Shahmahmood Miakhel

For years, the world tried to soften the Taliban’s extremist ideology by exposing them to modernity. As an insurgency they learned diplomacy and negotiation tactics, but their medieval thinking remained just as rigid. Now that the Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the international community continues to appease them, assuming it can convince them to form an inclusive government and ease their regressive policies while alleviating the country’s worsening humanitarian disaster. That is a naïve assumption that overlooks the root causes of the current crisis. Not only will the international community not get what it wants, but it also risks creating a much greater crisis: a Taliban theocracy that institutionalizes its repressive rule at a steep human and economic cost.

في العشرين من شهر كانون الثاني/ يناير، هاجمت مجموعات تابعة لتنظيم “داعش”، سجن الصناعة الواقع في الجهة الجنوبية لمدينة الحسكة أقصى شمال شرق سورية، الهجوم الذي أستمر لقرابة تسعة أيام، أنتهى بمقتل العشرات من مقاتلي التنظيم ومعتقليه داخل السجن، إضافة لمقتل قرابة 140 عنصراً من قوات سوريا الديمقراطية وحامية السجن التابعة لها.

On Jan. 20, 2021, groups affiliated with ISIS attacked al-Sina Prison in the southern part of the city of al-Hasakah, in Syria’s far northeast. The attack, which lasted for nearly nine days, ended with the killing of dozens of ISIS fighters and detainees inside the prison, in addition to approximately 140 members of the SDF and its prison guards.

Lama Kiyasseh and Lina Osman join Karen Young, director of MEI’s Economics and Energy program, to discuss how sustainable finance is changing the region by channeling financial resources toward addressing environmental and social challenges.

The U.S. is disengaging from the Middle East as it shifts its focus elsewhere, a move widely perceived within the region as a sign of a coming American departure. Many in Israel were concerned that this would strengthen Iran and its influence in the region. Instead, it is Israel that has emerged stronger.

Academic and policy-based research demonstrates that women and youth in most MENA countries face legal, regulatory, and socio-cultural barriers to entering the formal labor market and generating income. Entrepreneurship can be a viable alternative for MENA women and youth because of its prestige in the region and its ability to catalyze inclusive growth. This brief draws on research and evidence to formulate policy advice on how support for entrepreneurship can enhance the economic security of women and youth in what will be a slow and painful post-pandemic recovery.

With the recent announcement of the Jafurah Field, a massive unconventional, non-associated gas play, Saudi Arabia is looking to enter the global gas sector. The field’s estimated reserves, while substantial, are insufficient to meet current domestic needs and, in the future, displace dirty heavy fuel oil used in power generation and satisfy international export goals. The kingdom thus faces difficult decisions regarding the allocation of the Jafurah gas — to either domestic or international markets — and both options have significant challenges.

The Arab Gulf states appear to be following a common template in responding to the global transition toward an energy system in which renewables play an increasingly central role. They are publicizing renewable energy targets, decarbonizing upstream and downstream oil and gas operations, commissioning renewable energy projects, and improving energy efficiency, among other strategies. A closer look, however, reveals differences in how they have deployed solar and wind power capacity.

وسط مخاوف الغرب من أن روسيا على وشك مهاجمة أوكرانيا، وقعت تركيا وأوكرانيا اتفاقية للتجارة الحرة وأعلنتا عن صفقة لأوكرانيا لتصنيع طائرات مُسيّرة تركية خلال زيارة الرئيس رجب طيب أردوغان الأخيرة إلى كييف في 3 فبراير/شباط. تمثل الزيارة جزءًا من خطة أردوغان لتعميق علاقات تركيا بأوكرانيا، التي لا تعد فقط سوقًا مهمًا لتصدير منتجات الدفاع التركية، ولكنها أيضًا أساسية لجهود أنقرة للتخفيف من التداعيات السلبية للعقوبات الأمريكية على صناعتها الدفاعية. إحدى هذه المجالات التي خلقت فيها العقوبات الأمريكية مأزقًا للصناعات الدفاعية التركية هي تكنولوجيا المحركات.

اقرأ تقرير MEI الأسبوعي الذي يتضمن تحليلات الخبراء للتطورات الإقليمية الرئيسية للأسبوع المقبل.

The Black Sea basin has become a flashpoint due to Russia’s interventions in Georgia and Ukraine. This has implications not only for European security, but also for Mediterranean security as well. There are three key areas where the MENA region will be affected by a large-scale confrontation between Russia and Ukraine: energy, agriculture, and refugees.

The U.S. request for Qatari assistance in ensuring the EU’s energy security in case of a Russian supply disruption should be perceived as a political gesture of support addressed to Western allies and a warning to Russia. In reality, however, the American request is just one factor in Qatar’s calculations as it considers increasing its energy exports to Europe, and Doha’s final decision will be determined by an intricate combination of long-term economic and political considerations. In this equation political reasons may not be dominant and economic drivers will not always be in the West’s favor.

​​​​​​​The Program on Economics and Energy asked our non-resident scholars and advisory council members for their outlook for 2022 on some pointed energy questions. Topics include oil prices, Iran’s production, OPEC+ output targets, and the adequacy of current SWF savings levels.

هل المصالحة ممكنة في ظل الاحتلال العسكري، وفي ظل انسداد أفق الوصول إلى حلول للأسباب الكامنة وراء النزاع؟