Research Papers
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Author: Amal Kandeel
The commentary draws attention to risks posed to urgently needed international climate action as the world is grappling with the ramifications of the war in Ukraine. While the 27th round of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is around the corner, MENA, deeply exposed to climate change impacts, is also one of the most vulnerable regions to global food supply disruptions and price spikes. The commentary calls upon MENA policymakers to heed the IPCC’s recent warnings at this critical moment and upon GCC leadership to assume the indispensable role they have in addressing regional climate vulnerabilities.
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Author: Diana Galeeva
In May 2022, the European Union (EU) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unveiled a strategic partnership as part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. While the EU and the GCC have long-standing ties, the new strategic partnership reflects a desire to address emerging challenges, especially the European energy crisis triggered by Russia-Ukraine conflict. The energy crisis has deepened in recent months, as Russia cut flows in June through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to 40 percent of capacity and shut the pipeline altogether for ten days of annual maintenance in July. The energy crisis has thrown into stark relief the threat posed to Europe by its dependence on Russian ene
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Author: Maryam Alshaikh
The commentary examines the ramifications of the Azerbaijani-Armenian war in 2020, as well as its impact on the wider regional balance of power. It also considers the ways in which the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war is affecting the post-war settlement in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Number: 16
Author: Tommaso Previato
There is no religion that does not seek answers to the questions of life and death or expound on the belief in an afterlife once the bodily self has dissolved. World religions touch upon these questions in varied ways, providing a source of moral behavior that steers people’s relationships with others and the divine. Most of the time, death is described as something one struggles to come to terms with, a struggle often associated with emotions of grief, fear, and despair. But there are cases where death is extolled as a joyful, even ecstatic rupture with worldly attachments or an opportunity for self-elevation. In these cases, death represents something more than just the
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Author: Umer Karim
Instability is, in a word, the hallmark of Pakistani politics. Imran Khan’s government proved no exception. It collapsed owing to his unorthodox and populist views on foreign policy and his differences with the military leadership. Khan’s departure paved the way for the return to dynastic politics in Pakistan, traditionally dominated by the Sharifs and Bhuttos. The Sharifs and Bhuttos have traditionally been bitter enemies but have now formed a joint political front to counter Imran Khan’s anti-status quo politics. They may have succeeded in bringing down Khan’s government but now have to deal with an economy on the brink of collapse and a politically res
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Author: Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat
When a former furniture store owner and mayor of the small city of Surakarta, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, was elected as Indonesia’s seventh president in 2014, his limited experience in foreign affairs left many observers thinking his ‘presidency would see few significant breakthroughs in the country’s foreign policy. However, despite these presumptions, Jokowi has succeeded in strengthening Indonesia’s relationship with various Middle Eastern partners, including Saudi Arabia. As a result, over the past decade, ties between Jakarta and Riyadh have solidified and become more multifaceted, with the scope of cooperation expanding from the diploma