Climate Change in the Middle East and North Africa: Hosting Negotiations and Catalyzing Action
The region seems to have jumped on the climate bandwagon, but its expanding ambitions also suggest it is trying to take control of the steering wheel.
Supply chain interruptions and rising food and fuel prices are hitting countries in the Middle East and Africa particularly hard, given the heavy reliance on Russian and Ukrainian staple food imports.
On March 10, AGSIW hosted a discussion examining the impact of the Ukraine crisis on global oil and gas markets and the direct effects on the Gulf region.
The IEA’s release of over 60 million barrels of emergency oil stocks was the largest in IEA history. But there is increasing recognition of the need to coordinate such short-term measures with longer-term solutions.
Should more countries follow the EU’s lead and step up efforts to seek alternative supplies of oil and gas, Russia could find itself out in the cold, whether it wins or loses the war against Ukraine.
Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE sought to protect ties with Moscow and strategic diversification but underestimated the cost.
While the Gulf Arab states may wish to avoid getting caught in the middle of a “Russia versus the West” conflict, the Ukraine crisis is already affecting the region’s tourism, food, energy, and other economic sectors.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine crystallizes existing Gulf policies and could form the backdrop to further regional polarization and instability.
Russia’s operations in Syria emboldened Putin and the Russian military to challenge the U.S.-led, rules-based international system that many countries, including in the Gulf, have benefited from.
In the long term, Qatar could play a pivotal role in diversifying European gas imports away from Russia.
On March 1, AGSIW hosted a discussion examining challenges and threats to regional de-escalation and rapprochement.
Ambassador Marcelle M. Wahba, AGSIW president emeritus and former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, reflects on the rule of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan, following the May 13 death of the UAE's president.
Learn MoreThe region seems to have jumped on the climate bandwagon, but its expanding ambitions also suggest it is trying to take control of the steering wheel.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is appealing to Gulf partners for essential economic support, which could serve as a political lifeline for the new government.
With increasing unemployment and the introduction of taxes, Gulf citizens are beginning to ask questions about their economic future.
Through its careful examination of the forces shaping the evolution of Gulf societies and the new generation of emerging leaders, AGSIW facilitates a richer understanding of the role the countries in this key geostrategic region can be expected to play in the 21st century.
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