Masarat
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Author: Marc-Etienne Lavergne
This study examines the southern region of the Red Sea through a comparative analysis of its two shores. The initial description outlines the physical environment, characterized by elevated mountains flanked by arid coastal regions on either side. Somalia and Yemen serve as battlegrounds for local forces, comprising either traditional movements rooted in tribal affiliations or newer factions categorized as terrorists, operating under various Islamic identities (e.g., Al Shebab, Houthis).
A comparison of the operating modes of these groups in the Red Sea and surrounding areas is presented, focusing on high sea piracy in Somalia and drone and missile attacks on vessels in Yemen.&nbs
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The report provides an analysis the GCC-ASEAN summit held in October 2023. Divided into three sub-sections, the first examines the multilateral and individual factors that catalyzed the convening of this inter-regional gathering, scrutinizing it from an ASEAN-centric perspective. Second, it goes on to consider how the summit was received by different ASEAN member states (specifically, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Laos) – showcasing how national priorities have played a role in their desire to build stronger ties with the GCC. Finally, the report highlights some of the challenges that necessitate attention from policymakers if inter-regional engagement is to be sustai
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The report examines the geopolitical factors that have spurred the announcement of the India-Middle East- Europe Corridor (IMEEC). Promoted by the United States, India, and the core states of the European Union (France and Germany), IMEEC is being forwarded as an infrastructural and logistical alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The report evaluates the opportunities and limitations arising from the IMEEC initiative, and argues that it should be primarily viewed as a narrative-building exercise. While positively synergizing with such an initiative is necessary, the report stresses that the Kingdom’s interests lie with focusing on domestic reform and impr
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Author: Hakeem Najimdeen
This publication is currently available only in Arabic. Its English version is currently under translation.
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Author: John P. Burns
*This paper is a follow-up of the report published in 2022.
The role of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the governance of Hong Kong cannot be overstated. The party was a constant presence in late colonial Hong Kong, wielding outsized influence in the territory through the united front. The party had considerable mobilizational power. China’s Leninist politicians drafted the Hong Kong Basic Law.The Basic Law laid down Hong Kong’s political institutions, grafted onto unreformed colonial, political, legal, and economic institutions and social structure that continued well beyond 1997. Indeed, 24
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Author: Hanaa Almoaibed
Since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030 in April 2016, several initiatives to develop Riyadh have been announced and many have become cornerstones of the capital’s identity. New entities, initiatives, strategies, and policies have been developed to maximize both hard (geography, natural characteristics) and soft (infrastructure, economy, society) features of the city. While these initiatives will inevitably have economic effects both locally and across the country, this article discusses how these transformations and developments influence Riyadh’s attractiveness to talent from other cities and from abroad. When considering factors that make a location attractive, econ
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This Masarat briefing seeks to determine whether the “shale revolution,” which has been unlocking vast new oil reserves in the United States, has prompted a reassessment of long-standing U.S. policies designed to ensure access to oil supplies as well as relationships with
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On 21 April 2019, the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei announced the replacement of the commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), Aziz Jafari, with his deputy, Hossein Salami. This move caps an ongoing process of regeneration within the top echelons of the IRGC which has been ongoing since early 2017.
The decision to replace Jafari was due, but not entirely expected so soon after the White House designation of the IRGC as a terrorist group. Since 1997, Khamenei had placed an informal ten-year limit on the commandership of the IRGC. Aziz Jafari was therefore due to be replaced by 2017,
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Iran’s government and foreign policy have been thrust into turmoil by the sudden resignation from his post and subsequent reinstatement of foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. The unexpected development adds to the increasing difficulty of the Hassan Rouhani administration to avoid slipping into the classic “lame-duck” position of presidential tenures approaching their end. With little over two years remaining of his second and last mandate, Rouhani is increasingly hemmed in by a growing inability to direct the key levers of policy, particularly the economic and foreign-policy components, and has now been hit by a salvo of unexpecte