Middle East Program

Providing fresh analysis of the drives 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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Photo: VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP/Getty Images

Photo: VLADIMIR SIMICEK/AFP/Getty Images

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

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Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part Two

Jon Alterman explores how the last two decades of heightened U.S. military involvement in the Middle East changed the region, and the U.S. military. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Eliot A. Cohen — March 15, 2022

CSIS Babel U.S. in the Middle East
Babel: U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part One

Jon takes a closer look at how the United States responded to the 9/11 attacks by deepening its involvement in the Middle East, how its role in the region has changed, and how some people think it needs to change a lot more. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — March 8, 2022

CSIS Babel U.S. in the Middle East
Babel: Translating the Middle East

U.S. Power and Influence in the Middle East: Part One

Jon takes a closer look at how the United States responded to the 9/11 attacks by deepening its involvement in the Middle East, how its role in the region has changed, and how some people think it needs to change a lot more. 

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — March 8, 2022

CSIS Babel
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Jane Arraf: Not Your Mother's Iraq

Jon speaks with Jane Arraf about a changing Iraq.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Daniel Sharp — March 1, 2022

CSIS Babel

Ukraine, the Middle East, and Hedging

Jon Alterman explores how Middle Eastern governments have responded to Russia's invasion and why their responses have been tepid.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — March 1, 2022

Photo: MOHAMMED AL-RIFAI/AFP via Getty Images

When Our Middle East Friends Talk, They Talk about Hedging

Dr. Jon Alterman discusses how uncertainty in a changing global environment is driving Middle Eastern countries to hedge between regional rivals, as well as between the United States and China.

Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — February 22, 2022

Photo: JACK GUEZ/AFP/Getty Images
Babel: Translating the Middle East

A Mezze: Beauty Therapy

Conflicts in the Middle East lead to increased demand for cosmetic surgery, and for some the results are tragic.

Podcast Episode — February 22, 2022

CSIS Babel

Algeria's Poorly Oiled Machine

As Algeria struggles with shortages of cooking oil, politicians have insisted on maintaining strict price controls. Instead, the government is cracking down.

Newsletter by William McChesney — February 22, 2022