Middle East Dossier

The Gulf states, rich in mineral reserves—Saudi Arabia with gold, silver, copper, nickel, iron ore, and aluminum, and the UAE with limestone, copper, and gypsum—are increasingly positioning themselves as key players in the global critical mineral market. As the demand for clean energy technologies, particularly in EV batteries, grows, and as AI continues to drive heavy energy consumption, these st...

Grant Rumley, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, speaks with Clemens Chay, MEI Research Fellow, about the significance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan’s King Abdullah visiting Washington in the early weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency. Rumley highlights President Trump’s unconventional diplomatic style and his aim to foster peace and stability i...

As Trump returns to office and lifts the freeze on LNG export permit applications, the global LNG landscape is set for another shake-up. Importing countries are closely watching how the US leverages LNG in trade negotiations, while competing producers, particularly Qatar, brace for intensified competition. With its 80% expansion of the North Field announced in early 2024, Qatar must now navigate a...

In recent years, China’s relations with North Africa have evolved significantly, driven by strategic economic interests and geopolitical considerations. As China expands its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), North Africa’s strategic location—linking Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa—makes it increasingly important. Looking ahead, China’s engagement in the region is expected to deepen,...

Dr Rory Miller, Professor of International Politics at the Georgetown University of Qatar, discusses the shifting security dynamics in the Gulf region, particularly how inter-state relations might evolve with the return of the Trump administration in 2025. He also explores the prospects and pitfalls of the ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, providing a summary of the key issues at play.

Daniel Neep, Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University, discusses the challenges for Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad. With regime change now placing Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in charge, Neep outlines the domestic and foreign policy priorities of the new government led by de facto leader Ahmed al-Sharaa. It is clear from the outset...

Professor (International Security) at the Graduate School of Public Policy, The University of Tokyo in Japan, Dr Yee-Kuang Heng, outlined Tokyo's strategic priorities in the Middle East for 2025, highlighting the country’s growing ties with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly the UAE and Saudi Arabia, with a focus on trade and economic partnerships. He also highlighted Japan’s humanit...

Mehran Kamrava, Professor of Government at Georgetown University-Qatar and Director of the Iranian Studies Unit at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, discusses the domestic climate in Iran more than six months into President Masoud Pezeshkian's tenure. From the hijab bill to social freedoms, Kamrava underscores the challenges facing the Iranian president despite his reformist stance....

Dr Wang Jin, Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at Northwest University of China, outlines China’s key Middle East policy priorities for 2025. He notes that Beijing will closely monitor shifts in US policy towards the region and assess their potential impact. Additionally, it will focus on the activities of extremist and terrorist groups, with a part...

In the second edition to the ME Outlook 2025, Rasha Fityan Saleem, Executive Director of the Politics and Society Institute in Jordan, discusses key developments shaping the Middle East this year, with a focus on Jordan’s evolving role in the region. From the aftermath of the Assad regime’s fall in Syria to ongoing regional conflicts, she underscores how Amman can position itself as a stabilising...

In the year since war broke out in the Middle East, the conflict has threatened to widen several times, and has now expanded into Lebanon, and direct attacks between Israel and Iran. What will a second year of war bring? Will an Iran, hampered by a weakened Hezbollah, scale back its efforts? What will the regional landscape look like when the long-anticipated “Day After” arrives? Join us as we wel...

Dr Al Nuaimi will speak on the Emirates’ efforts to promote religious tolerance, and moderate Islam within and beyond the Middle East. He will also share his experiences working with Southeast Asian Muslim communities.

Jonathan Fulton, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Programmes and the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, discusses how US-China competition in the Middle East could unfold in 2025. He explains that while China’s presence peaked in October 2023, driven by regional engagement and economic connections, it waned following the Gaza conflict, revealing the limits...

Eight days before Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in an article written for The Atlantic, described the Middle East as “quieter” than it had been in two decades. This statement has now been shredded. The final lecture of the ME101 series will draw on the findings of previous lessons to offer a regional assessment of the political and economic...

Between 1977 and 1983, the first phase of Singapore’s Mosque Building Fund (MBF) played a pivotal role in shaping the architectural and social evolution of local mosques. The MBF exemplifies the state’s pragmatic governance and approach to secularism, balancing religious autonomy with social cohesion and urban development. Mosque construction during this period emerged from a collaborative process...

The US’s failed intervention in Afghanistan The question of what caused America’s Afghanistan debacle or, in other words, where the US, backed by NATO and non-NATO allies, went wrong, has been widely debated from varying perspectives. However, there has not been an insightful and coherent expose of what led the US to move from its initial ‘light footprint’ approach to a ‘heavy footprint’ one, whic...

Azerbaijan will host the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in November 2024. The conference will pick up where COP28 left off: The completion of the first global stocktake, the consensus to “transition away” from fossil fuels, and agreements for a massive expansion of clean energy, among others. While COP meetings hav...

Throughout history, the Middle East has been at the forefront of global change, engaging with the West through crusades, wars, colonialism, and terrorism. Beyond these familiar narratives lies a region undergoing profound economic transformation, cultural evolution, and facing pressing environmental challenges. This lecture series will examine these key aspects and drivers of change, with an empha...

Throughout history, the Middle East has been at the forefront of global change, engaging with the West through crusades, wars, colonialism, and terrorism. Beyond these familiar narratives lies a region undergoing profound economic transformation, cultural evolution, and facing pressing environmental challenges. This lecture series will examine these key aspects and drivers of change, with an empha...

Across the MENA region, environmental challenges are rising, but the six Gulf Arab states—Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain—are feeling the impact the most. With economies built on oil and gas, they’re now on the frontlines of climate change. COP28 in Dubai last year called for urgent action, but what are Gulf countries actually doing? How are they tackling climate risks whil...

MEI in collaboration with the SUSS DBA Alumni Graduate Student Community (DBAC) and the SUSS School of Business   Throughout history, the Middle East has been at the forefront of global change, engaging with the West through crusades, wars, colonialism, and terrorism. Beyond these familiar narratives lies a region undergoing profound economic transformation, cultural evolution, and facing pressing...

MEI in collaboration with the SUSS DBA Alumni Graduate Student Community (DBAC) and the SUSS School of Business   Throughout history, the Middle East has been at the forefront of global change, engaging with the West through crusades, wars, colonialism, and terrorism. Beyond these familiar narratives lies a region undergoing profound economic transformation, cultural evolution, and facing pressing...

Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, is deemed a reformist whose “balanced” foreign policy approach may be the answer to Iran’s complex international relations, including ongoing tensions with the West, the Israel-Gaza conflict, and uranium enrichment concerns. While he has been endorsed by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, any West-ward overture by Mr Pezeshkian will require the Supreme Leader’s assent...

After years of opposition, nuclear power is enjoying renewed appeal around the world. A key reason for this is an urgency to mitigate the impact of climate change by pursuing clean energy sources. Geopolitical events, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, have likewise intensified the drive for energy security. In South-east Asia, Singapore is exploring nuclear power, while the Philippines, Indonesia, a...

This event is organised by MEI Political Economy Cluster in collaboration with S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).   Lost Decade is an essential guide for understanding the historic shift to Asia-centric geopolitics and its implications for the United States’ present and future. Across the political spectrum, there is wide agreement that Asia should stand at the center of U.S. fo...