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...

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/...

Leadership Transition at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs The Middle East Council on Global Affairs (ME Council) announces a leadership transition as Dr. Tarik M. Yousef, who has led the institution since its inception, steps down from his role as Director. ...

Dr. Tarik Yousef, who has been at the helm of the ME Council since its inception in 2022, is stepping down as Director. He will continue to support the Council’s mission as a Senior Fellow.

🗞️ Full announcement: mecouncil.org/press_releas...

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...

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...

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...

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

Shifting Dynamics of Gulf–Asia Relations | Adel Abdel Ghafar YouTube video by ME Council

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

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...

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...

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.

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...

New publication/workshop report from @mecouncil.bsky.social

Syria Post-Assad: Scenarios and Regional Dynamics

mecouncil.org/publication/...

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...

Building a New Syria After the Assad Regime YouTube video by ME Council

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...

Happening today!

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...

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...

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...

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