Biography
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., is a fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute. His research examines the changing position of Persian Gulf states in the global order, as well as the emergence of longer-term, nonmilitary challenges to regional security. Previously, he worked as senior Gulf analyst at the Gulf Center for Strategic Studies and as co-director of the Kuwait Program on Development, Governance and Globalization in the Gulf States at the London School of Economics.
Coates Ulrichsen has published extensively on the Gulf. His books include “The Gulf States in International Political Economy” (Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), “The United Arab Emirates: Power, Politics, and Policymaking” (Routledge, 2016), and “Qatar and the Gulf Crisis” (Oxford University Press, 2020). Coates Ulrichsen’s articles have appeared in numerous academic journals, including Global Policy and the Journal of Arabian Studies, and he consults regularly on Gulf issues for government and private sector agencies around the world. Coates Ulrichsen holds a doctorate in history from the University of Cambridge.
Contact him at kc31@rice.edu or (206) 915-8028.
Recent Publications
Iran, Saudi Arabia agree to resume ties, with China’s help
Saudi Arabia & Iran have regained diplomatic relations. Fellow Kristian Ulrichsen says this decrease in tension was led by Saudi’s recognition that “without unconditional U.S. backing they were unable to project power vis-a-vis Iran and the rest of the region.”
Iran and Saudi Arabia Agree to Resume Ties in Talks Brokered by China
"Further regional instability is not in Saudi or Iranian interest at the moment," said fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen of the restored ties between Saudi-Iran. "And for the Chinese to have addressed this at a time when the U.S. stance toward Iran is becoming more hawkish sends a powerful signal in itself."
UAE Unblocks Several Qatar News Sites as Ties Between Two Nations Warm
Despite few deals emerging from bilateral talks, Abu Dhabi & Doha ties have developed. The meetings, fellow Kristian Ulrichsen says, indicate that behind-the-scenes issues "have progressed to the level where the relationship seems to be fully back on track.”