Middle East Program

Providing fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East

The CSIS Middle East Program provides fresh analysis of the drivers of change in the Middle East to decision makers and thought leaders in the United States and abroad.

The Middle East Program is a source for new ideas that go beyond the conventional wisdom, disseminated through written scholarship, events, and commentary in leading news outlets.

Follow us on Twitter @CSISMidEast and like us on Facebook.

Dr. Alterman serves as the director of the Middle East Program, a position he has held since 2002. Under his leadership, the Middle East Program has launched a biweekly podcast and numerous miniseries, convened events with many of the top thinkers in the field, and conducted innovative research on the Middle East including work on the Chinese influence, sustainability, and cultural shifts in the region.

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Saudi Arabia Steps Out

The recent China-brokered agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran represents a new era of Saudi diplomacy, shifting away from passive agreement with the United States and toward greater independent engagement in the region and beyond. 

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — March 22, 2023

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On the Hook: How Egypt's Military Outcompetes Local Fish Farmers

Egypt's fish farmers are struggling for various reasons, but farmers say the real culprit lies beneath the surface: they are competing against the Egyptian military, which has become one of the largest players in the industry.

Newsletter by Caleb Harper — October 19, 2022

Is Iran on the Brink?

The CSIS Middle East Program hosted a conversation on the unfolding situation in Iran with Yeganeh Rezaian, Arash Azizi, and Kirsten Fontenrose, with opening remarks from Jason Rezaian.

Event by Jon B. Alterman , Jason Rezaian , Arash Azizi , and Yeganeh Rezaian — October 18, 2022

Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Honey, I Froze the Kids

Israel's generous subsidies for in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) have earned it the highest per capita rate of IVF procedures in the world, but that generosity may soon literally overflow with a decades-long buildup of frozen embryos.

Podcast Episode — October 11, 2022

CSIS Babel

What Did Saudi Arabia Just Do?

Dr. Jon Alterman, Ben Cahill, and Dr. Joseph Majkut note key questions arising from the recent decision by OPEC+ to decrease oil production and its impact on the United States’ relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Critical Questions by Jon B. Alterman , Joseph Majkut , and Ben Cahill — October 6, 2022

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Sami Atallah: Lebanon's Freefall

Jon speaks with Sami Atallah about how Lebanon got into the financial crisis it has been in for the past three years.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Caleb Harper — October 4, 2022

CSIS Babel

Lebanon's Freefall

Jon Alterman speaks with Sami Atallah about Lebanon's three year old financial crisis.

Transcript — October 4, 2022

A Conversation with H.E. Hoshyar Zebari

Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for a conversation on the unfolding political situation in Iraq, Erbil-Baghdad relations, and the security situation in Iraqi Kurdistan with H.E. Hoshyar Zebari, Iraq's minister of foreign affairs from 2003 to 2014.

Event by Jon B. Alterman and H.E. Hoshyar Zebari — September 28, 2022

Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Volunteer Trash Collectors

Tunisia’s revolution in 2011 improved many things, but the odors of Tunis was not one of them.

Podcast Episode — September 27, 2022

CSIS Babel

A Mall Victory

As shopping malls disappear in the United States, new mall developments are thriving in Syria's northwest.

Newsletter by Max Levine — September 21, 2022