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Attiya Ahmad

Post-Doctoral Fellow

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Attiya Ahmad is Georgetown University’s 2009-10 Center for International and Regional Studies Post-Doctoral Fellow. She recently completed her PhD in Cultural Anthropology at Duke University. Dr. Ahmad’s work brings together scholarship on Islamic studies, globalization, diaspora and migration studies, economic anthropology, and political economy.

 

The Latest from Attiya Ahmad

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The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change and what it means for the Middle East
Photo by Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report on Climate Change and what it means for the Middle East

    The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their Sixth Assessment Report on the Physical Science Basis of Climate Change in August of this year. This report brings together the latest advances in climate science, observations, paleoclimatology, and climate simulations to provide the most up-to-date physical science understanding of climate change. The report also describes the anthropogenic influence on the current state of climate and how future climate can distinctly affect different regions across the world.

    October 25, 2021

    How social media is failing Palestinians
    Photo by Mohammed Talatene/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • How social media is failing Palestinians

    Facebook’s latest failures reveal how social media companies fail their most vulnerable users — something Palestinians have been saying for years

    October 25, 2021

    The US competes to be the “partner of choice” in the Gulf
    Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The US competes to be the “partner of choice” in the Gulf

    Even as the United States continues the strategic pivot to the Pacific inaugurated by the Obama administration, the competition for security and control of maritime space in the Red Sea and eastern Mediterranean is intensifying.

    October 25, 2021

    Tunisia's political crisis
    Middle East Institute
  • Podcast
  • Tunisia's political crisis

    Lilia Blaise and Fadil Aliriza join Intissar Fakir for a discussion on Tunisia’s political turmoil following President Kais Saied’s series of moves since July to reshape the country’s government.

    October 22, 2021

    Technology and Youth Drive the Future of Work in MENA
    KHALED DESOUKI/AFP via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Technology and Youth Drive the Future of Work in MENA

    Globally, the demand for manual, physical, and basic cognitive skills is declining. In their stead, digital literacy and competency are becoming requisites for a growing portion of the workforce, and the need for higher-level cognitive skills is on the rise: According to a World Economic Forum survey of employers, skills related to analytical and critical thinking, active learning, complex problem solving, and creativity will see the highest growth by 2025.

    October 22, 2021

    Far from a benefactor, the Turkish government is exploiting Somalia’s fragility
    Photo by STUART PRICE/AU-UN IST PHOTO/AFP via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Far from a benefactor, the Turkish government is exploiting Somalia’s fragility

    A decade has passed since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan landed in Mogadishu at the height of one of Somalia’s worst famines, announcing grandiose projects like the launch of Turkish Airlines flights to the Somali capital, the remodeling of a hospital, and the opening of the biggest embassy in Africa, all designed to show that Turkey’s mission goes well beyond aid and that Ankara is an alternative to Somalia’s traditional donors. Erdoğan’s historic visit earned him high praise throughout Somalia. Although his trip appeared to be a heartfelt humanitarian mission, in reality it was part of a long-term, strategically planned effort. A decade on, Somalis are starting to realize that Turkey has evolved from friend to foe, trade partner to trade protectionist, state builder to outright spoiler.

    October 21, 2021

    The Future of FinTech in the Middle East: Trends that are Here to Stay
    Photo by Mehmet Ali Ozcan/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The Future of FinTech in the Middle East: Trends that are Here to Stay

    Ten years ago, could you ever imagine that one day you could trade fractions of stocks and virtual currencies while sitting at a bus stop, all from your cellphone? Have you ever wondered what the future of finance will look like five years from today? Imagine going to the grocery store for a seamless shopping experience: You walk in, grab a carton of milk, and walk right out while cameras recognize the items in your basket and your face to enable a secured payment. The financial world has made tremendous advances in the last 10 years due to the arrival of FinTech, and the sector is only getting bigger.

    October 21, 2021

    The Digitalization of Economies and the Future of Work: A Regional Outlook
    Photo by Mahmoud Bakkar/picture alliance via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The Digitalization of Economies and the Future of Work: A Regional Outlook

    The world will remember 2020 as the year that witnessed an unprecedented acceleration in digital transformation instigated by the disruption of COVID-19. The pandemic affected millions of lives and livelihoods in the developed world and emerging economies, including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. However, it also presented ample opportunities for economies to reimagine how the future will look while adapting to emerging innovative technologies and their economic implications.

    October 21, 2021

    Breaking the Mold: Can the MENA Region Be a Leader in Inclusive Capital?
    Photo by Christopher Pike/Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Breaking the Mold: Can the MENA Region Be a Leader in Inclusive Capital?

    Maktoob’s exit, which took place more than a decade ago, sparked a “Cambrian moment” of entrepreneurship and innovation that has continued to create value for people across the region today. Ex-unicorn employees are also defining the startup ecosystem in MENA. The question for us in the region is: how can we make sure we move beyond a “mafia,” which lends itself to exclusivity, to something that is truly inclusive?

    October 21, 2021

    The Impact of War on the People of the Middle East
    Photo by AAREF WATAD/AFP via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • The Impact of War on the People of the Middle East

    “The best thing in war is its end.” The sad fact in the Middle East is that this end has not yet come — and there is no clear end on the horizon.

    October 21, 2021

    Where to now for Saudi-Iranian dialogue?
    Photo by Royal Hashemite Court/Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • Where to now for Saudi-Iranian dialogue?

    Iran is a neighboring country for Saudi Arabia and we from the Gulf states respect its people and culture, sharing many similarities as nations throughout different historical periods. However, there are, unfortunately, profound disagreements that have significantly increased since the 1979 revolution because of Tehran’s foreign policy approach based on ideological promotion and projection.

    October 21, 2021

    A Revolution in Education: What Lies Ahead for MENA
    Photo by Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
  • Analysis
  • A Revolution in Education: What Lies Ahead for MENA

    The internet is reshaping the way we learn. Before the COVID-19 crisis, the idea of online learning was already in the air and taking hold fast. The last decade has seen the rise of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), the creation of online marketplaces for education, and new alternatives to college like coding bootcamps. But the pandemic rocked the foundations of the learning industry and the next 10 years promise to deliver a revolution in education.

    October 21, 2021