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Gulf States

Policy Analysis on Gulf States

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Photo of Israelis in Tel Aviv protesting proposed judiciary changes, February 2023.
Brief Analysis
Regional Reactions to Israel’s Protests
Many Middle Eastern outlets have used the crisis to reinforce their inflammatory rhetoric, but some have provided nuanced analysis through the lenses of democratic principles and Arab-Israel peace.
Apr 12, 2023
◆
  • Frances McDonough
Articles & Testimony
Don’t Throw Good Arab Money After Bad in Syria
The Gulf states have their own reasons for reaching out to Assad, but they need to understand that Washington will not exempt them from most of its multilayered Syria sanctions without substantial change in the regime’s posture.
Apr 7, 2023
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  • Andrew J. Tabler
OPEC flag
Articles & Testimony
Are Surprise Oil Production Cuts a Saudi Message to Washington?
One hopes that the U.S. intelligence community picked up all the chatter between oil producers even if energy analysts and the news media did not.
Apr 3, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
UAE President Muhammad bin Zayed - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
UAE President Appoints Son as Crown Prince
A series of rapid announcements has indicated the Emirati leader’s vision for the future of Abu Dhabi and the rest of the UAE.
Mar 31, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Brief Analysis
Israel’s Offshore Gas Attracts Foreign Energy Giants
A joint BP/UAE takeover bid for Israel’s NewMed Energy reflects increasing demand for East Mediterranean gas and confidence that there is more to be found.
Mar 29, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Video
Articles & Testimony
What Does the Saudi-Iran Deal Mean for the Middle East?
In a series of articles, op-eds, and media appearances, Washington Institute experts discuss what the China-brokered agreement between Tehran and Riyadh means for Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.
Mar 29, 2023
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  • Anna Brown
Muhandis company launch event leadership attendeees
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Muhandis Company: Iraq’s Khatam al-Anbia
Similar to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Iraqi "resistance" groups have long sought a company with preferential access to lucrative state contracts, and the Sudani government is finally providing them after years of opposition—on the Saudi border no less.
Mar 21, 2023
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  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Wang Yi, director of China's Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, and Minister of State and national security adviser of Saudi Arabia Musaad bin Mohammed Al Aiban shake hands in Beijing in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Articles & Testimony
The Saudi-Iran Deal Reflects a New Global Reality
Leaders in the Middle East feel more threatened by the competition between China and the United States than by the individual powers themselves, so Washington needs to adapt accordingly.
Mar 16, 2023
◆
  • Michael Singh
Saudi Deputy Prime Minister Prince Abdullah greets Iranian President Khatami in Jeddah in May 1999 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
Clarifying the Status of Previous Iran-Saudi Agreements
The steps taken to actually implement Riyadh and Tehran’s new normalization accord bear close watching given the uncertainties surrounding their 1998 and 2001 agreements.
Mar 16, 2023
◆
  • Faris Almaari
Newspapers at a shop in Tehran display headlines about the China-brokered Iran-Saudi deal in March 2023 - source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
What Beijing’s Iran-Saudi Deal Means—and What It Doesn’t
China brokered the agreement, but this does not signal a new Beijing-led order in the Middle East—in fact, it could make regional tensions worse.
Mar 15, 2023
◆
  • Henry Rome
  • Grant Rumley
Brief Analysis
China’s Track Record on Middle East Diplomacy
Beijing has responded to regional conflicts with a bevy of multilateral forums, peace plans, and envoys, but without the deeper commitments and follow-through required to resolve them.
Mar 15, 2023
◆
  • Carol Silber
Crown Prince Muhammad and President Xi walking in Riyadh.
Articles & Testimony
With Saudi-Iran Diplomacy, Is China Pushing the US Aside in the Middle East?
The surprise development may have more to do with resolving the Yemen war than rebuking the Biden administration, but the full implications will take time to register.
Mar 13, 2023
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  • Simon Henderson
Russian President Vladimi Putin tours an exhibit of Tsarist weapons on display in the UAE in 2007 - source: Reuteurs
Articles & Testimony
Russia Uses Middle Eastern Ties to Mitigate Isolation
By taking largely ambivalent stances on the Ukraine war, states in the region have helped ease the effects of international sanctions against Moscow.
Mar 7, 2023
◆
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
Brief Analysis
Yemen Peace Accord Appears Increasingly Possible
A deal would leave the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in control but allow the Saudis to disengage from a costly and intractable war, potentially opening up further diplomatic possibilities.
Feb 28, 2023
◆
  • Simon Henderson
Arash-2 drones (Iran), Patriot launcher (U.S.)
In-Depth Reports
Striking Back:
Iran and the Rise of Asymmetric Drone Warfare in the Middle East
The regime’s drone and missile forces pose a stark threat to the Gulf states and Israel, necessitating a firmer, more cohesive U.S.-led response.
Feb 26, 2023
◆
  • Kenneth McKenzie Jr.
Chinese and UAE leaders meet
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Gulf Navigates a Multipolar World
Amid global uncertainty, Gulf states are seeking to strike a delicate balance between old and new partners.
Feb 24, 2023
◆
  • Fawzi al-Zubaidi
Photo of Chinese and Emirati leaders walking.
Articles & Testimony
Is Ukraine the ‘War Before the War’?
As with Russia, Persian Gulf states may be reluctant to cross Beijing if conflict erupts in Asia, but Washington should remind them that even narrow financial action can help counter any Chinese moves on Taiwan.
Feb 23, 2023
◆
  • Michael Singh
A delegation of Gulf Arab men and women visit Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.
Articles & Testimony
Why Arabs Should Learn About the Holocaust
The vow of “never again” taken by virtually all nations after the Second World War remains unfulfilled.
Feb 21, 2023
◆
  • Robert Satloff
Brief Analysis
China’s Growing Naval Influence in the Middle East
​​​​​​​Current Chinese basing capacity and force commitment in the region seem insufficient to support the level of economic and diplomatic engagement that appears to be Beijing’s new normal, so Washington should prepare for further expansion.
Feb 17, 2023
◆
  • Blake Herzinger
  • Ben Lefkowitz
Dalia Adel
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Saudi Arabia’s Sports Promotion is a Win-Win for the Kingdom
Saudi Arabia's increased investment in sports represents an effort to empower youth and expand the economy, rather than "sportswashing."
Feb 16, 2023
◆
  • Fahad Nazer

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Supported by the

Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy

The Washington Institute's Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy embodies the Institute's long-term research focus on the conservative Arab Gulf states -- Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, and Oman -- and the key role these countries play collectively as a primary source of the world's oil and natural gas.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson
Simon Henderson is the Baker Senior Fellow and director of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at The Washington Institute, specializing in energy matters and the conservative Arab states of the Persian Gulf.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.
Elizabeth Dent - source: The Washington Institute
Elizabeth Dent
Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.
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