Experts in the News

The United Arab Emirates is overhauling laws on an array of business, cultural and social norms — moves that seemingly make it one of the most progressive countries in the region. But a key question is how evenly the new laws will be enforced, noted Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, especially in the more conservative of the UAE's seven emirates.

For Turkey and the UAE, "confrontational approaches have produced little in the way of tangible gains," said fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen. "Refocusing on areas of economic and commercial cooperation can offer the hope of win-wins for both sides."

After a decade of confrontation in the Persian Gulf, explained fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, no countries have emerged as winners; they now face similar economic challenges such as decarbonization and pandemic recovery, and so Saudi-Qatari relations have begun to thaw.

"Bahrain has always had a strong pan-Arab and Islamic current in its domestic politics," said Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, "and the latest protests indicate that the [Arab-Israeli conflict] retains its mobilizing power among Bahraini citizens.”

The UN Human Rights Council's decision to end investigations into abuses in Yemen means "any hopes for accountability from all sides for abuses will probably now fall by the wayside, at least from an international perspective," said Middle East fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen.