DATE Wednesday May 3, 2017 TIME 12:00 – 1:30 pm LOCATION AGSIW SPEAKERS Fahad Al-Kuwari, Omar Al-Ubaydli, Ihsan Ali Bu-Hulaiga MODERATOR Karen E. Young RSVP
On April 25 the Saudi government reached the one-year mark since the launch of its ambitious program of governmental reform, Saudi Vision 2030. Just days prior, King Salman bin Abdulaziz offered a course correction of sorts: a raft of proclamations shifting policies and shuffling government appointments. The changes map the difficult course the Saudi leadership is pursuing in a time of reduced oil prices, a prolonged military effort in Yemen, and a momentous generational transition in power. Read more
Today, Israel and many of the Gulf Arab states see a common strategic threat emanating from Iran. The reality of facing common threats is not new. Alexander Haig, when he was serving as secretary of state in the Reagan administration, declared in 1981 that there was a “strategic consensus” in the Middle East between Arab states and Israel because they were similarly threatened by the Soviet Union and Iran after the Islamic Revolution in Tehran. Haig may have been right theoretically, but common threats did not then produce practical cooperation between Israel and the Arab states. Read more
Saudi Arabia’s recent reversal of the September 2016 reduction in public sector salaries and benefits is a troubling sign. It could be a signal to bond holders that the Saudi government is not committed to the economic reform agenda, its Vision 2030 plan, which predicated the government’s pitch to investors and lenders over the last year as a revolution in fiscal policy and path to economic diversification away from oil. Some investors will see this as a bait and switch. If the reform agenda stalls, credibility with investors will decrease. Read more
وقّع الرئيس دونالد ترامب خلال أول 100 يوم له في الحكم على ثلاثين قرارا تنفيذيا، معظمها إما غير قابل للتنفيذ أو تم تحديه وتعليقه قضائيا، أو يتوقف تنفيذه على موافقة الكونغرس بعد تخصيص الاعتمادات المالية له، وبعضها حتى رمزي ويعكس رغبات الرئيس وتمنياته ولا قيمة فعلية له. ولكن الرئيس ترامب، على الرغم من ادعاءاته بأنه حقق إنجازات تاريخية خلال الأشهر الثلاثة الأولى له في البيت الأبيض لم يحقق أي إنجاز تشريعي في الكونغرس، على الرغم من أن حزبه الجمهوري يسيطر على مجلسي الكونغرس. وقبل أيام، حاول البيت الأبيض الاعتماد على ما يمكن تسميته "بالحقائق البديلة" لإقناع الأمريكيين بأن إنجازات ترامب بالفعل تاريخية ولا سابقة لها اطلع على المزيد
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, the primary impulse for Israel and Arabs alike — to try to assign blame primarily to the other side — is also the least interesting and useful response, suggesting that many have learned nothing in the intervening decades. Instead, we should honestly evaluate the war’s impact, particularly on our own side, and use it, and the lessons of the intervening decades, as the basis for a more constructive approach and, hopefully, a new way forward. Read more
AGSIW was pleased to host a panel discussion on April 25 with Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, author of The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics and Policy-Making. AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young served as discussant and Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish moderated the panel. Read more
On April 27, AGSIW held a roundtable discussion with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center, a research institute in Saudi Arabia focusing on energy economics, policy, and technology. The discussion focused on GCC power markets and individual and joint efforts being taken by the GCC states in power-related utility reform. Read more
In the Media
AGSIW Executive Vice President Stephen A. Seche spoke with BBC Newshour regarding humanitarian aid and reconstruction in Yemen: "There certainly is a problem with distribution of aid in Yemen. There is also a severe problem just to get aid into the country now. Yemen imports 90 percent of all of its food, and 70 percent of that assistance in food comes through the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, which has been pretty much knocked out of circulation because of the air war that Saudi Arabia has been conducting, and the fact that the Houthis now have seized control of the city."
Speaking with PBS, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish commented on the relationship with the Trump administration and its Arab allies: “It is very much a honeymoon moment.” He continued, “They think that there will be cooperation from both sides on all issues.”
Outreach
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young delivered a lecture at the Foreign Service Institute on April 26, discussing political economy in the Gulf Arab states.
Additionally, Young and Visiting Scholar Hala Aldosari briefed U.S. State Department officials on Saudi Vision 2030, focusing on the plan's implications on women's employment.
Gulf Affairs invites scholars to submit original analytical articles for its upcoming issue on the theme “Foreign Policy Trends in the GCC States,” edited by AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young.
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
Position Title: Research Associate (Economic Analysis) Department/Team: Senior Resident Scholars Period: Part Time (20-25 hours/week, no benefits) Location: Washington, DC
Job Summary: Provide research assistance and support to senior resident scholars at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. At the direction of the scholars, conduct research on Gulf politics, foreign policy, finance, macroeconomics, and U.S. policy toward the region. Monitor contemporary developments in the Gulf states and U.S. policy, including reviews of regional and international media. Source data, compile bibliographies, and write summaries on relevant topics. Create charts and graphics for AGSIW publications. Provide communications and logistical support to senior resident scholars, and perform additional tasks as requested. Read more
