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Monarchs escaped the uprisings relatively unscathed, but now face mounting problems and are turning to more repressive policies to limit dissent.
New rivalries among the Gulf states and beyond are redefining the region.
Editor’s Note: As the United States withdraws both from the Middle East and from its traditional global leadership role under President Trump, rising powers like China and regional players like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are moving to take its place. Trade, investment, and reconstruction aid are all in flux. Karen Young of the American Enterprise Institute assesses these new dynamics and finds that the Gulf states and China are moving closer in ways that will shift regional dynamics.
Daniel Byman
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For more than a year, Saudi Arabia and its allies—especially the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, collectively referred to as the Quartet—have led a relentless, and seemingly counterproductive campaign against Qatar in a feckless attempt to bully and intimidate Doha. In addition to a blockade, the Saudis are allegedly moving forward with a plan to dig a canal on their border to turn Qatar into an island.
Jordan’s King Sacks Prime Minister amid Economic Protests
U.S. Launches Punitive Strikes on Assad Regime’s Chemical Weapons Facilities
Editor’s Note: The crisis between Qatar and its neighbors drags on, exacerbating regional instability and posing problems for U.S. policymakers. While many analysts have focused on the security and foreign policy implications of the crisis, the possible domestic ramifications are often ignored. Kristin Smith Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington assesses the state of reform in Qatar and argues that the ruling family is likely to proceed cautiously given the many sensitivities involved.
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Around this time last year, we rang in 2017 with a review of the year that was in the Middle East and a series of questions:
Editor’s Note: As the Trump administration weighs its options in Afghanistan, one of the biggest questions is whether to continue talks with the Taliban via its office in Doha—an office set up with strong U.S. support. Here the president's desire to reduce the U.S. role will crash into his goal of being perceived as tough on terrorists. Candace Rondeaux, the founding director of the RESOLVE Network and a long-time regional expert, believes Trump can learn from himself. By applying the steps in The Art of the Deal, she offers lessons for the administration.
Iraq and Kurdistan Broker Oil Deals in Contested Regions