LSE Middle East Centre
@lsemiddleeast.bsky.social
LSE MEC builds on LSE's long engagement with the Middle East and provides a central hub for the wide range of research on the region.
Join us for a conversation with Greece’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexandra Papadopoulou, as we explore the challenges shaping international diplomacy in an increasingly volatile world. ℹ️https://tinyurl.com/mupf22ys 📅 2/11, 6.30pm *Event co-hosted with @lse-ei.bsky.social
What are the obstacles to building peaceful and democratic societies in the Middle East? Join Rula Daood, @alonlee.bsky.social, Mary Kaldor, @yonatanlevi.bsky.social and Armine Ishkanian for a discussion on the rapidly changing region. 📅10 Nov 🎟️Register now: www.lse.ac.uk/events/chall...
School leadership in #Kuwait is shaped by increasing centralisation, ongoing reforms and socio-cultural norms. A new paper by @edusociologist.bsky.social examines how these factors constrain school leaders’ agency and practice. researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/14...
‘The #kafala system does not end when the law changes’ For the blog, Saad Kassis-Mohamed discusses migrant labour governance across the Gulf and Lebanon, and the gap between legal reform and practical protection for workers, in an interview with James U. Cole. blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2026/10/...
It’s #OAWeek 2026! 📚 We’re speaking to our authors about this year’s theme, The Cost of Knowledge. Follow along for their full responses and new blogs on the LSE Press blog! 🔗 Want to keep up with our work beyond #OAWeek? Sign up to our newsletter: lse.us21.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=...
The London Palestine Film Festival returns 13–27 Nov. This year's programme features UK premieres, Oscar-nominated titles and retrospective screenings, showcasing the richness and complexities of #Palestinian life. Tickets & programme: www.palestinefilm.org.uk
How should we measure the impact of revolutions on social policy? Join us next Monday, 19 October, for a discussion with Kevan Harris on social policy after the Islamic revolution in #Iran. Details and registration below: www.lse.ac.uk/middleeastce...
How can we put human rights at the heart of post-crisis development? 🌍 Yesterday at LSE, researchers and practitioners came together to explore this question. 🎥Watch the discussion: www.youtube.com/live/OYtaKI2...
Sustainable post-crisis development: the need for a human rights approach | LSE Event
YouTube video by LSE
youtube.com
The KRI is in a budgetary bind: its oil & non-oil revenues are not enough to meet expenditures, but to access federal funds it must transfer much of this money to Baghdad, greatly reducing its overall budget. Read Ahmed Tabaqchali's new paper on this Catch-22 researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/14...
A huge congratulations to @alexandragomes.bsky.social, @asseelalragam.bsky.social, Sharifa Alshalfan, Tanushree Agarwal & Joao Peres, who have been named Runners-Up in the LSE Impact Prize 2026 for their LSE Middle East Centre and LSE Cities project ‘Kuwaitscapes’. info.lse.ac.uk/staff/servic...
[ CBRL–PEF UK Book Launch ] Peasant Agriculture in the Jerusalem Hills CBRL and the Palestine Exploration Fund (PEF) are pleased to invite you to the launch of Peasant Agriculture in the Jerusalem Hills, by Lucjan Turkowski, edited by Carol Palmer.
Looking to complete a piece of original research? Apply for the Trust’s Research Fellowships; projects with an international focus are welcome. Deadline: 5 November 2026.
AI tools can help predict weather conditions, but to minimise anomalies and errors in countries like #Kuwait, we need environmental intelligence: models that can handle when the environment doesn't behave normally. Ghita Berrada and Huda Alrashidi for the blog blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2026/09/...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
We’ve opened the call for @britishacademy.bsky.social Postdoctoral Fellowships. We provide 3 years of funding to early-career researchers in the humanities and social sciences wishing to pursue an independent research project. Apply by 30th September www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/funding/sche...
Postdoctoral Fellowships
The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships is a three year award made to an annual cohort of outstanding early career researchers in the humanities or social sciences.
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
NEW IN MER 319: "Exhibiting the Gulf--Kuwait's Overlooked Role in Regional Art" Abdullah al-Mutairi provides an alternative history of the development of the fine art scene in the Arab world, told through the story of Khalifa al-Qattan. buff.ly/QPfseyr
Exhibiting the Gulf—Kuwait’s Overlooked Role in Regional Art
In February 2026, the international Art Basel festival was held for the first time in Qatar and is scheduled to return in January 2027. In November 2026, London’s Frieze art fair is due to launch…
merip.org
In #Kuwait, homes trade at over 22 times the typical annual income, placing it among the world’s least affordable housing markets. A new paper, Waiting for a Home, explores how housing policy can shape affordability across market segments. researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/12...
