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After Makkah: Türkiye’s Balancing Act and a View from the Asia Pacific
For Türkiye in particular, the Makkah pact extends Erdoğan’s established approach of positioning Ankara as indispensable across NATO, the Arab Gulf, and South Asia simultaneously. Turkish drone exports such as Riyadh’s 2023 purchase of the Baykar Akıncı system, which remains Ankara’s largest defence export contract to date, present the most obvious existing framework for the…
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The Makkah Pact: Anatomy of a New “Islamic” Security Architecture
After long anticipation and several decades of formative foreign policy, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, signed the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement, commonly rendered in English language commentary as the ‘Mecca’ pact, on the 7th of August 2026 at Al-Safa Palace in Makkah. The official…
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Australia’s support for the US war on Iran as undermining its Asia-Pacific interests
On February 28th, Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, flanked by both the Prime Minister and his deputy, announced Australia’s support for the US/ Israel war on Iran. Justifying US actions, Wong cited the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, remove its threat to international peace and security, and to stand “with the brave people…
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Beyond Quotas: Building a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline for Women in the Gulf
Global indicators show that women in the Arab States of the Gulf have made significant advances in education and public sector leadership through legal reforms, quotas, and professional development initiatives. But they remain underrepresented on corporate boards with a recent 2025 report showing women hold only about one in every 15 board seats across the…
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Saudi Arabia and the Spectre of Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East
Saudi Arabia has long held aspirations of developing their own domestic nuclear program. Although progress on this front has been limited thus far, recent developments in the Middle East may potentially accelerate Saudi Arabia’s pursuit of nuclear technology. What motivates Saudi Arabia’s nuclear aspirations, and how are these aspirations nurtured or stymied by regional developments?…
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Nuclear Proliferation in the Middle East: Iran and the Failed Peace Process
The Iranian nuclear program has, for more than a decade, been the subject of much concern on the international stage. The United States and its Middle Eastern allies have been adamant about stifling the Iranian nuclear program; whereas Iran has asserted its right to pursue a civilian nuclear program. With the failed peace process, and…
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Saudi Arabia & the New Politics of the Global Games Industry
In September 2025, a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced a 55 billion US dollar deal to acquire Electronic Arts (EA), the largest leveraged buyout on record. The consortium agreed to pay 210 dollars a share, roughly 25 percent above the 168 dollars where EA traded before news of the talks…
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Sudan’s Civil War: Local Drivers and External Influence
The fall of El-Fashir on October 26, 2025 marked a turning point in Sudan’s civil war waged since April 2023. After an eighteen-month siege, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) seized the last major stronghold of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Darfur and immediately carried out mass killings against unarmed civilians, including the reported execution…
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After Trump’s Peace Plan: Three Problems Facing Israel in Gaza
The announcement of Donald Trump’s proposed 20-point peace plan in October 2025 at first seemed to offer the tangible prospect of an end to the ongoing destruction in Gaza, with Hamas signing the agreement on October 9. Complying with the terms of the first phase of the agreement, Hamas returned all of the 20 remaining…
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From Ceasefire to Compliance: Assessing Australia’s Policy Options on Gaza
While many Western leaders, including Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, initially welcomed the Gaza ceasefire as a potential turning point, hopes of lasting peace in Gaza have been dashed as Israel continues to violate Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. The IDF is still bombing Gaza, killing over 200 Palestinians in airstrikes and drone attacks since…
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Negotiating Patriarchal Power in the UAE
The United Arab Emirates presents a compelling narrative of gender progress with its rapid modernisation, extensive educational achievements among women and international recognition for its national policies advancing gender parity. Yet the notion of patriarchal bargaining is critical to understanding the intricate forces that shape women’s empowerment and their capacity to assume leadership roles in…
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