Visiting Fellow
The Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf region, European relations with the Gulf countries
Italian and English (fluent), French, Spanish and Arabic (conversational)
Cinzia Bianco is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she is working on political, security and economic developments in the Arabian Peninsula and Gulf region and relations with Europe. Additionally, she is a senior analyst at Gulf State Analytics. Previously, Bianco was a research fellow for the European Commission’s project on EU-GCC relations ‘Sharaka’ between 2013 and 2014.
She holds an MA degree in Middle East and Mediterranean Studies from King’s College London and a PhD in Middle East Politics from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, where she worked on threat perceptions in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) after the 2011 Arab uprisings.
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
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 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
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Cinzia Bianco and Andrew Small, to talk about the new Saudi – Iran deal
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
Cinzia Bianco, Mats Engström and Anthony Dworkin were in conversation with Susi Dennison to hear how Europe can best meet its energy security interests all the while preserving its credibility as a climate superpower
European policymakers should back climate diplomacy to help improve relations between Iran and 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
European policymakers should back climate diplomacy to help improve relations between Iran and Gulf monarchies
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
Europeans can shift the balance of power in the Gulf in their favour by approaching the Gulf through flexible new frameworks
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 adopt a phased approach to energy sanctions on Russia. This would be more effective than a rushed embargo and would help preserve European unity.
The UAE’s embrace of Assad is central to the construction of a new regional order that preserves Emirati influence
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.
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.
Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, Cinzia Bianco and Andrew Small, to talk about the new Saudi – Iran deal
On location at the Doha Forum 2022, Mark Leonard and his guests discuss Western energy sanctions on Russia and why is there a reluctance in the Gulf states and the West to cooperate on energy supplies
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…
Cinzia Bianco, Mats Engström and Anthony Dworkin were in conversation with Susi Dennison to hear how Europe can best meet its energy security interests all the while preserving its credibility as a climate superpower
The memorandum signed a few days ago represents the first, real, sign of Italy’s involvement in the Saudi energy transition
Cinzia Bianco comments on the MoU on economic cooperation recently signed by Italy and Saudi Arabia
After becoming undisputed leaders of the Islamic Arab world (the Saudis) want to make the leap from regional to global players by 2030
Cinzia Bianco comments on Saudi Arabia’s global foreign policy projection, in the aftermath of the Summit in Jeddah on the crisis in Ukraine
China is trying to establish itself as a privileged partner of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries in the energy transition, threatening European leadership in this domain
Cinzia Bianco explains how crucial it is for the EU to adopt a strategic approach to energy transition in the Gulf.
I tend to disagree with the prevailing opinion suggesting that a multipolar Middle East could be positive, and that peaceful coexistence with Russia and China in the region is feasible
Cinzia Bianco discusses China and Russia’s penetration into the voids left by the US in the Middle East.
Decisions on the […] Mediterranean are made in the Gulf and no longer in the Arab capitals of the Mediterranean. The fate of Cairo is decided in Riyadh, the fate of Tunis is decided in the Emirates.
Cinzia Bianco describes the dynamics that make the Gulf the new centre of gravity in the Enlarged Mediterranean
