Middle East

The Middle East Program heads CSIS’s work on the region within the Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department, which analyzes a wide range of political, security, and socioeconomic issues related to the Middle East and North Africa.

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China in the Middle East

November 4, 2024 • 11:30 am – 12:30 pm EST
Video On Demand
Hosted by Middle East Program
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Experts

Jon Alterman

Jon B. Alterman

Senior Vice President, Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and Director, Middle East Program
Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Daniel Byman

Daniel Byman

Director, Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program
Will Todman

Will Todman

Chief of Staff, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department; and Senior Fellow, Middle East Program

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The AI Policy Podcast

The UAE's AI Ambitions

We outline the biggest takeaways from our recent report about the UAE's role in the global AI race, the details of the Microsoft-G42 deal, our assessment of the UAE-China relationship when it comes to AI technology, and the future of export controls.

Podcast Episode by Gregory C. Allen and Georgia Adamson — March 4, 2025

Photo: CSIS
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Max Bergmann: Does Europe Matter in the Middle East?

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Max Bergmann, head of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS to discuss the Middle East issues that unite and divide European countries, and how Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may be reshaping European perspectives on the region.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Max Bergmann, Martin Pimentel, and Will Todman — February 27, 2025

CSIS Babel
The Truth of the Matter

Protecting the Backbone of the Internet

CSIS’s Erin Murphy joins the podcast to discuss why subsea cables are so important to global security and how they can impact competition with China.

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Erin L. Murphy — February 24, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Are U.S.-Russia Talks a Win for the Saudis?

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about what Saudi Arabia gains by hosting the U.S.-Russia talks.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — February 20, 2025

CSIS Babel

U.S. Allies and Partners Under the Trump Administration

Please join the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department for a discussion of the ways in which U.S. allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Americas are navigating the new administration’s policies.

Event — February 18, 2025

Babel: Translating the Middle East

Alessandro Accorsi: Disinformation Warfare in the Middle East

This week on Babel, Jon Alterman speaks with Alessandro Accorsi, a senior analyst for social media and conflict at the International Crisis Group. Prior to joining ICG, he worked for five years at the European External Action Service, where he led a taskforce countering foreign interference and information manipulation in the Middle East. He also worked for five years as a freelance journalist in Cairo.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman, Natasha Hall, and Martin Pimentel — February 13, 2025

CSIS Babel
The Truth of the Matter

What's Happening to USAID?

Noam Unger, director of the CSIS Sustainable Development and Resilience Initiative, joins the podcast to discuss the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Podcast Episode by H. Andrew Schwartz and Noam Unger — February 6, 2025

CSIS the truth of the matter
Babel: Translating the Middle East

Analysis: Netanyahu Comes to Washington

Asher Grant-Sasson speaks with Jon Alterman, director of the CSIS Middle East Program, about the current state of U.S.-Israel relations.

Podcast Episode by Jon B. Alterman and Asher Grant-Sasson — February 4, 2025

CSIS Babel