Tourism could play a bigger role in diversifying #Kuwait’s economy. In a new blog, Abdulaziz Alshalfan explores tourism from a supply chain perspective, highlighting how stronger connections could help unlock wider economic potential for the country. blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2026/08/...
Rethinking Tourism in Kuwait: A Supply Chain Perspective - Middle East Centre
by Abdulaziz Alshalfan Tourism is one of the more effective ways a country can broaden its economy. A developed sector brings in foreign spending, attracts investment, and generates demand that spread...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Air pollution poses a serious threat to public health in #Kuwait. A new paper by Huda Alrashidi shows how improved PM₁₀ forecasting can help provide more reliable warnings for dust storms and high-pollution events. researchonline.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/13...
Mai Taha and I wrote this article on sonic cartographies of internationalism, now up on @antipodeonline.bsky.social! It traces how radio broadcasting was central to liberation struggles around the world, asking how sound draws out different maps of solidarity onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
The programme for #DzFest2026 is now out! The UK's Algerian Festival for Arts & Culture returns from 23 Sept –10 Oct, with this year's theme exploring #Heritage and #Decolonisation. Take a look at the full programme: dzfest.com/dzfest-2026-...
Could #Kuwait become greener? To Soha Alterkait, it takes more than planting trees. For the blog, she looks at the potential of Islamic waqf as a tool for environmental governance.
Can Kuwait Really Become Greener? Why Planting Trees Is Only Part of the Answer - Middle East Centre
by Soha Alterkait A few years ago, I came across an inspiring community initiative called Kuwait Forest. Like many people, my first reaction was simple: could Kuwait really become greener? For a momen...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
"I’m inspired by frontline women in the climate crisis and those facing repression for justice. I draw hope from community solidarity and the cross-pollination of ideas." - Farah Outeldait, AFSEE Fellow Learn more about Farah: afsee.atlanticfellows.lse.ac.uk/en-gb/fellow...
Farah Outeldait
Farah Outeldait is an Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity and a climate inequality expert with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of climate finance, social inclusion,…
afsee.atlanticfellows.lse.ac.uk
'A Saudi-led group has pledged to plant 35 billion trees across the #MiddleEast [...] But what happens when extreme heat makes such projects essentially redundant?' Haya Alhusainan's recent MEC blog cited in @semafor.com: www.semafor.com/article/07/2...
Extreme heat casts doubt on viability of MidEast tree planting project
If the water runs out due to extreme heat, it won’t be much good having billions more trees, a climate expert argued.
semafor.com
Between 2021–26, @peacerep.bsky.social Iraq brought together researchers to produce world-class research on peacebuilding, conflict & democratisation in #Iraq. Explore the findings, featuring Programme Director @kamaranpalani.bsky.social, @alktaif.bsky.social & more. peacerep.org/country-find...
📚 New @lsereviewofbooks.bsky.social review Reconstruction as Violence in Assad's Syria, co-edited by Visiting Fellow @deensharp.bsky.social and Nasser Rabbat, offers an innovative, interdisciplinary examination of rebuilding Syria after the civil war.
Post-war Syria and the violence of reconstruction - LSE Review of Books
Reconstruction as Violence in Assad’s Syria edited by Nasser Rabbat and Deen Sharp problematises reconstruction processes in the state following the civil war.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
Every summer, extreme heat dominates life across #Kuwait, affecting public health, electricity demand, and more. As climate risks intensify, Haya Alhusainan asks – will today's adaptation measures remain effective?
When Climate Adaptation Reaches Its Limits: Lessons from Kuwait’s Extreme Heat - Middle East Centre
by Haya Alhusainan Every summer, extreme heat dominates life across Kuwait. It affects public health, increases electricity demand, reduces outdoor productivity, and places growing pressure on urban i...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
“Whatever Iran has gained from its fight with Israel and the United States, it has ceded ground in Iraq,” writes Kamaran Palani.
Iran Is Losing Iraq
Baghdad goes its own way.
foreignaffairs.com
Does the 2026 US-Iran war marks a long-term shift in global oil markets away from dependence on the Gulf and towards the United States? Read more in a post by Islam Alhalawany on @lsemiddleeast.bsky.social 👇
Stable Instability in the Middle East, and the Coming US-Gulf Contest Over Oil Market Share - Middle East Centre
by Islam Alhalawany Whether the ceasefire agreement holds or it goes back to ‘moderate shooting’, the US-Iran war has produced a sticky perception of fragility in the Gulf's security environment. A…
blogs.lse.ac.uk
