Arabian Peninsula and Iraq
Political, economic, and security trends in the GCC states, Iraq, and Yemen
Warfare and volatile oil prices have pummeled the Gulf. The Middle East Program works with others at CSIS to appreciate the new challenges and opportunities in the Gulf and their impact on regional affairs and global politics. We perform original research and analysis and convene events that highlight issues of importance in the Gulf to policy audiences. The program defines the Gulf as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen.
See the Middle East Program's publications and past events on the Gulf HERE.
Featured Project

Photo: KHALIL MAZRAAWI/AFP via Getty Images
Featured Testimony

Photo: Michael Kohler/CSIS
A Strategic Approach to Red Sea Security
Congressional Testimony by Jon B. Alterman — February 14, 2024
Featured Analysis

Photo: PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals about China’s Middle East Strategy
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — February 15, 2024
Featured Podcast

Hasan Alhasan: The Strategies of Gulf States
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Will Todman, and Leah Hickert — July 23, 2024
All Arabian Peninsula and Iraq Content
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The Middle East’s View of the “China Model”
Report by Jon B. Alterman — September 19, 2024
Houthi Aggression and a Roadmap for Peace in Yemen
Transcript — September 4, 2024
What the Red Sea Crisis Reveals about China’s Middle East Strategy
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — February 15, 2024
Why Did the United States Just Bomb Yemen?
Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman — January 12, 2024
China’s Essential Role in the Gulf States’ Energy Transitions
Brief by Faris Al-Sulayman and Jon B. Alterman — December 11, 2023
Biden’s Efforts to Bring Saudi Arabia into the Abraham Accords
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — September 22, 2023
The Unique Promise of Environmental Cooperation in the Gulf
Brief by Will Todman, Lubna Yousef, and Mennah Abdelwahab — July 11, 2023
Five Factors Mean the Middle East Is Not Back to Normal
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — May 23, 2023
Powering Recovery: Reform, Reconstruction, and Renewables in Conflict-Affected States in the Arab World
Report by Will Todman, Jon B. Alterman, and Lubna Yousef — March 3, 2023
Rethinking Saudi Arabia
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — June 23, 2022