AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish participated in the panel, “Adapting to the American Umbrella,” as part of the Top CEO Awards in Dubai. The panel, which was covered by Al Arabiya, covered the ramifications of American engagement in the region. Ibish, joined by Faisal al-Abbas, editor-in-chief of Al Arabiya, and Ali Z. Khedery, CEO of Dragoman Ventures, discussed U.S. President Barack Obama’s “engagement fatigue” and avoidance of involvement in the region’s conflicts. He said, “I don’t see this approach carrying through in the next administration.”

In a talk given to the the Emirates Policy Center, Ibish examined U.S. perceptions of the Gulf and how they have affected policy. During his talk, Ibish stressed the sound fundamentals underlying the U.S.-GCC relationship and the limitations of Washington’s opening to Tehran.

At a private event hosted by b’huth (the Dubai Consultancy, Research, and Media Centre), Ibish looked at the past and future of U.S. relations with Iran in light of the nuclear agreement, and the implications for Gulf states’ policy and strategy. He stressed that there has been no American “abandonment” of the region and explained how U.S. policy came to be made. Ibish was also interviewed by b’huth, and he addressed developments in U.S.-Iran relations one year after the adoption of the Iran deal.
Listen to the full interview