Since he first became president of Russia at the end of 1999, Vladimir Putin has sought to improve Russian relations with the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). A large part of his motivation has been economic: Putin and the powerful Russian economic interests that support him see great potential in the GCC states both as a market for Russian exports (including weapons, nuclear reactors, and railroads) and as a source of investment into the Russian economy. Read more
The major drivers behind the UAE’s commitment to renewable energy are both political and economic in nature. The drivers include a commitment to economic diversification, which is fiscally prudent but also politically salient to both domestic actors and to international allies and investors. Economic reform measures acknowledge that the status quo of the traditional rentier Gulf economy does not work in the 21st century, because of drastic changes in demographics, including rapid national and expatriate population growth, joined with the finite supply of oil and the instability of global demand. Read more
In the Media
AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish was quoted in USA Today in an article discussing the upcoming meeting between President Obama and Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington today. Ibish affirmed that “the Palestinian issue is eclipsed on the Arab political agenda,” in spite of rising tensions between Palestinians and Israelis. Read more
