CSIS Babel
Podcast

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Babel will take you beyond the headlines to discuss what’s really happening in the Middle East and North Africa. It features regional experts who explain what’s going on, provide context on pivotal developments, and highlight trends you may have missed. Jon Alterman, senior vice president, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies hosts the podcast along with his colleagues from the Middle East Program. This podcast is made possible through the generous support of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. All views, positions, and conclusions expressed here should be understood to be solely of those of the speaker(s). Listen on Apple Podcasts.

Podcast Series by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Natasha Hall

Subscribe and Listen

All podcast episodes by Babel: Translating the Middle East

Filter by

1 - 10 of 185 results
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Iran's "Cloudy" Accusations

In mid-2022, Iranian authorities accused Israel and the United Arab Emirates of stealing their rain. But Iran’s increasingly dire water shortages make it harder to blame others for the Iranian government’s poor water management. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

Podcast Episode — June 6, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Nicolas Pelham: Morocco's Missing King

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Nicolas Pelham of The Economist about the Moroccan monarchy and King Mohammed VI’s unusual friendship with a German kickboxer.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Daniel Sharp — May 30, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Hafsa Halawa: Egypt's Economic Turmoil

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Hafsa Halawa of the Middle East Institute and author of a new paper entitled Gulf Investment in Egypt, A balance of mutual need. They talk about the economic crisis that has plagued Egypt, shedding light on the factors that have contributed to its tumultuous state.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — May 16, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Power Plays

Suffering from a debilitating electricity and water shortage crisis, some communities in Libya resort to "power plays" and acts of intimidation to ensure their access to basic services.

Podcast Episode — May 9, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Killian Clarke: Egypt's Counterrevolution and the Return to Tyranny

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Prof. Killian Clarke of Georgetown's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service about his forthcoming book tentatively entitled The Return of Tyranny: How Counterrevolutions Emerge and Succeed.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Lubna Yousef — May 2, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: An Uphill Battle

GCC countries are beginning to tackle their obesity problem, but structural and cultural challenges to improving fitness abound.

Podcast Episode — April 25, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Ayham Kamel: The Gulf's Regional Diplomacy

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Ayham Kamel of the Eurasia Group. They talk about the current diplomatic landscape in the Gulf, how leaders perceive their security interests, their views on the U.S. staying in power in the region, and how they are responding to the U.S. retrenchment from the Middle East.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Daniel Sharp — April 18, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Help Wanted, But Not Found

What started as a job advertisement for a sandwich maker in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) quickly landed one firm in hot water last December. As the UAE pushes for companies in the private sector to hire more Emiratis, they're finding that there are some jobs that Emiratis don't want.

Podcast Episode — April 11, 2023

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Ali Vaez: Iran's Regional Policy

Jon Alterman speaks with Ali Vaez about the Saudi-Iranian agreement to resume diplomatic ties and Iran's wider approach to the region. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Natasha Hall , and Caleb Harper — April 4, 2023

CSIS Babel