Date:
Location:
CMES and the Middle East Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School are pleased to present a discussion with
Mohammed Alyahya, Visiting Fellow, Hudson Institute
Kirsten Fontenrose, President of Red Six International; Former Senior Director for the Gulf, National Security Council, The White House
Emile Hokayem, Senior Fellow for Middle East Security, The International Institute for Strategic Studies
Nikolay A. Kozhanov, Research Associate Professor, Gulf Studies Center, Qatar University; Non-Resident Scholar, Economics and Energy Program, Middle East Institute
Karen E. Young, PhD, Senior Fellow, Director of the Program on Economics and Energy, Middle East Institute
Adel Hamaizia (moderator), Visiting Fellow, Center for Middle Eastern Studies; Associate Fellow, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House
Register in advance: https://bit.ly/3Ke9GBj (required)
The Russian attack on Ukraine has engendered and hardened a range of geopolitical fault lines across the globe. MENA countries have once again demonstrated their often-pervasive differences on crises and conflicts. Traditional Western allies in the region including Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have attempted to balance and hedge by remaining (relatively) neutral on the war. Turkey and Kuwait have condemned Russian belligerence, while Syria has endorsed the attack on Ukraine. Iran has asserted that the ongoing crisis is “rooted in NATO’s provocations” against Russia. From an economic standpoint, the Russia-Ukraine war has already impacted MENA countries across dominant sectors, including food, energy, and tourism. The region’s outsized reliance on food imports will come under significant spotlight as the global price of staples including wheat continue to rise.
What are the key drivers of MENA countries’ approaches to the conflict? Which countries in the region have the capacity and willingness to serve as mediators in the conflict? (How) does recent Russian engagement in the MENA region inform its approach to Ukraine? What is the state of food (in)security in MENA following the crisis? How are rising energy prices helping or hindering MENA economies?
Co-sponsors: Center for Middle Eastern Studies; Middle East Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School
Contact: Liz Flanagan