Providing fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East
The CSIS Middle East Program is dedicated to producing “opportunity driven” research rather than “threat driven” commentary. Rather than merely reacting to crises, the program seeks to understand how emerging trends, opportunities, and pressures affect the choices people and their leaders make, with an eye toward contributing to the policy debate in the United States and abroad.
Our work ranges from detailed reports to brief analysis papers and can be found in both the academic and popular press. We frequently host roundtables and conferences inviting dignitaries and thought leaders to join us in unpacking the Middle East. You can follow our latest work on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
Our research is broad, fitting mostly into four sub-regions and four thematic areas:
Warfare, volatile oil prices, economic and social reform, and environmental change are shifting the strategic logic of the Arabian Peninsula. The Middle East Program works with others to understand the new challenges and opportunities on the Arabian Peninsula and their impacts on regional affairs and global politics. The program’s Arabian Peninsula work includes the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen, and adjoining Iraq. Find out more here.
Iran and its allies across the region will play a crucial role shaping future regional conflicts and coloring the region’s geopolitics. Questions and uncertainty continue to surround the future of U.S. engagement with Iran. The Middle East Program examines evolving domestic trends within Iran, Iran’s regional engagement, and U.S. policy toward Iran. Find out more here.
The Israel-Hamas war has emerged as a defining moment for the region, Syria’s decades-long conflict continues to fester, and Egypt and Lebanon’s simmering economic stressors threaten to tip over into a broader crisis. The Middle East program analyzes the political, geopolitical, and humanitarian dynamics across Egypt and the Levant. Find out more here.
Migration, environmental degradation, and socio-political change have drawn the Maghreb—defined by the program as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya—from the margins of U.S. Middle East policy toward mainstream concerns. The Middle East Program is examining the changing political, economic, and security trends in the region. Find out more here.
Russia and China are expanding their presence in the Middle East, while global trends that put new emphasis on middle powers and the Global South are reshaping the strategic approach of Middle Eastern states. The Middle East Program is examining key trends in Great Power engagement with the Middle East and the region’s evolving geostrategy. Find out more here.
For more than a decade, calls for social, political, and economic change have reshaped the region. The Middle East Program is tracking key socio-political dynamics to identify the trends that will continue to shape the region over the next decades. Find out more here.
The Middle East contains both the world’s largest energy reserves, as well as some of the most water-scarce nations in the world. As the region grapples with the global energy transition and accelerating climate change, the Middle East Program is exploring how these dynamics are restructuring state-society relationships and how governments and civic groups can respond. Find out more here.
From Gaza to Syria to Yemen, the Middle East is home to some of the world’s most complex humanitarian emergencies. The region receives billions of dollars in aid every year, but international donors are rethinking how best to scale and direct their assistance. The Middle East Program is investigating key trends in aid and reconstruction to inform international assistance. Find out more here.
Photo: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024
Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — September 24, 2024
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 26, 2024
Report by Jon B. Alterman — September 19, 2024
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Leah Hickert — September 18, 2024
Podcast Series by Jon B. Alterman, Will Todman, and Natasha Hall
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Leah Hickert — October 8, 2024
Event — October 7, 2024
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Jon B. Alterman — October 2, 2024
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, Will Todman, and Leah Hickert — October 1, 2024
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — September 30, 2024
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 26, 2024
Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — September 24, 2024
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Leah Hickert — September 24, 2024
