States in the region increasingly design and produce their own drones. The EU should respond by investing in European drone technology and creating a shared accountability regime for the use of such systems.
The current truce in Yemen could lead to negotiations on a long-term ceasefire. But this would require greater concessions by the Houthis and sustained diplomatic engagement from regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran.
Gulf monarchies’ refusal to side with the US and Europe against Russia is not about Russia. It is about a transactional approach to protecting national interests and avoiding the costs of strategic alignment.
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe.
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
How can the EU prevent the Turkey-UAE rivalry from destabilising European security and foreign policy?
Instead of using the UAE to push back against Turkey or vice versa, Europe should develop its own strategy on their rivalry
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
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
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
Saudi Arabia is embracing a new nationalism that is transforming domestic politics and the country’s foreign policy
The northern province can act as a model for the rest of the country, if international actors, including Europe, learn its lessons
France sees the MENA region as a state for foreign policy and great power politics and an opportunity to shape global politics and punch above its weight
The ‘forgotten war’ of Yemen is now matching the headline-grabbing conflict in Syria in its severity, and can no longer be ignored by European governments
States in the region increasingly design and produce their own drones. The EU should respond by investing in European drone technology and creating a shared accountability regime for the use of such systems.
The current truce in Yemen could lead to negotiations on a long-term ceasefire. But this would require greater concessions by the Houthis and sustained diplomatic engagement from regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Iran.
Gulf monarchies’ refusal to side with the US and Europe against Russia is not about Russia. It is about a transactional approach to protecting national interests and avoiding the costs of strategic alignment.
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe.
A broad range of political and financial problems are likely to prevent Iran from importing advanced weapons systems in the coming years
The new, still-unsteady leaders of Kuwait and Oman cannot afford to take the same risks as their predecessors. They will need Europe’s support if they are to maintain their independence.
The Israel-UAE peace deal provides multiple wins for both countries, and for the US. But it could yet deepen the region’s political fault lines.
The Southern Transitional Council’s declaration of “self-rule” threatens to revive the internecine feuds of previous generations
Saudi Arabia took a major risk in launching the oil price war. There may be a political price to pay.
The Russian-Saudi oil spat is exacerbating volatility in the Gulf – and beyond
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
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…
Is France alone in the desert? ECFR experts Julien Barnes-Dacey and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil discuss how France can lead Europe in the Middle East
Ruth Citrin speaks with Ellie Geranmayeh, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Hugh Lovatt, about the state of play in the MENA region and the considerations for Europeans…
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 ».
Nous avons le plaisir de vous inviter à un séminaire, en présence de Christine Ockrent, Julien Barnes, et modéré par Camille Lons, sur le thème suivant : « Mohammed ben Salman : Réformiste visionnaire ou prince autoritaire ? »
The UAE and other Gulf monarchies are re-evaluating relations with the US who, in their strong view, reneged on its end of the bargain: providing security
Cinzia Bianco weighs in on the latest updates between the US and the Gulf as disappointment with the Biden administration grows
Relying on a variety of sources and multiple answers, not on a single renewable source (…). The key is diversification, also in terms of fossil fuels and providers.
Cinzia Bianco outlines the essential elements for achieving the European energy transition within the changed geopolitical and energy context
Behindthe UAE’s success in developing a global-scale food production and distribution capacity is the country’s National Food Strategy 2051,
Michael Tanchum argues that the UAE’s food-security plans have made it a global market player
They [Saudi Arabia] recognized that they need to make a very big move to really unify the anti-Houthi coalition,
Riyadh wants concessions, even in exchange for help with Russia, and Washington seems now unwilling to grant them. Saudi reaction is a sort of demonstration of what they are able to do (with China).
Cinzia Bianco analyses the relationship between US President Joe Biden and the Saudi Kingdom, and the reason why Riyadh is getting closer to Beijing