COP is taking place this year in the United Arab Emirates, whose subsistence depends heavily on fossil fuels. Despite the controversy surrounding the choice of venue for the summit, the EU and France must not turn their back on negotiations with the Arab state on the gradual phase out of these fuels
Many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate…
As COP28 approaches, the dispute over the phase-out of fossil fuels threatens to once again torpedo progress at the climate conference. Europeans have a chance to break this impasse and achieve meaningful progress by engaging with major fossil fuel producing countries like the Gulf monarchies
A new trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East can offer opportunities for Europeans to strengthen their geo-economic influence with the Gulf. It can also be an opportunity for de-risking, but Europe should not expect to dislodge Chinese influence
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Nadereh Chamlou and Sheikha Najla Al Qassimi about the geo-economic trends in the Middle East
Europeans should view COP28 as a catalyst to upgrade their energy relations with the Gulf states to long-term cooperation on the green transition and decarbonisation
The first episode of ECFR’s WOMENP mini-series brings together leading experts to discuss what can be expected from Iran and Saudi Arabia’s de-escalation after the…
The normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has provided welcome impetus towards peace in Yemen. But resolving the regional dimension of the conflict should not come at the expense of inclusive, intra-Yemeni negotiations under UN auspices
Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to begin the process of normalising their relations. Europeans should consider how to help entrench the stabilising gains of the agreement – even as they navigate difficulties with Iran
To compete with China’s influence in the Gulf, European governments should embrace multipolarity and offer concrete alternatives to Gulf monarchies
Europeans should view COP28 as a catalyst to upgrade their energy relations with the Gulf states to long-term cooperation on the green transition and decarbonisation
Europeans should resist the temptation of short-term fixes and adopt a longer-term approach to supporting Yemen
European policymakers should back climate diplomacy to help improve relations between Iran and Gulf monarchies
Ankara is trying to normalise its relationships with Middle Eastern governments. The EU needs to adjust to the new Turkey that is emerging from this process.
If the EU is to achieve its climate and geopolitical goals, it will need to substantially increase its engagement with Gulf states on the European Green Deal
Instead of using the UAE to push back against Turkey or vice versa, Europe should develop its own strategy on their rivalry
The arrival of the Biden administration in Washington, and the perception of US disengagement from the region, offers an opportunity for Europeans to help de-escalate tensions between GCC states and Iran
European states should now increase conditional engagement with the Houthis, looking to widen political and humanitarian space on the ground
Europeans can shift the balance of power in the Gulf in their favour by approaching the Gulf through flexible new frameworks
The European Union should continue to support development and state-building in Yemen and develop platforms on which southerners can achieve self-determination
COP is taking place this year in the United Arab Emirates, whose subsistence depends heavily on fossil fuels. Despite the controversy surrounding the choice of venue for the summit, the EU and France must not turn their back on negotiations with the Arab state on the gradual phase out of these fuels
As COP28 approaches, the dispute over the phase-out of fossil fuels threatens to once again torpedo progress at the climate conference. Europeans have a chance to break this impasse and achieve meaningful progress by engaging with major fossil fuel producing countries like the Gulf monarchies
A new trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East can offer opportunities for Europeans to strengthen their geo-economic influence with the Gulf. It can also be an opportunity for de-risking, but Europe should not expect to dislodge Chinese influence
The normalisation of relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran has provided welcome impetus towards peace in Yemen. But resolving the regional dimension of the conflict should not come at the expense of inclusive, intra-Yemeni negotiations under UN auspices
Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to begin the process of normalising their relations. Europeans should consider how to help entrench the stabilising gains of the agreement – even as they navigate difficulties with Iran
To compete with China’s influence in the Gulf, European governments should embrace multipolarity and offer concrete alternatives to Gulf monarchies
Saudi Arabia is resurgent as a leader in the Middle East and North Africa. The Saudi foreign minister’s visit to Brussels represents an opportunity for the EU to explore more active cooperation on projects in the region
Hosting the World Cup is the ultimate ‘soft power coup’. But Qatar could find the investment may not be worth the return
Military alignment between Israel and Gulf Arab states risks heightened conflict in the Middle East – without weakening Iran’s geopolitical position or nuclear programme
The EU should provide targeted support to local communities and organisations in Yemen. This would help sustain the ceasefire and restore Europeans’ credibility in the country.
