Dr. Christian Koch gave a lecture at the Mideast Freedom Forum Berlin (MFFB) focused on the Saudi foreign policy and the war in Yemen. Of particular interest in the discussion was the role of Iran in the Yemen conflict and what role Europe should play in trying to move the conflict toward a political solution.
Dr. Abdul Aziz bin Saqer, Chairman of the Gulf Research Center (GRC), spoke at a session entitled "Anarchy: its roots, causes, manifestations and consequences - extremism and terrorism" at the annual Arab Thought Foundation conference "Fikr 16" (the repercussions of chaos and challenges of the stability industry), held during the period 10-11-12 April 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Dubai.
Dr. Christian Koch participated in a roundtable discussion with former Secretary of State John Kerry organized by the Körber Foundation in Berlin. In his remarks, Secretary Kerry focused on the nuclear deal with Iran, the situation in Syria and transatlantic relations. The event was attended by members of the German parliament and members of the Foreign Office as well as think tanks.
Gulf Research Center Chairman, Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, participated in the 2018 USA-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Strategic Track II Dialogue, which took place in Annecy, France. He spoke during the panel entitled, “The United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Security Cooperation.
Dr. Christian Koch participated in a presentation and lecture on “Iran-Saudi Relations: Implications for the Region” at the Geneva Center for Security Policy as part of their International Security Leadership program. While Dr. Koch gave an overview of the foreign and security policy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in recent years, Dr. Shahram Chubin of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gave an Iranian perspective. The following debate and discussion focused on the role of the United States in the Gulf, defense spending, nuclear proliferation and Iranian as well as Saudi domestic politics. The course is attended by 22 mid-level professional from all over the world.
