Exporting Traditional Foods: an Alternative Means of Diversifying the GCC Economy
The governments of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states have long been searching for the best way to diversify their economies, and in the wake of falling oil prices, they have accelerated their search.
The Fraying of the International Alliance System
When it comes to the Middle East, a former boss of mine once told me “conspiracy theories, are a regional sport”. This to be fair, is still true today, although it has become increasingly hard to counter the tall tales pushed by these enthusiastic theorists.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Derasat Chairman Receives French Ambassador
Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT) Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Fadhala received here today French Ambassador to Bahrain Bernard Regnauld-Fabre.
Comments Dr. Omar Al-Ubaydli in the Journal of the American Arkansas Under the Title : Retail Gas Prices Jump 16¢ in Month
Iran has said it plans to begin exporting more oil as soon as financial sanctions are lifted this year with the goal of getting back to pre-sanction output levels. The country was once the second-largest producer in OPEC. “It’s not realistic to expect Saudi Arabia and Iran to have severed diplomatic relations, yet still coordinate oil production freezes,” Al-Ubaydli said.
