On November 29, AGSIW hosted a roundtable with H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States, as part of a new AGSIW series, “The Trump Administration and the GCC Countries." Otaiba discussed the future of U.S.-UAE relations under President-elect Donald Trump and challenges facing the new administration in the region. Read more
On November 26, Kuwait held parliamentary elections, its fourth in just five years, in a vote that marked the return of the opposition after nearly four years of electoral boycotts. Despite the handicap of a new one vote electoral system, and the short time for preparation due to the early dissolution of the Parliament, the opposition managed to have a strong showing, capitalizing on a public eager to see a stronger Parliament serve as a check on the ruling family-led executive. Read more
OPEC’s new oil production targets call for a relatively modest cut of 4.5 percent but the agreement is expected to deliver dividends amounting to billions of dollars in additional government revenue in 2017. Driven by an acute financial imperative to provide relief for beleaguered government coffers via higher oil revenue, OPEC overcame an array of divisive issues and agreed to lower crude oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day (mb/d), to a target of 32.5 mb/d, for the first six months of 2017 in a bid to reduce the global supply overhang that has weighed on oil prices for the past two years. Read more
Motivated to discover their own potential and voice, independent of the prevailing social and political norms, Gulf youth have been establishing reading clubs at a rapid pace. On their face, these initiatives might look like typical intellectual activities. However, considering the Gulf social context, the particular goals and activities on which these initiatives focus, and the strategies they adopt in their work, the reading clubs established by Gulf youth seem to be more than intellectual spheres where people of similar interests get together and discuss books and articles. Read more
في عام 2013 التقى الملياردير دونالد ترامب مجموعة من مؤيديه المقربين منه الذين نصحوه بالترشح لحاكمية ولاية نيويورك. ووفقا لأحد المشاركين في الاجتماع، كان جواب ترامب أنه سوف يترشح لمنصب الرئاسة "وأن تويتر سوف يكون وسيلته الانتخابية الأساسية". وخلال الحملة الانتخابية الطويلة، استعان ترامب بتغريداته بطريقة اتسمت بالشراسة والحنكة كالسيف الحاد ليبتر بها خصومه، على رأسهم سلالة بوش وبعدها كلينتون. حصل ذلك لأن ترامب درس المزاج العام في البلاد بدقة واستوعبه تماما، في الوقت الذي كان منتقدوه الكثر – وأنا من بينهم- يسخرون من طموحاته الدونكيشوتية ومن نرجسيته المفرطة وسطحية معلوماته في شؤون العالم اطلع على المزيد
The unfolding tragedy in Aleppo is not only a humanitarian and moral disaster, but it is a political calamity as well. All the worst actors are poised to be the big winners from what appears to be the imminent collapse of rebel groups in the besieged eastern half of the city. The Syrian regime and its allies are employing barbaric but effective strategies and tactics. The main tactic being inflicted on eastern Aleppo is the regime’s familiar siege, starve and batter approach to retaking territory. Read more
In the Media
Speaking with Voice of America, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen E. Young commented on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's possible conflicts of interest, noting, "It's very common inside the [Persian Gulf countries] for the state to also have business interests; in fact, it's expected." Young continued, "So people, and especially ruling elites, will not see that and certainly would not want to be the first to point out that as a problem in an American administration."
AGSIW President Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba discussed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act with Al Arabiya. Additionally, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish spoke with Sky Arabia regarding U.S.-Iranian relations and the impact on GCC national security strategies and foreign policies.
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
