Sustained high oil prices have not only affected life in the oil-rich Gulf profoundly, they have also created soaring wealth that changes the way the region relates to the rest of the world. The Middle East Program will work with others at CSIS to appreciate the new challenges and opportunities arising from a resurgence of Middle Eastern oil wealth and their impact on regional affairs and global politics. Activities include a monthly Gulf Roundtable, larger conferences, and publications.

Gulf roundtable series

The CSIS Middle East Program launched the Gulf Roundtable in April, 2007 to examine the strategic importance of a broad range of social, political, and economic trends in the Gulf region and to identify opportunities for constructive U.S. engagement. The roundtable defines the Gulf as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran. The roundtable convenes monthly, assembling a diverse group of regional experts, policymakers, academics, and business leaders seeking to build a greater understanding of the complexities of the region. Topics for discussion include the role of Islamist movements in politics, the war on terror, democratization and the limits of civil society, the strategic importance of Gulf energy, media trends, trade liberalization, and prospects for greater regional integration.

China-Middle East Conference in Abu Dhabi

In October 2007, the Middle East Program held a conference in Abu Dhabi entitled China, the United States and the Middle East: Diplomacy, Strategy and the Triangular Relationship

The conference assembled a group of leading strategic thinkers and experts from China, the United States, and the Middle East for two days of deliberations. Panel discussions concentrated on the military, strategic, economic, and political trends influenced by China’s rise, and the likely responses of the United States and Middle Eastern governments to that rise.

View the conference agenda here

Gulf economic monograph

The Middle East Program is currently working on a monograph examining the transformation of Gulf economies and how those changes are influencing domestic, regional, and global trends. The aim of the monograph is to highlight and explain the complex economic and geopolitical trends underway in the Gulf to U.S. policymakers, and deepen common understandings of evolving opportunities and challenges in the region. As the leading driver of many of these trends, particular attention will focus on the UAE. CSIS has conducted in-depth research and interviews with government and business leaders throughout the region. Upon completion, the monograph will be widely circulated to policymakers and business leaders and available on the CSIS website. CSIS will also brief its findings to key stakeholders in the United States government and the Gulf.