Bahrain: The epicentre of the Saudi-Iranian rivalry?
For many, the archipelago of Bahrain is at the epicentre of the geopolitical and sect-based struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Situated 16 kilometres from the eastern coast of Saudi…
Articles, Briefings and Essays
The views expressed in the articles are those of each respective author and do not necessarily reflect the views or position of the Foreign Policy Centre.
The Yemen war: a proxy sectarian war?
The diffusion of protests against authoritarian regimes across the Arab world in 2011 reinvigorated Yemen’s marginalized social movements and united different geographical and political factions in Yemen, such as the…
Sectarianism as Plan B: Saudi-Iranian identity politics in the Syria conflict
Saudi Arabia and Iran have both been deeply involved in the Syrian civil war from its beginning in 2011, each sponsoring rival sides. Both have utilised sectarian identity politics to…
The securitisation of the ‘Masculinist’ other in the Syrian conflict
Amidst the violence that has spread across Syria since 2011, most scholarship concerned with the Syrian conflict has focused on questions related to how the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and…
Conclusion and recommendations
Understanding the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran goes some way in understanding the uncertainty and instability that plays out across the contemporary Middle East. There is little doubt that…
More efforts from the EBRD required to mainstream gender in Kyrgyzstan
The European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested more than €650 million in support of the Kyrgyz Republic since the Central Asian country gained its independence following collapse…
FPC Briefing: Rule of Law in China: A priority for businesses and Western Governments
On the eve of China’s ‘4th of May Day’ in 2017, President Xi Jinping announced that “the rule by law is our historical mission.” It is a sentence which harks…
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Post-Brexit: What could a transformative, values-based EU and UK partnership in Foreign Policy look like?
As like-minded partners, sharing many policy traditions, norms and standards the EU and UK have every strategic interest in working together on a values-based foreign policy post-Brexit. In the ongoing…
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the Security Risks of Infrastructural Expansion
China’s draconian approach to the Uighur Muslim minority in its far-western province of Xinjiang is currently – and rightly – receiving a substantial amount of media attention. Less discussed are…
State Transformation and Authoritarian Governance: The Emergence of Participatory Authoritarianism?
It is commonly assumed that authoritarian governments do not wish to involve citizens in questions of governance or public administration. Instead, conventional wisdom has it that the leaders of such…