Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
While representing a major symbolic step, finalizing Iranian membership in the Shanghai Pact is not a panacea for the country’s current political, economic, and security challenges.
In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and in anticipation of a post-oil future, the social contract in the UAE has been undergoing a disquieting metamorphosis.
Iraq-based Iranian Kurdish insurgents are becoming the epicenter of a coordinated Iran-led campaign to force the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to toe its security policy.
Qatar’s hosting gig has propelled the country into the international spotlight and impacted the domestic debate on social reforms.
In attempting to shift the focus from “women’s issues” in Sada’s new podcast, we were reminded that these issues should be defined by women themselves.
After a two-year hiatus, the Arab League will convene in Algiers in November against a backdrop of uncertainty and discord.
Iranian women’s decades-long struggle for freedom of choice could lead to positive change and might present a unique opportunity to achieve long-awaited reforms.
A Saudi-Emirati-Israeli military alliance is unlikely and runs counter to the Gulf states’ security interests and diplomatic efforts with Iran.
Biden’s visit produced a few tangible gains but also raised questions about the future of Saudi-American relations.
For Iran, the rupture in Western-Russian relations over the Ukraine crisis may mean an opportunity to boost its standing in Eurasia.
Although many Arabs express sympathy for the Ukrainian people, social media reveals a current of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin that is rooted in polarization.
The composition of the newly appointed Presidential Council emphasizes the role of informal leaders in Yemen’s institutions, thus pushing the country a step beyond hybridity.
Kuwaiti academic and author Shahd Alshammari reflects on her groundbreaking memoir which challenges the dominant narrative of silence around disability and women’s bodies.
In light of Iran and Qatar’s recent electricity grid connection, Iran should seek to expand its energy diplomacy and utilize its electricity sector to strengthen economic cooperation and regional security in the Middle East.
Women empowerment in the Gulf has become a tool of deflection rather than a genuine effort to promote women’s full and equal participation in society.
Although the issue of women is prominent in the artwork of Arab women artists, the freedom that women artists enjoy is limited due to censorship, whether it is self-imposed or institutional.
The idea that the UAE is changing the essence of its foreign policy is a conclusion based on a series of erroneous assumptions.
The UAE is revisiting its foreign policy goals with the aim of boosting its global trade partnerships and ensuring its security and political stability, by replacing robust military intervention and proxy politics with dialogue and diplomacy.
The UAE’s $10 billion investment in Turkey is only the tip of the normalization iceberg. The warm meeting between Emirati and Turkish leaders might be an indicator of possible rapprochement, intended for both parties’ adversaries.
There is an urgent need in all Gulf countries for genuine constitutional reforms and new social contracts that guarantee people’s rights to political participation, decision making, and control of national wealth.