Exploring the feasibility of the Jordan-Israel energy and water deal
On Nov. 22, the Dubai Expo hosted an event where the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Jordan, and Israel signed a cooperation agreement that would broker an exchange of renewable energy and water between Jordan and Israel. The signing of the agreement between the respective minsters of the three countries took place in the presence of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed and U.S. Climate Envoy John Kerry, who played a role in getting the deal done.
Monday Briefing: A flurry of diplomatic exchanges on the eve of the GCC Summit
Read MEI’s weekly briefing featuring expert analysis of key regional developments for the week ahead.
Three signs of impending famine in Syria absent immediate action
The pace of military action in Syria has plateaued. With the assumption of a frozen conflict comes the attendant assumption that humanitarian conditions are also likely to be stable. This could not be further from the truth. Humanitarian conditions continue to deteriorate, driven by three factors, and urgent action is now needed to avoid a famine.
Monday Briefing: With international talks on Iran in limbo, keep an eye on regional action and engagement
Read MEI’s weekly briefing featuring expert analysis of key regional developments for the week ahead.
How to End Israel’s Digital Occupation
The 4.8 million residents of the occupied Palestinian territories live in two simultaneous and vastly different realities. In the physical world, Palestinians are captives, crammed into Gaza or West Bank enclaves and blockaded by Israeli military checkpoints. But on the internet, the checkpoints disappear.
Monday Briefing: Last-minute deal pushed through at the conclusion of COP26, but was it enough?
Read MEI’s weekly briefing featuring expert analysis of key regional developments for the week ahead.
A personal vantage point on the gamble of the Abraham Accords: Dubai’s first international backgammon championship
Jason Pack on the 2021 Oasis Backgammon Championship, the first major international backgammon tournament to be hosted in the Arab World in recent memory, and how it reflects broader changes in the Middle East.
Monday Briefing: Assassination attempt targeting Iraqi PM crosses a major red line
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Will China save the Afghan economy?
Afghanistan’s economy is collapsing. The Taliban’s forceful seizure of power led to a curtailment of almost all foreign aid, a devastating development for a nation overwhelmingly dependent on international assistance. Widespread drought, pervasive corruption, the perennially inadequate use of the country’s human capital, and a population largely unvaccinated against COVID-19 have exacerbated this longstanding problem of foreign financial dependence.
Has Israel’s campaign between the wars reached an impasse?
In recent years, Israel has waged a campaign against the military buildup of its enemies, mainly Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah. This ongoing effort is called “the campaign between the wars,” or the Mabam Campaign. Several events in recent weeks have given rise to questions about the effectiveness of this campaign, however, and have underscored the need to rethink its future.
Monday Briefing: Protests in Sudan end in apparent coup
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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.
اللجنة الدستورية السورية بدأت عملها أخيرًا وسط غياب المشاركة الدبلوماسية الغربية
كبير الباحثين ومدير برامج سوريا ومكافحة الإرهاب والتطرف
Monday Briefing: The Syrian Constitutional Committee finally begins its work amid a lack of Western diplomatic engagement
Read MEI’s weekly briefing featuring expert analysis of key regional developments for the week ahead.