The Changing Middle East Regional Order

By Paul Salem / Winter 2022

A history of the Arab state system starting from the second half of the twentieth century to the present

Managing Crises, the Least-Bad Option

By Joost Hiltermann / Winter 2022

Conflict management in the MENA region has little chance of succeeding as conflicts increasingly intersect and tensions driven by larger, regional triggers become even more unpredictable

Saving a Water-Stressed Middle East

By Neda Zawahri / Fall 2021

Inefficient water management exacerbates water insecurity in the MENA region, already the area most vulnerable to the catastrophic impact of the climate crisis. Building adaptive capacity is critical to ensure national and individual water security.

Locked-in Emissions: The Climate Change Arms Trade

By Wendela de Vries / Fall 2021

With militaries’ locked-in fossil fuel systems and looming climate chaos, the arms industry continues to take advantage of nefarious profit opportunities.

Yemen’s Peace Process: A Path to Conflict?

By Abdullah Hamidaddin / Spring 2021

The possibilities and risks of Yemen embracing peace and stability after a long period of internal civil war remain bleak.

The Rise of the United Arab Emirates

By Abdulkhaleq Abdulla / Spring 2021

By harnessing national confidence, proactively dealing with regional security concerns and exercising geopolitical cooperation, the UAE is positioning itself as a regional powerhouse.

Can the Arab Region meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

By Mourad Wahba / Winter 2021

There are multiple challenges which need to be confronted in both data collection and public policy so that the SDGs can be attained.

Why the Phrase “Arab Spring” Should be Retired

By Sean David Hobbs / Winter 2021

It’s time to stop using a Western-based concept ten years on from the events that began the Arab Uprisings.

Let Conflicts Be Bygones

By Nadeen Shaker /

A sobering look at how COVID-19 will affect Libya, Syria, and Yemen, where war and conflict have not only decimated most of these countries’ precious resources but are further destroying what remains of them.

A Surplus of Deficits

By Amr Adly / Spring 2020

From a political economy perspective, there are four key forces working against the peace and prosperity of Middle Eastern and North African states. To defeat them, robust institutions are essential.

The Neo-Ballistic Middle East

By Karim El-Baz / Fall 2019

Over the past forty years, Iran has written the book on Lebanization and using non-state actors in interstate warfare

Reconstruction as a political-economy issue: The case of Syria

By Samir Aita / September 18, 2019

There can be no meaningful separation between state-building, peace-building, and revival at the end of a conflict, especially as post-conflict state institutions are the only apparatus which can be somewhat directly or indirectly accountable toward their populations for the management of the country.

A Whole Government Effort

By Sean David Hobbs / Summer 2019

In reaffirming the U.S. role in the Middle East, anti-terrorism expert Gerald Feierstein explains that it is not enough to just fight violent networks; leaders must also address the root causes of extremism

How Yemen Rises

By Abdullah Hamidaddin / Summer 2019

Reconstruction is never easy, and in Yemen the road will be longer than most. The first step is to pass on “best practice” in favor of a critical, reflexive approach

A Regional Order Contested

By Karim Haggag / Spring 2019

Extreme instability has prompted a fundamental reconfiguration of the contemporary Middle East; as the old order crumbles, a new one has yet to emerge

The EU-Arab Summit: A Chance to Reset Relations with the Arab World?

By James Moran / February 17, 2019

With EU and Arab League leaders set to convene a landmark summit for the first time in Sharm El-Sheikh this February, the stakes are high to agree on key issues, including migration, counter-terrorism and steps to end the war in Yemen.

Russia’s Mediating Role in Southern Yemen

By Samuel Ramani / November 25, 2018

Seeking to expand its influence in the Red Sea, Russia is hoping that mediating internal disputes in Yemen will help make the region more secure.

A New Beginning for Yemen?

By Karim Haggag / November 17, 2018

The strategic role of the United States—and others—in finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen.

Empowering Yemen’s Displaced Women

By Ghaidaa Motahar / Summer 2018

Since 2004, internal displacement in Yemen has hit women the hardest. Rather than narrowly focus on life-saving assistance, humanitarian organizations must develop policies with women’s strategic and long-term needs in mind.

The UAE’s Security-Economic Nexus in Yemen

By Eleonora Ardemagni / July 27, 2018

The UAE’s growing investment in Yemen’s energy and security infrastructure is increasingly the driving force behind its counterterrorism involvement.

Trump’s Ineptitude on Iran

By Reza Marashi / May 7, 2018

Trump’s Iran policy burns with fury as well as utter incoherence.

Arabs Rising to the Occasion?

By Amre Moussa / March 10, 2018

Former secretary general of the League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, offers eight recommendations for establishing a new regional order that would see Arab countries end instability and regain control of their futures.

The Real Turning Point in Yemen Has Yet to Come

By Kierat Ranautta-Sambhi and Miriam Eps / December 20, 2017

Ali Abdullah Saleh’s death could be the end of the Houthis, or a blessing in disguise. The future course of the Yemeni conflict hinges on whether and how Houthis will prevail without him.

Beware the Ghosts Yemen’s Starved Children

By Rami G. Khouri / April 19, 2017

Their ghosts will come back to haunt us one day. There is nothing in the world more frightening than the ghost of a starved child seeking retribution.

Saving Yemen

By Gerald M. Feierstein / March 9, 2017

A victory in the civil war, by either side, is unlikely to bring peace.

Iran’s Small Hand in Yemen

By Mareike Transfeld / February 15, 2017

Iranian support for the Houthis has been marginal and does not shape their decision making as much as local alliances and conflict dynamics do.

Regional Conflicts Bleed Into Yemen’s War

By Nabeel Khoury / October 20, 2016

Along with Saudi Arabia and Iran, Hezbollah and the U.S. risk being pulled further into Yemen’s civil war.

Saudi-Backed Extremism Is Fueling Yemeni Outrage

By Nasser Arrabyee / September 12, 2016

Blaming Saudis and Americans for civilian casualties and growing extremist violence, Yemenis are upping their own media and military campaigns.

A Call to Action for Law and Human Decency in Yemen

By Rami G. Khouri / September 1, 2016

The top United Nations human rights official has called for the establishment of an independent body to carry out comprehensive investigations of human rights violations in Yemen.

Saudi Arabia’s Unholy War

By Nasser Arrabyee / March 6, 2016

Saudi Arabia’s campaign in Yemen has boosted popular support for the Houthis and is fueling greater anti-Saudi sentiment.

Saudi Arabia’s Problematic Allies against the Houthis

By Neil Partrick / February 14, 2016

Saudi Arabia is supporting an ever wider range of Yemeni actors willing to fight the Houthis, but their political ambitions and regionally limited capabilities are at odds with the kingdom’s interest in a unified Yemen.

Unraveling Yemen’s Civil War

By Adam Baron / November 5, 2015

More than sectarianism or foreign intervention, the civil war is driven by broken politics. In Yemen, the self-interest of leaders creates political dead ends.