The Gulf States and the U.S. Presidential Election
The short-term effects of the U.S. presidential election for policy toward the Gulf region are likely to be minimal, though the most consequential effect may be indirect and long term.
The short-term effects of the U.S. presidential election for policy toward the Gulf region are likely to be minimal, though the most consequential effect may be indirect and long term.
The opposing candidates’ energy policy agendas have stark differences, and each will have ramifications for the Gulf oil exporters, the global climate agenda, and international trade relations.
Gulf Arab states are yet again watching on the sidelines as other powers shape their present and future strategic environment.
On October 1, AGSIW hosted a private roundtable with H.E. Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, the undersecretary for political affairs of Bahrain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Khosh Fkra has grown from a podcast interviewing local business owners to a thriving media agency creating content from Bahrain to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain’s post-coronavirus economic strategy positions the government as a venture capitalist, providing capital for strategic investments, but at the same time offering regulatory support for the private sector.
Can the offshore Al-Nokhatha discovery help Kuwait’s oil and gas investments sail ahead?
The emir’s naming of Sabah al-Khaled al-Sabah – a noncontroversial politician and an experienced diplomat – as crown prince may help traverse Kuwait’s fissures, but there is still a long road ahead.
On May 22, AGSIW hosted a roundtable on developments in Kuwait.
Collagist and installation artist Kawthar Al Harthi uses mixed media to excavate material histories and personal memories.
Through the Oman Cultural Complex, Oman joins its neighbors in a collective Gulf vision of the future while maintaining its lauded commitment to Omani cultural heritage.
Following progress addressing economic vulnerabilities, Oman is poised to enter a new phase of economic policymaking, armed with new policy tools and development initiatives.
Qatar is working to boost local food production while coping with daunting obstacles, including falling aquifer levels, a paucity of arable land, and broader climate-change issues.
On March 14, AGSIW hosted a discussion on economic diversification in Qatar.
To adapt to the post-October 7 environment, Qatar may need to abandon some long-standing policies and reemerge as a truly neutral broker and mediator.
Saudi Arabia's 94th National Day reflected a new seriousness in the kingdom, alongside the celebrations.
On October 2, AGSIW hosted a discussion on Saudi youth policy development.
Saudi Arabia is challenging the Mediterranean’s 6,000-year hold on olive oil, but is this sustainable?
The United Arab Emirates’ global trade and investment policy is providing an alternative vision to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Gulf date festivals celebrate heritage and tell the story of tourism, trends, and entrepreneurship.
While under current conditions achieving food self-sufficiency is likely to remain aspirational, taking bold steps could radically improve the UAE’s food security in the interim and make the goal of food self-sufficiency more achievable down the line.
Regardless of who prevails in November's presidential election, the next U.S. administration may contend with either a nuclear-armed or fragmented Iran.
The relative failure of Iranian missile strikes has significantly eroded the value of Tehran’s enormous investment in its missile and drone technology and raised serious questions among Iran’s regional allies about the ability of Tehran to come to their defense.
Undeterred by the politically and militarily decapitated Hezbollah, Israel is free to target critical components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, and Iran's perceived weakness may fuel domestic opposition.
Iraq’s Kurdish population may benefit more from a consistent U.S. foreign policy under Harris than the unpredictability of another Trump term.
Chinese investors are less risk averse than their Western counterparts, hence their strong showing in the latest upstream opportunities offered by Baghdad.
Iraq is stepping up efforts to reduce flared gas as the first solar power plant moves forward with France’s TotalEnergies.
No matter who wins the presidency in November, the United States will need a strategy that allows it to protect free and open trade in the Red Sea without becoming bogged down in an open-ended conflict in Yemen.
On September 18, AGSIW hosted a discussion on Yemen.
In the short term, increasing economic pressure on the Houthis is likely to prompt them to reignite attacks on Saudi Arabia, while in the long term it could make reuniting Yemen into a single state all but impossible.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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