Middle East
The Middle East Program heads CSIS’s work on the region, which analyzes a wide range of political, security, and socioeconomic issues related to the Middle East and North Africa, with special attention to the ways that changes in the Middle East and North Africa have effects beyond the region.

Photo by:GREG BAKER/AFP/Getty Images
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

Help Wanted, But Not Found: Emiratization in the UAE
Newsletter by Lubna Yousef and Caleb Harper — March 22, 2023

Iraq 20 Years Later with Marsin Alshamary and Hamzeh Hadad
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — March 21, 2023

A Mezze: Going Green with Envy
Podcast Episode — March 14, 2023
Recent Events

Powering Recovery in the Middle East: Realities on the Ground

Rethinking Humanitarian Aid: A Conversation with Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA

The Kurdish Roots of Iran’s Freedom Movement

Adapting Aid and Intervention in Yemen

Empires of Eurasia: How Imperial Legacies Shape International Security

2022 Washington Humanitarian Forum: Closing the Gap

A Conversation with H.E. Hoshyar Zebari

Sustaining Yemen: Ensuring Humanitarian Aid Amid Shifting Conflict Dynamics
Experts


All content on Middle East
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A Mezze: Syrians Need Not Apply
Podcast Episode — November 8, 2022

COP 27 Preview: Electrifying the Middle East with Ali al-Saffar
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman , Will Todman , and Lubna Yousef — November 1, 2022

Saudi Oil Moves
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz , Joseph Majkut , and Jon B. Alterman — October 28, 2022



Russia’s Missile Plan
Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Tom Karako — October 21, 2022

Why Playing the ‘Long Game’ Is the Right Approach to Iran’s Protests
Commentary by Jon B. Alterman — October 19, 2022
On the Hook: How Egypt's Military Outcompetes Local Fish Farmers
Newsletter by Caleb Harper — October 19, 2022
Mahsa Alimardani: Protest, Social Media, and Censorship in Iran
Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman — October 18, 2022

The Political Reality inside Metaverse Cities
Critical Questions by Zhanna L. Malekos Smith — October 17, 2022