Casus Belli
After five years of continuously worsening conflict in Syria, the chances of any decisive outcome are bleak at best. The superpowers and their allies continue to dither at the negotiating table, exacerbating the conflict and the misery of millions of Syrians.
Indian and GCC Perspectives: Iran, India, and the GCC
India has strong economic and cultural ties to the West Asia region, including both the GCC countries and Iran. A series of important events, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring, and the Iranian nuclear deal, are contributing to a new balance of power in the region.
Iran’s Threat to Block Hormuz: a Game Theory Analysis
Game theory was developed in the wake of World War 2 to assist policymakers in analysing interdependent decision-making, which arises when what you want to do depends upon what others want to do, most notably in situations relating to conflict over resources – the alternative is decision theory, where your decision is…
Cutting Out the Middle Man: GCC Economic Strategies for Tackling Migration Racketeering
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are an attractive destination for prospective migrants from developing economies due to their high income levels, similar to the countries of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development).
The West Closes Its Borders: an Opportunity for the GCC Countries
US presidential candidates have been battling fiercely of late, revealing huge gaps between Democrat and Republican supporters over issues such as taxation, financial sector regulation, firearms ownership laws, and US policy in the Middle East.
Russian and GCC Perspectives: Opec, Russia, and Falling Oil Prices
Oil prices have declined significantly since the middle of 2014, causing significant concern among major oil exporters, among the Russia and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC; Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE).
Stop the Oil Crash Conspiracy Theories
Residents of the Middle East are used to attracting the derision of the rest of the globe’s inhabitants with their outlandish conspiracy theories. Local governments’ tendency to offer limited justifications for their policy decisions inadvertently contributes to cloak-and-dagger speculation about unremarkable phenomena.
China’s Strategy Toward Iran and the GCC States: the Challenge of Balancing Interests and Principles
China’s Strategy Toward the GCC States: The Challenge of Balancing Interests and Principles
Derasat Journal 2015 – Issue 1
A semi-annual specialized journal issued by the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The journal aims to public studies and reports on political, international, economic, security, energy, and cyberspace issues that relate to strategic issues…
Low Oil Prices: a New Opportunity for Gulf Cooperation
When the founders of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), convened in Baghdad in 1960, they made life difficult for themselves by violating virtually all of the ideal conditions for operating a cartel.
