Post-Assad Syria and the Gulf States: reflections on the past year

Join us for the final event of the International Studies of the Mediterranean, Middle East and Asia (ISMMEA) Working Group this year.

This session will explore evolving Syrian politics and the Gulf states’ strategies towards a post-Assad Syria, reflecting on key developments over the past year through the insights of Professor Anoushiravan Ehteshami.

The 2011 Arab Uprisings transformed the regional balance of power, propelling Gulf capitals such as Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Doha to the forefront of Middle Eastern geopolitics. With the fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 and the emergence of new leadership in Syria, Gulf states are now recalibrating their foreign policies to adapt to shifting political, economic, and humanitarian dynamics. Divergent national strategies—from the UAE’s pragmatic economic engagement to Qatar’s reconstruction-driven diplomacy and Saudi Arabia’s security-oriented reintegration efforts—illustrate each state’s pursuit of influence in a redefined Syria.

This keynote talk examines how these evolving Gulf approaches—both individually and collectively within the GCC—may shape Syria’s reconstruction and the broader regional order in the coming decade.

Speaker: 

Professor Anoushiravan Ehteshami (Durham University)

If you have any questions you would like to send in advance, please feel free to do so to betuldoganakkas@gmail.com

Registration will close two hours before the event begins