Reposting my recent policy note for @mecouncil.bsky.social, which unpacks the root causes behind the recent clashes between Sweida factions & forces aligned with Syria’s transitional government. Addressing these underlying tensions is essential for the ceasefire to hold mecouncil.org/publication/...

Syria’s Unruly Guns: Building a Unified Army in a Fractured State

More than 13 years of armed conflict have left Syria a fractured patchwork of isolated regions controlled by rival factions. Yet the dramatic collapse of the Assad regime in December 2024 opened a rar...

mecouncil.org

We’re pleased to announce that Dr. Khalid Al-Jaber will assume the position of Director at the ME Council, bringing with him a distinguished record in public policy research, media, and institutional leadership across the Middle East and beyond. 🗞️ Full announcement: mecouncil.org/press_releas...

Abu Dhabi seeks to present itself to the West as a stable alternative to an increasingly rogue Israel, where defense cooperation and capital can flourish. @miraalhussein.bsky.social writes on #Afkar mecouncil.org/blog_posts/w...

What the UAE hopes to gain from Israel’s growing isolation

When U.S. President Donald Trump visited the Gulf last month, complete with fanfare and choreographed spectacle, it reinforced a growing sense among Gulf states that the region is on a political ascen...

mecouncil.org

This Week: “Operation Rising Lion and the Gulf’s Balancing Act” 🗓️ July 16, 2025 🕘 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm (Doha time) 📌 Zoom 🔗 Registration: mecouncil.org?post_type=ev... @omarrahman.bsky.social‬

Tune into season 2 of MEnbar, the podcast of @mecouncil.bsky.social. First episode you can catch here! Shifting Dynamics of Gulf–Asia Relations | Adel Abdel Ghafar www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8RN... #Menasky

Shifting Dynamics of Gulf–Asia Relations | Adel Abdel Ghafar

YouTube video by ME Council

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Iran’s strike on #Qatar marks the #Gulf’s first state-to-state military action in decades, shifting Doha’s threat perception of its neighbor and underscoring the urgent need for regional defense integration. Rashid Al-Mohanadi writes on #Afkar mecouncil.org/blog_posts/w...

What the Iranian Attack on Qatar Means for the Future of Gulf Security

Iran’s strike on Qatar marks the Gulf’s first state-to-state military action in decades, shifting Doha’s threat perception of its neighbor and underscoring the urgent need for regional defense integra...

mecouncil.org

Happening today: “Israel-Iran Escalating Confrontation: What is at Stake in the region?” 🗓️ June 18, 2025 🕘 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm (Doha time) 🔗 register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... #Iran #Israel

Upcoming Webinar: “Israel-Iran Escalating Confrontation: What is at Stake in the region?” 🗓️ June 18, 2025 🕘 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm (Doha time) 📌 Zoom 🔗 register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

An unprecedented close to decades of insurgency challenges Türkiye to navigate a delicate transition, balancing security, political reform and social reconciliation. Özge Genç writes on #Afkar Read here: mecouncil.org/blog_posts/w...

Upcoming Event: Dossier Launch - Carbon Emissions Reduction Strategies for Qatar Registration: www.earthna.qa/summit/summi... 🗓️ April 23, 2025 📌 Bin Jelmood Museum at Musheireb Doha 🕘 9:00 am - 10:30 am This launch, in collaboration with Earthna, will take place during the Earthna Summit 2025.

New publication/workshop report from @mecouncil.bsky.social Syria Post-Assad: Scenarios and Regional Dynamics mecouncil.org/publication/...

Syria Post-Assad: Scenarios And Regional Dynamics

The "Syria Post-Assad: Scenarios and Regional Dynamics” two-day workshop brought together a diverse group of experts, academics, and policymakers from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, t...

mecouncil.org

This Week: “Shaping a Post-Assad Syria: Lessons from the Arab Spring” Registration: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 📆 March 5, 2025 📷 3:00 PM (Doha time) 📌 via Zoom Speakers: Ala Qasem, Eya Jrad, & @tmegrisi.bsky.social Moderator: Nader Kabbani

This Week: “The Gaza Genocide and the Erosion of Global Order” 📆 February 25, 2025 🕓 4:00 PM (Doha time) 📌 Zoom Registration: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... @franceskalbs.bsky.social, @muhammadshehada.bsky.social, Omar H. Rahman, & moderated by Ahmed Morsy

New Chapter: "LNG Giant and Solar Dreams: Qatar’s Next Energy Chapter" by Justin Dargin This chapter is part of a collaborative dossier project between the Middle East Council on Global Affairs and Earthna Center for a Sustainable Future. Access the full chapter here: mecouncil.org/publication_...

Upcoming Webinar: "Navigating the Digital Frontier: Cybersecurity and Geopolitics in the Middle East" Registration: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... 📅 Wednesday, February 12, 2025 🕕 4:00 PM Doha time 📍 Zoom Panelists: Bassant Hassib @jamesshires.bsky.social Anwar Ghais @marcowenjones.bsky.social

Episode 8 | "Shifting Landscape of Middle East Cooperation" In this episode of MEnbar, host @marcowenjones.bsky.social welcomes @galipdalay.bsky.social, a nonresident senior fellow at ME Council, to explore the shifting landscape of Middle East cooperation. Full Episode: mecouncil.org/menbar/

Happening Tomorrow: “Women at the Table: Reclaiming Narratives of Peace and Inclusion in the Middle East” 📅 Wednesday, January 29, 2025 🕕 6:00 PM Doha time 📍 Sheraton Grand Doha, Al Rayan 🔗 Registration: forms.gle/heJpYLMbBC7t...

Was real pleasure and honour to join @haidhaid22.bsky.social @arwadamon.bsky.social and Marwan Kabalan earlier this week, for this discussion on Syria post-Assad. My thanks to the @mecouncil.bsky.social for the invitation and hosting this discussion #Syria youtube.com/live/IpfiGwY...

Building a New Syria After the Assad Regime

YouTube video by ME Council

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Happening today!

Middle East Council on Global Affairs@mecouncil.bsky.social · 2y ago

Upcoming Webinar: Building a New #Syria After the #Assad Regime Join @hafsahalawa.bsky.social, @arwadamon.bsky.social, @haidhaid22.bsky.social & Marwan Kabalan 📆15 January ⏱️ 4:00 PM Doha time 📍Zoom Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

With the collapse of the Assad regime, 2024 concluded with significant regional shifts. In this special Council Views edition, ME Council directors offer insights on key trends and conflicts likely to shape 2025. Read more: mecouncil.org/blog_posts/m...

Honoured to be joining @arwadamon.bsky.social @haidhaid22.bsky.social & Marwan Kabalan for this upcoming webinar, hosted by ME Council. “Building a New #Syria After the #Assad Regime”: Wednesday 15th January, 16.00 Damascus (08.00 EST/13.00 GMT/14.00 CET). Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Building a New Syria After the Assad Regime. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.

The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) is organizing a webinar to explore how Syria can navigate the challenges of fostering security, state-building, inclusive governance, minority pr...

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Upcoming Webinar: Building a New #Syria After the #Assad Regime Join @hafsahalawa.bsky.social, @arwadamon.bsky.social, @haidhaid22.bsky.social & Marwan Kabalan 📆15 January ⏱️ 4:00 PM Doha time 📍Zoom Register: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

ME Council is on Bluesky! We are an independent, non-profit policy research institution based in Qatar. We conduct policy-relevant research, convene meetings & dialogues, & engage policy actors on geopolitical & socioeconomic issues covering the MENA region. Learn more here: mecouncil.org