Student Open House and Reception Wednesday, September 9, 2015 5:30 - 7:30 pm 1050 Connecticut Ave, NW, Ste. 1060 Washington, DC 20036
AGSIW invites undergraduate and graduate students from the Gulf region and those studying the Gulf and the broader Middle East to an open house and reception. AGSIW staff, senior resident scholars, and fellows will be on hand to discuss the institute's work and mission, as well as internship and employment opportunities. RSVP
The visit of Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz to Washington last week was intended by both sides to reinforce the Saudi-U.S. alliance in a new era of international relations in the Gulf region, with a new emphasis on economic and security considerations. Salman was noticeably absent from the Camp David Summit in May, but it had been widely anticipated that he would make an individual trip to Washington before the end of the year. His trip came one month after the August 3 Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers summit with Secretary of State John Kerry in Qatar at which the Gulf countries endorsed the nuclear deal with Iran and the United States reiterated its commitment to Gulf security and its strong opposition to Iran’s regional policies. Read more
Congress returns from summer recess this week, bringing with it enough votes in the Senate to ensure President Obama a win on the nuclear deal with Iran, his signature foreign-policy achievement. The outcome suggests the President’s principal argument — that a negotiated settlement on Iran’s nuclear weapons program is preferable to the alternative — has resonated with key members of Congress.
Yet the irony is that while Administration officials trumpet the nuclear deal as a triumph of soft power (diplomacy and reasoned negotiation) over hard power (military attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities), Washington’s efforts to assure anxious Arab allies in the wake of the deal seem remarkably focused on reinforcing their capacity to engage Iran militarily.
The Arab intervention in Yemen has reached a critical point. The loss of 45 Emirati, 10 Saudi and five Bahraini soldiers in rebel attacks only underscores how high the stakes have become. It will surely redouble the commitment to restore stability and political legitimacy to Yemen. But it’s essential that the Arab states proceed with clarity and caution as well as determination. Read more
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz will meet with President Barack Obama at the White House to discuss regional security, including the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reached between Iran and world powers over Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.
More specifically, the leaders will discuss “steps to counter Iran’s destabilizing activities in the region,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said last Thursday. As well as “ways to further strengthen the bilateral relationship, including our joint security and counterterrorism efforts.”
Ambassador Stephen Seche, AGSIW executive vice president, spoke with Al Hayat about Saudi Arabian King Salman’s visit to Washington this week. Seche highlighted the significance of the timing of Salman’s first visit, since coming to power, to Washington ahead of a vote by the U.S. Congress on the Iran nuclear deal.
Speaking to BBC Persian, Seche also noted the importance of the timing of Salman’s visit to Washington. He added that Iran’s regional role will be high on the agenda as Salman would urge U.S. support in confronting Iran and not turning a bling eye to its behavior.
In a Bloomberg article on how the decline in U.S. dependence on foreign oil has shifted U.S.-Saudi relations, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Karen Young noted, “It’s new territory, a new phase of bilateral relations.” She continued, “Some of it is shifting leadership, which will have its own prerogatives, and some of it is the economics.”
In a Council on Foreign Relations Expert Roundup, AGSIW Senior Resident Scholar Hussein Ibish discussed the GCC states' perspectives on the nuclear deal with Iran. While he acknowledged the GCC endorsement of the agreement, Ibish recognized, "A newly hawkish Saudi Arabia has demonstrated it is willing to use military force to try to roll back Iran's influence in the Gulf."
Addressing the contrasting policies of Saudi Arabia and the United States on Syria, speaking with Al Arabiya, Ibish noted, "I think the United States is put in a situation where it really has to re-examine its approach to Syria, and Iraq, both."
Department/Team: Program Outreach and Communication
Period: Full-Time
Location: Washington, DC
This position is responsible for supporting the Program Outreach and Communication team by developing and coordinating AGSIW’s digital presence and growth including strategy and planning. Collaborate proactively with all elements of AGSIW as appropriate to:
Develop engaging, timely, and relevant digital web content
Create, edit, post, and maintain written, audio/visual, and graphic content for the web
Design newsletters and email campaigns, manage email list-serve
Visiting Scholars are individuals who possess a PhD or equivalent professional experience, and whose primary purpose for residence at AGSIW is to conduct independent research. The length of stay for a Visiting Scholar is typically a semester or academic year. AGSIW is actively seeking candidates with significant regional experience and fluency in written and spoken Arabic. AGSIW will provide a stipend that can be used to cover living expenses, travel costs, or incidental research expenses. Read more
Job Summary: Provide research assistance and administrative support to the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. At the direction of the Senior Resident Scholars, conduct research on Gulf politics, foreign policy, culture, economics, and U.S. policy toward the region. Monitor contemporary developments in the Gulf states and in U.S. policy, including reviews of regional media and foreign language sources. Contribute analytical essays, bibliographies, and summaries on relevant topics. Provide administrative, communications, and logistical support to Senior Resident Scholars and AGSIW programs, and perform additional tasks as requested. Read more
