by maildunais | 2 Aug 2021 | Narayanappa Janardhan, Nicolas Dunais
RESEARCH REPORT2 August 2021The competition between China and India continues to grow, driven by territorial disputes and China’s growing strategic dominance and assertiveness. Both countries are also increasing their demand for energy and raw materials to fuel their economic growth. In this report, Dr Narayanappa Janardhan (Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy) and Nicolas Dunais (Azal Advisors) argue that Gulf policymakers should pursue a balanced relationship with China and India, avoid “picking sides”, and where possible, encourage them to cooperate rather than compete in the commercial and security realms.
by maildunais | 18 Mar 2021 | Michael Stephens
POLICY BRIEF18 March 2021The Eastern Mediterranean continues to be an area of growing importance for some GCC States, on the back of commercial interests, political antagonism, and broader security concerns. In the last years, Gulf involvement has weighed more heavily towards the security dimension, in no small part due to the projection of the GCC rift into the region. Yet if Gulf Arab States are to reap the dividends of their much-needed investments in the region’s commercial infrastructure, it will be in their interest to minimize military posturing and focus instead on economic partnerships.
by maildunais | 25 Feb 2021 | Omar Al-Ubaydli
POLICY BRIEF25 February 2021Many GCC governments have established or are in the process of establishing behavioural economics (“nudge”) units as an additional instrument of policymaking, with the support of Western experts. With sustainability considerations becoming more central in the policy development process, nudging has a key role to play in effectively changing citizen behaviour. Yet local specificities mean that replicating models which have worked abroad is fraught with risk: social habits among GCC citizens can result in nudge campaigns having the opposite effects to the ones intended. In this context, it is essential to leverage local expertise to ensure campaigns are effectively delivered and government efficiency is maximized.
by maildunais | 26 Jan 2021 | Martin Keulertz
POLICY BRIEF26 January 2021While GCC states have proven food-resilient during Covid-19, the looming effects of climate change on food security warrant efforts to develop adapted environmental and trade policies. In particular, GCC states need to place more emphasis on trade relations, yet also understanding the climate risks in producing countries to ensure future supply chain sustainability and thus food security.
by maildunais | 4 Dec 2020 | Giacomo Luciani
POLICY BRIEF4 December 2020The global trend to decarbonise economies is set to have a direct impact on the oil-exporting countries of the Gulf. The latter can however mitigate and potentially profit from this trend if they decisively act and invest in carbon capture use and sequestration (CCUS) technology, thus securing and projecting a long-term future for hydrocarbons as a valuable and sustainable economic resource.
