It is a clear night on the outskirts of Riyadh. An open-air stage, brightly lit by a huge panoramic screen, comes to life before a crowd of 5,000 Millennials, men and women separated by a low, almost token barrier, undulating in the shape of a wave. The MISK foundation, an initiative of Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has invited young creative and social media luminaries to address a star struck crowd at the fourth Shoof Forum for digital media. Among the speakers is Ayman Tariq Jamal, the Saudi director of “Bilal.” Read more
OPEC’s oil ministers and technical experts have been holding marathon consultations on the parameters for a production-cut agreement leading up to the ministerial council meeting on November 30 in Vienna, with optimism among the group building that a formal deal is now possible. In a significant shift from its market share strategy of the past two years, OPEC is hoping that a return to its traditional market management strategy of setting production targets will accelerate a rebalancing of oversupplied markets and help stabilize prices at higher levels in 2017. Read more
بعد انتخاب دونالد ترامب المفاجيء رئيسا للولايات المتحدة محمولا على موجة استياء شعبية ضد "المؤسسة التقليدية" الحاكمة في واشنطن، بشقيها الديمقراطي والجمهوري، حاول بعض أعوانه المقربين التخفيف من حدة القلق الذي اعترى الأمريكيين المصدومين ممن عارضوا انتخابه، فضلا عن جزء كبير من العالم المتخوف من المستقبل، قائلين: لا تقلقوا، فإن ترامب لن يحكم وفقا لخطابه السياسي خلال الحملة، وأن تحديات الحوكمة سوف ترغمه على تعديل مواقفه اطلع على المزيد
The Gulf states are acknowledging a difficult truth: the oil and gas–powered, state-led economic development model that lifted them from isolation and poverty less than a century ago must change. Times, and Gulf societies, have changed. A new Saudi push for economic reform is an admission that the state can no longer provide everything for citizens, who must find ways to take care of themselves. Read more
In the Media
AGSIW Director of Program Outreach and Communication Raymond Karam spoke with Gulf News regarding AGSIW's efforts to strengthen U.S.-Middle East understanding in the Washington, DC policy community: "The story of the institute is that it’s trying to really fill a gap in research about the Gulf states.”
Discussing OPEC's efforts to cut oil production, Bloomberg cited AGSIW's article "OPEC Ministers Optimistic on Production Cut But Hurdles Remain," noting Walid Khadduri and Diane Munro's comments about OPEC's desire for an agreement to reduce production to raise oil prices to $50-60/bbl.
Outreach
On November 21, AGSIW President Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba participated in the Ambassadors’ Forum at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, where she discussed the likely impact of current challenges and conflicts in the Middle East on the new U.S. administration.
Position Title: Grant Writer Department/Team: Programs and Communication Period: Part Time (20 hours/week, no benefits) Location: Washington, DC
Job Summary: The grant writer will primarily be responsible for identifying funding opportunities and developing and writing grant proposals for AGSIW. The grant writer will work closely with AGSIW staff and scholars to build effective funding proposals around AGSIW’s broad-based research and programmatic agenda. The candidate will be responsible for managing all pre-award activities including: researching new prospects, identifying funding opportunities, writing grant proposals, developing budgets, and tracking proposal deadlines. The candidate will also be responsible for submitting and monitoring proposals. Read more
