Middle East

Atlantic Council Regional Conference on Energy and Infrastructure

The region’s premier biennial forum shaping the future of energy, infrastructure, and strategic cooperation.

Syria joining the anti-ISIS coalition is a westward pivot—with opportunities and risks

By Merissa Khurma and Giorgio Cafiero

The decision is a shift in the country’s alignment—from Russian and Iranian spheres of influence to one in NATO and GCC regional orbits.

Saudi Arabia’s next horizon: Building human capital beyond Vision 2030

By Khalid Azim

Riyadh still needs to take fully support small and medium-sized enterprises—the true engines of job creation.

Axis of authoritarians poses mounting threat on the global information front

By William Dixon, Maksym Beznosiuk

The authoritarian axis that has taken shape since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is currently setting new standards in terms of coordinated information operations across media platforms, write William Dixon and Maksym Beznosiuk.

Trump and MBS have big ambitions for the Middle East. Bold action must follow.

By Frederick Kempe

Beneath all the deals and agreements that will be announced this week, US and Saudi officials are quietly conjuring plans that could be transformative.

Digging into the details of the US-Saudi deals

By Atlantic Council

Our experts dive into the US-Saudi announcements that followed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s White House visit on Tuesday.

Two revealing Washington visits will set the course for Syria’s future

By Rich Outzen

Syria is a key foreign policy priority for Trump, with Ahmed al-Sharaa and Turkey now playing an inevitable role in how the US approaches the country.

How Trump can leverage the Saudi crown prince’s visit to help secure Gaza’s future

By Melanie Robbins 

Trump should work with Saudi Arabia and the UAE on a Gaza stabilization fund and a more cohesive plan for implementation.