Fiker Institute Convenes Middle East Research Conference

Dubai, UAE — June 27, 2026 —Fiker Institute convened a Research Conference titled “Order(s) in the Middle East: Pivots & Realignments,” featuring presenting global and regional academics and experts for a full day of research-led discussion on the shifting foundations of regional order.

Across five sessions, the conference examined the future of Arab multilateralism, the resilience and limits of GCC grand strategy, the Gulf’s evolving role as a rules-shaper, the consequences of strategic non-alignment amid chokepoint disruptions, and the mediation vacuum shaping crisis management across the Middle East. The Institute is delighted that the Conference created a space for rigorous exchange on how regional actors are navigating realignments, institutional constraints, and new forms of geopolitical agency.

We were pleased to convene the following participating presenters and experts:

• Dr Robert Geist Pinfold, King’s College London

• Dr Sammy Badran, American University of Sharjah

• Dr Bader Al-Saif, Kuwait University

• Dr Andrea Dias Bolivar, Abu Dhabi University

• Dr Tenia Kyriazi, Middlesex University Dubai

• Dr Eric Jeunot, Abu Dhabi University

• Dr Kutbettin Kilic, American University of Ras Al Khaimah

• Dr Daley Birkett, University of Birmingham Dubai

• Dr Khalid Al-Jufairi, Georgetown University in Qatar

• Dr Nikolai Mukhin, American University of Sharjah

• Shurouq Jaradat, Fiker Institute

• Fadi Hachem, UCLouvain

• Abdulla Al-Kalisy, University of St Andrews

• Sarah El-Abd, Sciences Po & Fiker Institute