Friday, November 20, 2015
5:30 - 7:30 pm
1050 Connecticut Ave, NW, Ste. 1060
Washington, DC 20036 GUEST Najla AlKhalifa
AGSIW invites you to an evening reception with award-wining Saudi photographer Najla AlKhalifa. AlKhalifa will be showcasing and discussing her photography, including the diverse nature, rich culture, and unique urban heritage of her home country, Saudi Arabia. RSVP
Qatar has long dominated the market for liquefied natural gas (LNG), an increasingly popular energy source that can be transported great distances, is widely regarded as being cleaner than coal, and fills increasingly important parts of states’ energy mixes. In recent decades, surging demand and relatively limited supply has created a climate for Qatar to exploit its huge gas resources and consequent economies of scale to bestride the market. In fact, Qatar dominates the LNG market far more than Saudi Arabia dominates the oil market. But this period of dominance is coming to an end. Read more
What is Russia’s ultimate endgame in Syria? How is the Russian-Saudi relationship affecting current negotiations? What role does ISIL play in the current civil war? All these questions were discussed and more were discussed by Mark Katz, Bessma Momani, Fahad Nazer, and Hussein Ibish at AGSIW on November 9.
Oil prices fell again the week of November 9 to a more than a six and a half year low. Brent, the global benchmark for oil, traded at $43.61 a barrel on November 13. Global stockpiles are at a record three billion barrels of crude and oil products in tanks worldwide, according to the International Energy Agency. This is now the budget reality of oil-producing states. According to researchers at HSBC, Middle East hydrocarbon earnings are likely to be down $320 billion this year. Energy exporters are experiencing the most dramatic shift in their terms of trade in perhaps 30 years. Read more
In the Media
In an article for The National, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish discussed the November 13 Paris attacks and the subsequent impact on relations between the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda. He noted the shifting relations between the two terrorist organizations, arguing that ISIL is beginning to move toward al-Qaeda's approach of mass-casualty attacks toward the West. Read more
AGSIW Executive Vice President Stephen Seche spoke with Voice of America on November 10. Ambassador Seche discussed the UN’s preparation for a negotiated settlement in Yemen, amidst the escalating conflict.
AGSIW Non-resident Fellow Fahad Nazer recently discussed Saudi Arabia and rumors of the kingdom's inability to weather turbulent times, including the war in Yemen and declining oil prices, in The Hill. Nazer was also quoted in an article by Voice of America, discussing the Saudi government's response to drug trafficking within its borders. Read more
On November 19, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish will present a lecture on the Arab Gulf states and the Iran nuclear deal at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Ibish will discuss the reaction of U.S. allies in the Gulf to the agreement with Iran. Read more
In an article for 
AGSIW Executive Vice President 
The Arab Weekly recently discussed a November 9 panel at AGSIW, 
AGSIW Non-resident Fellow 