AL-KHALEEJ

With global power shifting towards multipolarity, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar – have become increasingly central to global diplomacy, trade, and security. As their economies seek to play leading roles in emerging technological sectors, and governments gain increasing confidence in their autonomous foreign policy decision-making, Arab Gulf states have adopted different strategies to leverage new realities and develop more diversified economic and security arrangements. Gulf states have also positioned themselves as mediators in regional and international conflicts. This raises questions about the nature of Gulf mediation and how it can deliver sustainable political solutions where traditional approaches have failed. At the same time, the Gulf is at the heart of global economic security, with key trade routes passing through volatile areas. This has led the states to rethink their national security strategies and defense cooperation beyond historical allies. Fiker Institute’s Al-Khaleej Program sets out to analyze how Arab Gulf states will navigate an increasingly fragmented world order, how these dynamics will shape intra-Gulf relations, and what impact they will have on the Gulf’s foreign relations and domestic policies.

Essays

Reforming the League of Arab States

INTRODUCTION The Arab region has experienced decades of political unrest, which is likely to persist; however, recent developments are indicative of the onset of a new regional order. Armed conflicts, shifting alliances, external interventions, and the increasing assertiveness of regional powers have produced a fragmented political order in which authority is dispersed among various state […]

Fadi HachemOctober 2026

Reports

Beyond Polarity: The Middle East’s Emerging Strategic Alignments

Amid the shifting strategic landscape of the Middle East and the changing relationships shaping the region, Fiker Institute hosted Dr Lina Khatib, scholar of Middle Eastern geopolitics and security, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative, and Chatham House Associate Fellow, to discuss the implications of these pivots for regional security, diplomacy, […]

October 2026

Essays

Will the Iran War Change the GCC States’ Grand Strategies?

The 2026 United States (US)-Israel attack on Iran came as a profound shock to the Gulf states. Though far from a unitary actor, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states all shared to varying degrees three core assumptions: hosting US bases and cultivating close diplomatic ties to Washington would deter an attack by any hostile power; maintaining dialogue with […]

Dr Rob Geist PinfoldSeptember 2026

EUROPE

Europe stands at a strategic and socio-economic crossroads. Russia’s protracted assault on Ukraine has put the post‐Cold War security order into question and sparked important debates about national defense and nuclear deterrence. Meanwhile, instability in the European neighborhood amplifies debates on strategic energy corridors, critical mineral partnerships, and food security buffers. Domestically, the rise of far‐right movements is testing the stability of liberal democracies. Within the European Union, rule‐of‐law disputes collide with calls for treaty reform ahead of any possible enlargement. At the same time, an ambitious industrial and climate transformation is under way, seeking to future-proof European economies and position Europe as a driver and beneficiary of innovation and digital transformation, even as ageing workforces, fiscal imbalance, and populist backlash expose structural fault lines. Fiker Institute’s Europe Program seeks to interrogate Europe’s position in the shifting global order and analyze regional and domestic dynamics that will shape the continent’s political, security, and economic trajectories. How are European states navigating international partnerships and calls for strategic autonomy in an increasingly multipolar world? How is Europe rethinking defense and security in light of the fracturing of the transatlantic alliance?

Commentary

A Decade of Brexit: Where Does the UK Stand Today?

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s comment at the Labour Party conference that the United Kingdom (UK) should consider options when it comes to its European Union (EU) ties, including rejoining the group, has ignited a debate that will be hard to shut down. Why did he make such a comment, and what are the options […]

Anand MenonOctober 2026

Explainers

The G7 Today: Anchor or Anachronism?

The Group of Seven (G7) still serves as the anchor of global governance, but there is increasing skepticism about its ability to sufficiently constrain the currents of today’s multipolar world. Despite these doubts, the G7 has increasingly served as the center of global governance since its annual summit first convened in 1975. Its most recent […]

John Kirton and Ella KokotsisAugust 2026

Reports

Fractures and Alignments: Europe at the UN Security Council

Fiker Institute hosted Senior Fellow Shurouq Jaradat for a lecture on fragmentation in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The lecture explored how the war in Ukraine has intensified tensions among the United Nations Security Council Permanent Five (P5) and how shifts in US policy under President Trump, particularly regarding Russia and Ukraine, have reshaped dynamics among the P5 and ultimately affected coordination with European allies.

