On October 2-3, 2019, Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Gulf Research Center, participated as a speaker in the session entitled "The future of Iraq and the region" at a workshop on Iraq Transition: Seeking New Approaches to State Building, organized by the Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House) in London, UK. This session witnessed the participation of experts who presented Gulf, American, Iraqi, Iranian and international views on the recent regional developments in the region and the status of Iraq.
The Gulf Research Center’s annual Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) commenced on Monday, July 16 at the University of Cambridge. The Gulf Research Meeting is the largest academic conference that highlights issues of importance to the Gulf region, providing a basis for undertaking and engaging in academic and empirical research in the fields of politics, economics, energy, security and the wider social sciences.
The GRC organized a workshop (Understanding Germany’s Domestic and Foreign Policy Orientation) during the period 21-22 June 2019 at the Regent Hotel in Berlin. The seminar addressed the political, economic, security and defense landscape of the Federal Republic of Germany. In addition to its domestic policy, the seminar touched on Germany’s role in the international community and its foreign policy especially with regards to Saudi Arabia and the other GCC countries.
Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, Chairman of the Gulf Research Center, participated in the 15th Regional Security Summit (Manama Dialogue 2019) held in the Kingdom of Bahrain November 22-24, 2019, which was organized by Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) to discuss security challenges in the Middle East, including regional competition and cooperation, US policy and coalition relations, maritime security, conflicts and diplomacy, regional security, and other political issues. Participants included ministers, senior government officials, and experts from all over the world in various political, security and defense fields.
Dr. Christian Koch, Director of the GRCF, held discussions at the German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy with Dr. Dorothea Schütz, Deputy Director; Dr. Kristina Heussner, Head of Division, North Africa, Near and Middle East; Dr. Dorothee Schneider, Office for Strategic Projects abroad; Daniel Leimner, Executive Officer, Division North Africa, Near and Middle East; and Sabine Domke, Division VD3. They discussed development in Saudi Arabia and in the rest of the Gulf as well as the current status of Germany-Saudi relations.
The Gulf Research Center participated in the World Congress of Middle East Studies 2018 in Seville, Spain. The meeting, which happens every 4 years, brings together nearly 3,000 participants with over 400 panel sessions, roundtables and symposia. Dr, Koch, Director of the GRC Foundation took part in numerous panels discussions related to the Gulf region and the Middle East. As part of the meeting, there was also a Think tank forum bringing together think tank representatives from around the region. More information and a full program of WOCMES can be found here: http://wocmes2018seville.org/web/index.php/en/
