The Gulf Goes All in on Tech Cities

Saudi and Emirati leaders hope smart cities will be the key to advancing their countries’ global status in smart technology and sustainability while also developing the means to diversify their economies away from oil.

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Saudi Arabia Amends Its Citizenship Law

Article 8 of Saudi Arabia’s citizenship law, in theory, makes it easier for Saudi women married to foreigners to transmit citizenship to their children, but implementation will be key in assessing impact of the measure on broader gender reform efforts.

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Saudi Women in the Workforce

Saudi Arabia has made significant progress on women’s rights and labor force participation, but there is still a lot of work to do.

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The UAE Looks to the Stars

The United Arab Emirates is turning to its space program to position itself as a hub for advanced technology, diversify the economy away from oil, and rekindle space culture among young Emiratis.

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A Race to the Future: The UAE in the Metaverse

The metaverse is the next promising frontier of technology, and the UAE wants to take the lead.

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Military Relations and the U.S.-Saudi Alliance

The status of the NESA-SANDU project mirrors the present state of U.S.-Saudi relations: extensive but in a phase of uncertainty.

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A New Virtual Reality: The Growth of Esports and Gaming in Saudi Arabia

Beyond paying economic dividends, there are social and cultural interests at play in the Saudi gaming industry.

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Gulf Rupture With Lebanon Exacerbates Beirut’s Economic Woes

France has sought to calm recent tensions, but the increasing influence of Hezbollah and the shifting focus of Saudi and UAE economic policies elsewhere raises questions of where Lebanon will be able to turn for support.