April 2026

NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

Once seen as the backbone of the post-World War II global architecture, the US now grapples with deep internal polarization, weakening institutions, and declining international credibility. The rise of Silicon Valley as a political force, with tech giants influencing policy from free speech to data and security, signals a deeper crisis in domestic political accountability. Meanwhile, the securitization of migration and militarization of law enforcement has important implications for the region and beyond. South America is home to increasingly influential markets and emerging powers, with leaders looking beyond the western hemisphere for political and economic cooperation. The region is also experiencing shifting dynamics in organized crime amid an ever-evolving security landscape. Fiker Institute’s North & South America Program seeks to interrogate the evolving nature of power across the Americas. How is power shifting across the continents with the rise of alternative state and non-state actors? How are domestic developments in the US impacting the White House’s foreign policy agenda? In what ways and on which terms will regional relations evolve, impacting local communities as well as the international order?

Explainers

Washington vs. The Hague: Examining US-ICC Tensions

Soon after reentering office, President Donald Trump announced a renewed policy of sanctioning International Criminal Court (ICC) officials. Employing the considerable extraterritorial powers of the United States (US), Washington initially targeted individual Court officials and supporters before further escalating by sanctioning the ICC as an institution. This is part of an explicit policy to “dismantle” […]

Dr Kyle ReedOctober 2026

Explainers

2026 US Midterm Elections: Key Issues & Debates

WHAT ARE THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS & WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT? On November 3, 2026, the United States (US) will hold its midterm elections. Held two years into a president’s four-year term, the elections mark the halfway point of a presidency. They provide voters with the opportunity to elect the members of the two chambers of […]

Namat AbulebadaOctober 2026

Explainers

The G7 Today: Anchor or Anachronism?

The Group of Seven (G7) still serves as the anchor of global governance, but there is increasing skepticism about its ability to sufficiently constrain the currents of today’s multipolar world. Despite these doubts, the G7 has increasingly served as the center of global governance since its annual summit first convened in 1975. Its most recent […]

John Kirton and Ella KokotsisAugust 2026

WEST ASIA AND NORTH AFRICA

West Asia and North Africa is a region of immense complexity and accelerating transformation, whose prevailing policy landscapes have often been framed through exclusively Western lenses and frameworks. Fiker Institute’s West Asia & North Africa Program aims to support the region in decolonizing its own narratives, positions, and priority agendas globally. Long‐running wars, sovereign‐debt distress, foreign intervention, demographic pressure, and climate extremes are converging to unravel many of the political bargains that once defined the region’s geopolitics. Still, these same challenges are incubating alternative futures. European, African, and Asian middle powers are courting capitals through green‐hydrogen corridors, critical‐mineral supply chains, and digital‐infrastructure deals. The expansion of BRICS, rise of new development banks, and Gulf sovereign‐wealth funds offer fresh, if conditional, lifelines for debt‐strapped states. The program sets out to explore questions along three core lines of enquiry: How can regional states build sustainable, independent institutions and inclusive economies? Which internal coalitions and external partners are poised to fill emerging governance, security, and investment vacuums and on what terms? What can lead to increased regional multilateralism, and what can translate common visions into durable, regionally-led security guarantees?

Essays

Reforming the League of Arab States

INTRODUCTION The Arab region has experienced decades of political unrest, which is likely to persist; however, recent developments are indicative of the onset of a new regional order. Armed conflicts, shifting alliances, external interventions, and the increasing assertiveness of regional powers have produced a fragmented political order in which authority is dispersed among various state […]

Fadi HachemOctober 2026

Reports

Beyond Polarity: The Middle East’s Emerging Strategic Alignments

Amid the shifting strategic landscape of the Middle East and the changing relationships shaping the region, Fiker Institute hosted Dr Lina Khatib, scholar of Middle Eastern geopolitics and security, Visiting Scholar at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative, and Chatham House Associate Fellow, to discuss the implications of these pivots for regional security, diplomacy, […]

October 2026

Essays

On Fahrelnissa Zeid: Expression Beyond Time & Space

INTRODUCTION Although Fahrelnissa Zeid spent her life living and working in Türkiye, Europe, and Jordan, she did not see herself as belonging to any particular nation or faith.1 Instead, she understood her identity as an artist in universal terms, saying that she belonged “neither to a country, nor to a religion. I was born on this earth. […]

Dr Adila Laïdi-HaniehSeptember 2026