Policy Analysis

Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfClimate and Environment
Bracing for the Sandstorm: The Gulf Energy Transition Imperative
Jun 6, 2024Karim Elgendy
Before the 2008-2009 financial crisis, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)…
Policy Analysis
KuwaitDemocracy and Governance
The Supremacy of Executive Power in Kuwait
Jun 4, 2024Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Two decades of political turbulence in Kuwait came to a head on the evening of May 10 when Emir Mishal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah announced he was suspending the Nation…
Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and Governance
Will Ebrahim Raisi’s Death Help Ultra-Hardliners ‘Make Iran Great Again’?
May 31, 2024Daniel Brumberg
The May 19 deaths of President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in a fiery helicopter crash has created a challenge that Iran’s lead…
Policy Analysis
UAERegional Relations and Geopolitics
UAE Restricts US Military Strikes from Its Territory
May 22, 2024Gregory Aftandilian
Fearing an attack by Iran or its allied militias in the region, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has restricted US military aircraft from targeting these proxy g…
From our Affiliates
Saudi ArabiaConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Determinants of Saudi Arabia’s Response to the Gaza War
May 22, 2024Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies
Following Hamas’s “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” on October 7, Saudi Arabia publicly criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and blamed it for escalating tensions, desp…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
The Gaza Crisis Pushes Washington and Riyadh Closer
May 15, 2024Daniel Brumberg
Hamas’s May 6 acceptance of a hostage deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar was surely designed to induce the White House to pressure Israel to produce a counteroff…
Policy Analysis
YemenConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Divergent Saudi-Emirati Agendas Cripple Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council
May 15, 2024Afrah Nasser
Two years into its existence, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) still has not effectively addressed critical problems facing the country: a dire ec…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Iraq’s Sudani Runs the Risks of Sustained Relations with the United States
May 7, 2024Rend Al-Rahim
On his recent visit to the United States, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani proposed a bold new relationship with America, basing it on the joint S…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Saudi-Israeli Normalization Persists Amid Gaza War
May 3, 2024The Unit for Political Studies
Before “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” launched by Hamas on October 7, 2023, the Biden administration was attempting to conclude a diplomatic groundbreaking deal in…
Policy Analysis
The Arabian Peninsula and The GulfConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Gulf Arab States Avoid Iran-Israel Tensions
Apr 25, 2024Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
Years of shadow conflict between Israel and Iran, which included targeted assassinations as well as cyberattacks, gave way in April to direct confrontation and…
Policy Analysis
YemenEnergy and Economics
Houthi Red Sea Attacks Have Global Economic Repercussions
Apr 5, 2024Jim Krane
The Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping present a new phenomenon in geo-economic conflict: a non-state actor using asymmetric warfare not just to fight conventi…
Policy Analysis
Saudi ArabiaRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Saudi Arabia May Be Taking Center Stage in Post-Gaza Peace
Feb 28, 2024Kristian Coates Ulrichsen
With Israel’s war on Gaza in its fifth month amid ongoing international pressure for a ceasefire, Saudi Arabia has become the focus of much attention over what…