Call for Papers for “The Role of Sovereign Investment Vehicles in the GCC”

We are pleased to announce that the next Gulf Research Meeting (GRM) will be held at the University of Cambridge on July 15-18, 2019. Mattia Tomba from the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore, together with Juergen...

Iran: More than Meets the Eye

By Syed Imad Alatas

MEI Kaleidoscope | Wild for Hip-hop: Middle Eastern Youth Embrace Genre as Agent of Change

Anyone familiar with the culture of the Middle East or has lent a listening ear to Middle Eastern radio would know that Arab airwaves most often play crooning ballads and melodic love songs from the likes of legendary Egyptian...

It’s Time to Take Palestine v. United States of America Seriously

Following his op-ed in Ha’aretz on Palestine’s upcoming legal battle with the US over the relocation of the American Embassy in Jerusalem, MEI Senior Research Fellow Victor Kattan takes into account new arguments that have surfaced within the field...

Following the Trail of a Peacock, from Northern Iraq to Singapore and Beyond (part 5)

The Fate of Jamal Khashoggi and Saudi-Turkey Relations

MEI’s Research Fellow Serkan Yolacan says the disappearance of prominent critic Jamal Khashoggi marks a dramatic escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Turkey. The incident also shows Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman will brook no dissent.

Palestine Declares (Legal) War on the United States of America

Writing for Haaretz, MEI’s Senior Research Fellow Victor Kattan discusses Palestine’s upcoming legal battle with the US over the relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem and assesses their chances of success at the International Court of Justice.

Political symbolism and its effect on the debate between Islamic laws and women’s rights

Tunisia has moved recently to equalise its inheritance law, putting women on an equal footing with men. Research associate Muneerah Razak ties in history with the current debates on what the Islamic law reforms mean for Tunisia.

Art of War: State-sponsored Poetry in Iran

Our new intern Jin Yin uncovers the contemporary influences and impact of poetry in contemporary Iranian society, and explores how it is used as a tool by the state to co-opt favourable opinions on the regime.

Reported US move to close PLO office aimed at pressuring Palestinians