DATES July 11-13, 2017 LOCATIONS AGSIW, Landmark Atlantic Plumbing Cinema, Busboys and Poets (14th and V)
The past five years have witnessed a tremendous growth in creative fields – visual arts, digital media, film, design, fashion – in the Gulf Arab states. This symposium aims to celebrate these advances and evaluate their impact: on social change, and on the global perception and representation of the Gulf Arab states. RSVP
Since the early 1980s, the United Arab Emirates has been a contributor to both the regional and global conversations about contemporary art. Situated at the nexus of East and West and connected to the Middle East, North and East Africa, Iran, South Asia, and Central Asia, it is a commercial, trade, financial, and transport hub. In the past decade, the UAE has emerged as a regional arts center with global reach, shaped by the efforts and achievements of individuals and institutions and influenced by geopolitical events. Read more
As the crisis regarding Qatar’s relations with four other key Arab countries – Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt – enters its second month, the recent meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo appears to offer a new framework to resolve the standoff. The representatives of the four countries imposing severe restrictions on diplomatic, trade, travel, and communication ties with Qatar met in Cairo to consider their next steps. Read more
خلال بضعة أيام في أوروبا ادعى الرئيس دونالد ترامب أن الحضارة الغربية (يقصد بشعوبها البيضاء والمسيحية) سوف تنتصر على التحديات التي تواجهها من الشرق والجنوب (يقصد بذلك المهاجرين والمسلمين)، وأحيا بذلك ضمنا مقولة صدام الحضارات، في خطاب ألقاه في بولندا كرر فيه تحذيراته “للغرب” من مخاطر عالم مظلم يعج بالأعداء. وفي ألمانيا خلال قمة الدول الصناعية العشرين، همّش ترامب الدور القيادي الأمريكي في العالم وعمّق الهوة بين أمريكا وحلفائها التقليديين، وتغاضى عمليا خلال اجتماعه بالرئيس الروسي فلاديمير بوتين عن الانتهاك الروسي لسيادة الولايات المتحدة من خلال التدخل في انتخابات الرئاسة، ووافق على وقف إطلاق نار محدود في سوريا كانت روسيا القوة الرئيسية ورائه
From seizing control of banks to extortion and trafficking in oil and oil-related products, terrorist organizations have diversified their revenue streams to amass significant war chests to fund their operations. On July 6, AGSIW hosted a panel investigating what the United States and its Gulf Arab allies are doing to cut off funding to violent extremists. Read more
In the Media
Speaking with The National, AGSIW President Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba commented on U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s recent trip to the Gulf: “The message to Qatar has to be very clear which it has not been so far, that Doha has to change [a] lot of things, it can’t be a sanctuary for individuals on both UN and US designated terrorist lists, and it cannot provide Al Jazeera Arabic as a platform for hate speech and extremists’ voices.” She continued that the United States “cannot continue with this crisis and have it escalate to the point where regional stability is at stake and the fight against ISIL is undermined.”
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young spoke to Sky News about the GCC crisis noting that the United States, United Kingdom, and Europe are paying more attention to the crisis as it drags on. She continued to comment on the claims by Saudi Arabia and its allies: “A lot of disagreements go back for some time … The claim, now, that Qatar did not change behavior over the past few years is difficult to verify because we don’t know what the conditions were."
Young discussed the status of migrant workers in the UAE with U.S. News & World Report: “It's part of an agreement. Foreigners contribute to society but, as outsiders, are not part of that society."
Speaking with Al Hurra’s Free Hour, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish commented on developments in Syria and noted their implications for the broader Middle East: “There is a hope in the Trump administration that cooperation on Syria will be successful and that the U.S. and Russia will be able to cooperate on other issues, especially counterterrorism and Islamic extremism.”
Also, Ibish spoke with the Jewish Insider about the Trump administration’s involvement in Israeli-Palestinian talks noting “There isn’t any indication that they have any new ideas.” Ibish further commented on the proposal to form a deal between the Gulf Arab states and Israel, which the Obama administration pursued and failed, noting it would still be extremely challenging to implement.
Position Title: Program and Digital Media Intern Department/Team: Programs and Publications Period: Fall 2017 Location: Washington, DC
Job Summary: The Internship Program at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington provides talented students and recent graduates with a three-month (or longer) unpaid training opportunity designed to encourage professional and personal development. We encourage out-of-the-box thinking and value fresh perspectives. AGSIW will provide interns with a transportation stipend. Read more
