Headshot of Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Fellow for the Middle East | Codirector, Middle East Energy Roundtable

Biography

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Ph.D., is a fellow for the Middle East at the Baker Institute and co-director of the Middle East Energy Roundtable. 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 “Insecure Gulf: The End of Certainty and the Transition to the Post-Oil Era” (Hurst & Co., 2011), “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), and, most recently, “Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States” (Hurst & Co., 2023). Coates Ulrichsen’s articles have appeared in numerous academic journals, including Global Policy and the Journal of Arabian Studies, and Third World Quarterly 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 at [email protected] or 206-915-8028.

Explore More

Sunrise with Kuwait Towers timelapse - the best known landmark of Kuwait City. Kuwait, Middle East.
How Institutional Barriers Shape Kuwait’s Energy Goals
In 2025, Kuwait announced significant plans to expand energy production and investment; however, institutional barriers may complicate implementation. In this Middle East Energy Roundtable report, Zalma Tohow, Ana Martín Gil, Jim Krane, and Kristian Coates Ulrichsen analyze legal and regulatory challenges and offer strategic recommendations for advancing Kuwait's energy objectives.
Zalma Tohow, Ana Martín Gil, Jim Krane, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen July 1, 2026
 May 7, 2026, United States. The trophy of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the official Adidas Trionda ball on the green lawn of the stadium.
Politics Behind the 2026 FIFA World Cup
Ambassador David M. Satterfield is joined by Baker Institute Fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen to examine how the World Cup has become intertwined with geopolitics, soft power, and the evolving relationship between sports and diplomacy.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, David M. Satterfield June 17, 2026