For much of the 20th century, Arab oil-exporting states were defined as rentier economies, where a small percentage of the population – often just 2-3% – was involved in producing wealth that accounted for up to 80% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).1 According to modern interpretations of Adam Smith’s rentier theory, state revenue in such […]
In Inaam Kachachi’s Sayf Siwisri, a newly developed Swiss medicine, which is referred to as “bonbon”, can cure people from the deadliest disease of all—ideology. Kachachi’s novel is an exploration of forced migration, fundamentalism and its origins, cultural identity, and the lasting effects of colonization on the human psyche. At its essence, Sayf Siwisri asks what it means to be accepted and integrated, and where the blame lies in systemic trauma.
While the West flourished post-Second World War, the Global South faced marginalization. Today, the international order is undergoing a realignment of power. More nations are standing against hegemony, and what once seemed permanent is shifting into a new reality: the rise of multipolar cooperation, a stronger voice from the Global South, and the recognition that the world’s future cannot rest in the hands of a single power.
Afaf Zurayk is one of the last figures of a generation of prominent Lebanese women artists who emerged in the 1960s–70s, when Beirut was an epicenter of art and creativity. Zurayk’s work and the artist’s life is a testament to resilience and the power of art in the face of adversity.
In November 2025, Brazil will host COP30, the annual UN climate conference. International climate governance has witnessed uneven progress in recent years, with North-South tensions and geopolitical instability threatening vital action against deteriorating climate conditions. What can we expect from Brazil’s COP and how does the summit highlight deeper problems in global climate governance?
Established in 1961, the NAM was birthed out of a decolonial group consciousness based on collective coordination for national self-determination against colonialism and imperialism. What factors within its evolution contributed to the hindering of its legitimacy, power, and relevance on a global scale?
The issue of political financing is historically rooted in US presidential elections. Underlying the political struggle toward the presidency is a money race, as contenders fight to gain crucial campaign support and outweigh their opposition ahead of elections in November.
This issue brief examines the governance dynamics of the IMF, looking more closely at its current quota system, which grants disproportionate influence to advanced economies. It also delves into the imposition of one-size-fits-all conditional loans that often harm the economies of the Global South, and puts forward recommendations for the IMF’s reform.
Feminist approaches to foreign policy have advanced new opportunities for women across various sectors. How has this agenda developed, and how can it serve as a better tool for women’s empowerment across geographies and settings?
The absence of violence does not mean long-term stability. This issue brief examines three UN peacekeeping missions that were never able to establish long-lasting peace, & provides policy recommendations for current & future operations.
HE Rawan Tawfeeqi, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Minister of Youth Affairs, discusses Bahrain’s commitment to having long-term youth policy frameworks that align with global priorities.
For much of the 20th century, Arab oil-exporting states were defined as rentier economies, where a small percentage of the population – often just 2-3% – was involved in producing wealth that accounted for up to 80% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).1 According to modern interpretations of Adam Smith’s rentier theory, state revenue in such […]
The global development landscape is undergoing a profound shift, marked by the retreat of traditional Western aid and the emergence of new philanthropic actors. Among these, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are becoming increasingly influential, leveraging their financial capacity and geopolitical capital to reshape development and aid paradigms. Once peripheral to mainstream global development discourse, GCC nations are now positioned […]
To state that the governance of multilateral trade, centered at the World Trade Organization (WTO), is at a crossroads is to understate the obvious. While current geoeconomics play a large role, as exemplified by US President Trump’s tariff policies, the causes are varied and of longer standing than simply current events. An increasingly complex trade […]
As part of the newly launched Memorandum of Understanding between Fiker Institute and the University of Oxford’s Global Security Programme, Fiker Institute hosted Dr. Annette Idler, Director of the Global Security Programme at the University of Oxford’s Pembroke College and Associate Professor in Global Security at Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, for a public lecture on the role of ceasefire in global security.
For the inaugural lecture of the Al-Khaleej program, Fiker Institute hosted Dr. Hasan Alhasan, Senior Fellow for Middle East Policy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies to discuss the role of Gulf states as diplomatic brokers.
Fiker Institute & the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for American Studies & Research at the American University in Cairo hosted a joint Policy Roundtable that gathered academics, fellows, & researchers to debate the political, economic, and strategic dimensions of a new American administration in November.
