Middle East Dossier

In this episode, Meia Nouwens discusses Chinese private security companies and artificial intelligence.  This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.  

The war in Ukraine has forced Europe to re-examine its security strategy and energy dependence on Russian oil and gas. The EU is now pushing for an embargo on all Russian hydrocarbons – a previously unthinkable option. Whilst the energy industry has been rapidly shifting away from hydrocarbon investments, governments have been slow to promote low carbon alternatives, leaving a looming energy short...

2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research and Development Foundation which has funded about 190 projects since its inception. The active collaboration between the two innovative countries has continued to strengthen over the past five decades. Earlier in March, Israel and Singapore signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cross-border cooperation on artificial inte...

China is at the forefront of the application of digital technologies in the financial sector – in securing benefits, regulating risks and in experimentation.  Private companies Alibaba and Tencent spearheaded the introduction of e-payments within China but are now subject to increasing regulation.  At the same time, Beijing has moved to clamp down on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin mining and tra...

This book aims to provide a more balanced understanding of the contemporary processes of domestic policymaking and governance in Saudi Arabia. Comprehension of these two areas is pertinent given the importance of the government’s economic diversification plans: Saudi Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program (NTP) 2020, and revised NTP 2.0. This book draws on academics, researchers, poli...

While the Middle East has  perpetually been at the crossroads, the current juncture is no less critical in which regional powers are fast realigning in the wake of the US shifting away from being the most dominant player in the region. Under this scenario, Turkey’s role becomes crucial not only because of its intrinsic strength but also due to its relative standing by virtue of its NATO membership...

Despite receiving scrutiny as the one of the main ideological sources for extremist violence perpetrated by jihadi groups, Salafism is not monolithic. Looking beyond the literature discussing transnational jihadi networks, Dr Raihan Ismail examines how quietist and activist Salafi clerics work across borders to preserve and promote what they deem “authentic Islam”. In this talk, Ismail focuses on...

The UAE has emerged as the most iconic and widely publicised of all GCC countries in the past years. Its unique and stunning landmarks, cultural and sporting events and magnetism for talent and workforce from the wider region and beyond gave it a special position among its peers. This was further enhanced by the World Expo hosted to coincide with the country’s 50th anniversary. These were all comp...

In this episode, Mr Omri Lavie discusses the role of artificial intelligence in cyber operations and the future of cyber security management in a complex environment. This podcast is presented by Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

The Indo-Pacific region has gained prominence as the world’s major powers gravitated towards this space to expand their influence but until recently, the Middle East seemed excluded from this geopolitical shift. Things have quickly changed: in the past years, Gulf states and Israel have become the object of increased attention from Asian powers and got themselves involved in new diplomatic arrange...

As all eyes are turned towards Ukraine, a long-neglected conflict in the Middle East is entering its eighth year. Started in March 2015, the Yemen war was initially supposed to be a short and limited intervention led by Saudi Arabia. Today,  despite several failed diplomatic initiatives, there is no end in sight. Beyond the humanitarian tragedy for Yemen, the war has turned into the epicenter of r...

In this episode, Dr Molly Dunigan discusses how Russia’s use of mercenaries exposes what may be critical vulnerabilities in the Russian will to fight and in Russian state power. This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.    

The last Conference of the Parties (COP 26), held under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), finalised the “rulebook” for implementing the 2015 Paris Agreement. Its tagline, “from ambition to action,” will be examined through the lens of the next two COP meetings – COP27 and COP28 – hosted by Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, respectively. Given the varying impacts...

In this episode, Dr Zhou Zhanggui discusses about the Chinese private security sector in highly complex environments. This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

In this episode, Dr Tor Bukkvoll discusses The Wagner Group and Russian private military companies from Ukraine to Syria – the emergence of  a new tool of clandestine warfare. This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore. For more information on this episode, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/ev...

The handbook brings together a mix of established and emerging international scholars to provide valuable analytical insights into how China’s growing Middle East presence affects intra-regional development, trade, security and diplomacy. As the largest extra-regional economic actor in the Middle East, China is the biggest source of foreign direct investment into the region and the largest trading...

In this episode, Mr Callum Watson discusses about glass ceiling and private security. This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

Against the backdrop of the JCPOA negotiations, this webinar will explore the inherent dynamics between Iran and the European Union (EU). It is notable that since the start of the Iranian nuclear controversy about two decades ago, the EU has been steadfastly mediating between Iran and the US, an effort that has continued till today. Therefore, through our discussion, we seek to find answers to que...

Added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013, the Al Zubarah Archaeological Site is Qatar’s first entry in this international register. Once a thriving pearl fishing and trading port in the 1760s, the Al Zubarah site showcases impressive, excavated findings. These include a city wall, ancient residential palaces and structures typical of an urban centre – including markets, living and industria...

The bulldozers are here. This time, they are here for Jebel Ali – the region’s first major shipping hub and dry dock located in Dubai. Like many other built relics in the Gulf, including the coral stone homes of Dubai’s rulers along its famous saltwater creek, these buildings were razed to make way for more modern structures. This is the story of the meteoric rise of Gulf cities – most of them wer...

The book examines how three key figures in Moscow, Beijing and Tehran, built irregular warfare campaigns that are eroding American power. Conventional warfare—clashes between large military forces—defined 20th century power. However, today, facing dominant US conventional and nuclear capabilities, America’s principal adversaries (Russia, China and Iran) have adopted a different style of competitio...

In this episode, Mr Eliot Higgins discusses the weapons used in the conflict in Syria and open-source investigation tools and techniques. This podcast series is presented by Dr Alessandro Arduino, Principal Research Fellow and Dr Ameem Lutfi, Research Fellow, at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore.

For a few years after the Arab revolutions of 2011, Lebanon appeared like a paradox – the historically fragile state of the Middle East that used to be the buffer zone for regional competition had been relatively immune to the turmoil that other countries like Syria or Egypt, were facing. The assumption was that the people of Lebanon still had vivid memories of a 15-year civil war and scars from i...

ME 101 Closing Session by Mr Bilahari Kausikan [Thursday, 25 November 2021]   For more information about the ME 101 Lecture Series, click here: https://mei.nus.edu.sg/event/me-101-lecture-series-2021/

Five years since then-Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) unveiled Vision 2030, reforms continue to be rolled out in Saudi Arabia. Early this year, for example, it announced new judicial reforms that set it on a course towards codified law – a major step for a country whose legal system is based on Islamic law.  While such reforms are aimed at boosting the liberalisation drive by softeni...