In reaction to the mass killings, atrocities, and hostage-taking by Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other militant groups on 7 October 2023, Israel declared war, further tightened the closure of the Gaza Strip, and started a military operation. More than four months into the war, there...

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria was overthrown by a rebel alliance led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The transitional government under Ahmad al-Sharaa now faces enormous economic, social and political challenges. It has yet to establish control over the country as a whole; and...

Mittlere Mächte sind einflussreiche Akteure in der internationalen Politik. Auf den Angriffskrieg Russlands gegen die Ukraine oder auf den Gaza-Krieg reagierten gewichtige Staaten Lateinamerikas oder Afrikas - so Brasilien oder Südafrika - nicht im Einklang mit westlicher Politik. Die zwölf...

Since 2021, Turkey embarked on a Middle East reconciliation initiative involving Syria, Egypt, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This initiative responds partly to evolving regional dynamics and Turkey’s specific challenges, such as its protracted economic crisis and...

Mit dem Entwicklungsplan "Vision 2030" will Saudi-Arabien seine Wirtschaft diversifizieren und seine Abhängigkeit vom Erdöl langfristig beenden. Besondere Bedeutung kommt dabei dem Public Investment Fund (PIF) zu. Dieser soll bis 2030 zum größten Staatsfonds weltweit ausgebaut werden und...

Saudi Arabia has mixed expectations ahead of Donald Trump’s imminent second presidency. On the one hand, the royal family maintains close business relations with the president-elect and his entourage, which could lead to privileged access to the White House. On the other hand, Trump’s Middle...

Central Asian economies, particularly Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are pursuing increasingly ambitious goals for renewable energy. Apart from China - an established player in the market - it has increasingly been Gulf countries that have been implementing respective projects, particularly Saudi...

Qatar's domestic and foreign policy since the 1990s has developed along three main lines: The emirate has expanded its gas production and supplies liquefied gas to as many countries as possible; it assures itself of US military protection by providing bases; and it conducts a "soft power"...

Germany and the EU plan to import hydrogen and its derivatives from the Arab Gulf states. Although Germany has signed a joint declaration of intent with the Sultanate of Oman to this end, its efforts focus primarily on Oman’s larger neighbours. However, it would be a mistake to overlook...