The eastern Mediterranean is becoming ever more perilous as geopolitical fault lines steadily enmesh the region. These rifts emerge from the Cyprus ‘frozen conflict’, competition for valuable gas fields, and the increasingly entangled wars in Libya and Syria.
An ECFR guide to the key disputes threatening to spark a wider Middle Eastern war
A multimedia exploration of Yemen's multi-faceted civil war
Ellie Geranmayeh speaks to Nadereh Chamlou and Sheikha Najla Al Qassimi about the geo-economic trends in the Middle East
The first episode of ECFR’s WOMENP mini-series brings together leading experts to discuss what can be expected from Iran and Saudi Arabia’s de-escalation after the…
How can the EU prevent the Turkey-UAE rivalry from destabilising European security and foreign policy?
The ECFR Rome office organized a virtual gathering, moderated by the Head of ECFR Rome Arturo Varvelli, to present the ECFR publication “A Gulf…
Recording of the Lunch Discussion analysing Yemen's role in the current Gulf crisis and how recent regional developments will have an impact on the UN-coordinated…
Mark Leonard speaks with Ellie Geranmayeh and Dr Kayhan Barzegar about Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation and the current political situation in Iran. The podcast was…
Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacy about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US…
Podcast de notre conférence du 1 octobre en partenariat avec l’Institut d’études de sécurité de l’Union européenne (EUISS) : « Russia and the Middle East…
Mark Leonard speaks with Adam Baron, Ellie Geranmayeh and Julien Barnes-Dacey about Yemen caught in the midst of a regional conflict between Iran and Saudi…
Mark Leonard speaks with Iran expert Ellie Geranmayeh about what might happen after Donald Trump has decided to withdraw US support from the deal. The…
Many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate…
This event will consider how women peace-builders in Yemen are providing essential gender-responsive humanitarian and peacemaking support
Il recente insediamento dell’amministrazione Biden a Washington e il percepito disimpegno degli Stati Uniti nella regione offrono agli europei l’opportunità di contribuire ad allentare le tensioni tra gli Stati del Consiglio di Cooperazione del Golfo (CCG) e l’Iran
Lunch discussion with ECFR and external experts on the Yemen conflict and what Europe can do.
Morning discussion with ECFR and external experts on European involvement in the Gulf and its engagement with other regional actors
Two policial scientists from the United Arab Emirates discuss the UAEs rise as a regional power in the MENA region. ECFRs own expert on the Gulf will add the European perspective to the perception of the UAE and the implications it has on Europe.
A Lunch Discussion on Yemen's role in the current Gulf crisis
How can the EU demonstrate resolve and respond to the interests of Russia, Turkey, Iran and Saudi-Arabia?
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un événement en présence de Radhya Almutawakel, Adam Baron, Aymeric Elluin, Lucile Grosjean et Camille Lons, coordinatrice du programme MENA de l'ECFR. sur le thème suivant : « Yémen : sortir de l'impasse après 4 ans de guerre ».
The European Union and France should not abandon negotiations with the Emirates on the progressive reduction of fossil fuels
Ukraine’s invasion and the subsequent energetic crisis have given a new impulse to the EU-Gulf cooperation, still incomplete: green technologies could be the key to transform this partnership
There is a growing likelihood that the final agreement ends up with a “compromise position” about working towards an energy system free of unabated fossil fuels
Qatar’s position as a major mediator has its roots in the early 2000s-then the country developed relations with all Islamists linked to the Muslim Brotherhood
Since the ‘90s Qatar has managed to be a place where different entities could coexist, then offering itself as useful mediator with the international community, and especially with the US
