Research Library

Kuwait has developed and earned a reputation as a mediator in regional affairs, carefully balancing competing regional pressures in light of its own pragmatic interests.

A new generation is taking office in the Gulf as a cadre of ambitious, young ruling family members and technocrats have emerged in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In this journal article, fellow Kristian Coates Ulrichsen analyzes the challenges facing this generation in light of the recent collapse in world oil prices.

As the turmoil across the Middle East and North Africa enters its fourth year, the role of Gulf countries in influencing the processes of change in the region has evolved substantially. If Western organizations are to retain influence and relevance, international actors will need to absorb and accommodate the views of Gulf countries, and find new ways to develop deeper partnerships.

The new leadership in Doha is entering a “post-Arab Spring” regional landscape that is almost diametrically opposed to the propitious convergence of Qatari interests and the revolutionary upheaval in North Africa in 2011.