The budding efforts between the Gulf Arab states and Iran to develop a process of détente and ease tensions are, in equal measure, important, welcome, and fragile. Their rivalry, which has waxed and waned over recent decades, has served the interests of neither side well. The international community also has a clear stake in the development of a more stable and secure regional order in the Gulf. Read more
Qatar is sharpening its competitive edge in the global gas markets with the lifting of a 12-year moratorium on development at its prized offshore North Field, the world’s largest gas reservoir. Qatar has long reigned as the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, but the country is set to lose its dominant market position in the next several years as Australia, the United States, and Russia monetize their growing production of conventional gas and unconventional shale gas with new LNG export capacity. Read more
التحولات والتغييرات التي طرأت على مواقف إدارة الرئيس دونالد ترامب، وخاصة في مجالي السياسة الخارجية والأمن القومي في الأسبوعين الماضيين، مدوّية ويصعب استيعابها لأنها حفلت بالمفاجآت المذهلة، ومن بينها استخدام القوة العسكرية ضد نظام الرئيس السوري بشار الأسد، وإيصال العلاقات الأمريكية-الروسية إلى أدنى مستوياتها منذ نهاية الحرب الباردة اطلع على المزيد
In addition to original content, AGSIW.org in Arabic is regularly updated with new Arabic translations of AGSIW's analysis. New translations include:
Speaking with MEES, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young discussed Saudi Vision 2030 and the U.S. response: “I think if the Trump administration had a clear infrastructure plan, it would find interested Saudi investors. That plan is not clear to the public yet.” She continued, “Also problematic is that the State Department, under Trump and under the Obama administration, has been slow to find ways to collaborate and support the Vision 2030 agenda, and other leading global powers are probably finding advantage in the interim in brokering trade and investment deals.”
Speaking with Al Jazeera's NewsHour, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish discussed the Iranian presidential election: "Assuming he is allowed to run, former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could greatly complicate the race by introducing a populist candidacy with Persian ethnic-nationalist, and working and middle class economic, appeals that potentially have a broad base of support, and are a kind of Iranian equivalent to the Trump and Brexit-style populist politics sweeping much of the Western world." Ibish also appeared on VOA's Encounter to discuss the implications of the Syrian civil war. He additionally commented on U.S. President Donald J. Trump's response to the chemical attacks in Syria for Inquirer: “There is a moral affront and there is maybe a personal anger, even a humiliation for Trump.”
Outreach
As part of AGSIW's biannual board meeting, held on April 11 in Abu Dhabi, a delegation of AGSIW board members and staff, led by Chair of the Board Ambassador Frank G. Wisner and President Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, met with Majid Saif Al Ghurair, chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, AGSIW met with AmCham Abu Dhabi, where board members George R. Salem, Ambassador Edward W. Gnehm, Jr., Wisner, and Wahba gave a briefing on the Trump administration's policies toward the GCC.
AGSIW Visiting Scholar Hala Aldosari delivered a lecture at the George Washington University on civil society organizations and the women's movement in Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Affairs invites scholars to submit original analytical articles for its upcoming issue on the theme “Foreign Policy Trends in the GCC States.”
Gulf Affairs is a journal founded by the Oxford Gulf & Arabian Peninsula Studies Forum (OxGAPS), a University of Oxford-based platform. The journal is dedicated to furthering knowledge and dialogue on the pressing issues and challenges facing the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Each issue focuses on a particular theme, allowing for a comprehensive discussion from various analytical perspectives and fields of study. Accepted articles are reviewed and edited prior to publication. Read more
Position Title: Visiting Scholar Department/Team: Senior Resident Scholars Period: Fall 2017 Location: Washington, DC
Job Summary: Visiting Scholars are individuals who possess a PhD or equivalent professional experience, and whose primary purpose for residence at AGSIW is to conduct independent research. The length of stay for a Visiting Scholar is typically a semester or academic year. AGSIW is actively seeking candidates with significant regional experience and fluency in written and spoken Arabic. AGSIW will provide a stipend that can be used to cover living expenses, travel costs, or incidental research expenses. Read more
