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237 Results
Pump jacks and pipelines move oil through the desert
How Resilient Is Saudi Arabia to a Prolonged Oil Price Slump?
Though drops in oil prices stand to impact Saudi Arabia’s economic stability, the government has turned to drawing down its foreign reserves and issuing bonds to alleviate budgetary pressures and avoid drastic domestic spending cuts. Fellow for the Middle East Kristian Coates Ulrichsen writes in the Baker Institute Blog: http://bit.ly/1fKLWG9.
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen August 28, 2015
Tunisia Flag woman
Contradictions of the Tunisian State: Women's Rights and Gendered Repression
Tunisia is widely regarded as having one of the most liberal approaches to family law and women’s rights in the region. Yet for nearly 60 years of authoritarian rule — as women’s rights were championed in public discourse, in national legislation and on the international scene — the government did not hesitate to brutalize women through torture and other gross human rights violations, according to more than 15,000 testimonies recently collected by a Tunisian state commission.
Mounira Charrad, Amina Zarrugh July 30, 2015
Women in hijab in a crowd
Working Those Connections: Exploring Arab Women’s Differential Access to Opportunity in the Middle East and North Africa
Despite enviable increases in educational attainment, women in the MENA countries may fare less well in attaining a form of social capital integral to their ability to exercise full political, economic and social agency: wasta — loosely, clout, or using one’s connections and/or influence to get things done.
Gail Buttorf, Bozena Welborne July 17, 2015
Israeli and Palestinian flags
How the U.S. Can Reshape the Israeli-Palestinian Negotiating Framework
In the current absence of direct negotiations, the Obama administration has an opportunity to reshape the Israeli-Palestinian negotiating framework, according to a report by the Conflict Resolution Program at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. The report recommends that the administration continue to demonstrate strong U.S. support for the two-state model, test the willingness of the parties to compromise and adopt a more comprehensive approach to resolving the conflict with the support of the international community.
Edward P. Djerejian, Yair Hirschfeld, Samih Al-Abid July 8, 2015
Map of Middle East.
Gulf Airlines and the Changing Map of Global Aviation
The startling rise of Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways has reshaped global aviation markets around the three hubs of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha as the Gulf airlines have developed into what the Economist magazine has labelled “global super-connectors” capable of connecting any two points in the world with one stopover in the Gulf.Can the Gulf can sustain three aggressively expanding airlines within such a concentrated region (and market)?
Kristian Coates Ulrichsen June 24, 2015
Satellite image of Persian Gulf
Revamping Energy Policy in Saudi Arabia: A View to the Future
The accession of a new king in Saudi Arabia and the kingdom’s intervention in Yemen have overshadowed important moves to reform two of the kingdom’s key institutions. Incoming King Salman has taken steps to prepare Saudi Arabia for a new generation of leaders, both within the royal family and among the world’s largest oil export sector and its marquee company, Saudi Aramco. The changes involve installing new personalities into key positions and shifting the roles of long-serving managers. "Overall, the moves ought to enhance the resilience of the kingdom and its economy by shifting leadership responsibilities to a younger generation," writes fellow Jim Krane.
Jim Krane June 9, 2015