Atlantic Council Middle East Programs

The @AtlanticCouncil’s Middle East Programs promote peace and security and work to unlock the human potential of the MENA region.

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

Eid Mubarak! The @AtlanticCouncil's Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs wish you a blessed Eid al-Adha!

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇱🇾💡"Implementing a unified budget without accountability, transparency, and independent oversight will likely only produce short-term monetary stability, not the long term prosperity Libyans demand," note @shalghoum87 and Frank Talbot in their new piece on the systemic issues facing the Libyan economy.

🔗Read their full analysis here⬇️ https://t.co/wt4rxlzaMD

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🎉 We are pleased to welcome Bilal Baloch as a nonresident senior fellow with our MENA Futures Lab!

Baloch is a partner at Shorooq, a multi-strategy investment firm. Within Shorooq, he leads the firm’s artificial intelligence investments as well as the value creation and strategy practice.

🔗 Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/JbUg3z7Kxe

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

💲💡"Oil revenues may grow, but they must be distributed across an ever-expanding population. The denominator has outpaced the numerator. As a result, modernization, diversification, and institutional reform have not been optional; they have been economically necessary," writes Khalid Azim, Director of our MENA Futures Lab.

🔗 Read his full analysis on the economic challenges facing the Gulf here ⬇️ https://t.co/ghi6kZUFi4

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🎉 Our MENA Futures Lab is pleased to announce the launch of its Advisory Council, bringing together distinguished leaders from both the private and public sectors to advance the future of innovation across the region!

🔗 Find out more ➡️ https://t.co/LWylkkaZkX

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇶🇦🇦🇪🇸🇦💡"Their main goal is to maximize return on investment while maintaining strategic optionality" write Jonathan Fulton and Chenjie Song in their new analysis on the strategic balancing act Gulf sovereign wealth funds are playing in the race for critical minerals. "In the process, their investment decisions are shaping the geopolitics of the critical mineral race," they add.

🔗 Read their full analysis below⬇️ https://t.co/UfCUNso37l

[Atlantic Council @AtlanticCouncil]

The Iran war will alter the Middle East in significant and subtle ways.

@ACMideast’s Amir Asmar outlines five dynamics to watch going forward:
https://t.co/IpJbSe7zfi

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇱🇾💡"The idea that a familistic consociational agreement can first stabilize Libya’s economy and, on that basis, stabilize the Libyan polity appears, at best, overly ambitious and unlikely to resolve Libya’s deeper structural crisis," write @MezranK and @med_eye in their new analysis on the obstacles and opportunities for US-led peace talks in Libya.

🔗Read their full analysis here⬇️ https://t.co/Db6M3skP1i

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

WATCH NOW | The Atlantic Council’s Iraq Initiative hosts the 2026 Iraq Dialogue focused on advancing Iraq’s political stability, economic reform, and regional integration at a pivotal moment for the country. https://t.co/qpEmSfIkL6

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇸🇾💡"As securing alternative land routes to the Strait of Hormuz has become an increasing concern, Syria’s strategic location could make it a hub for energy, transport, and digital links from the Gulf to Europe and beyond," writes @MarieForestier in her new piece exploring opportunities for Syria-EU cooperation.

🔗 Read her full analysis below ⬇️
https://t.co/kB12T7sVGh

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇪🇬 💡 "Egypt’s increasing use of land monetization is likely to continue and will help cover financing gaps, including budget deficits and balance-of-payments pressures," writes Amir Asmar in his new analysis on the benefits of Egypt's bet on land monetization.

🔗Read his full analysis here⬇️
https://t.co/rZo1fkNADw

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇱🇧💡 Dispatch from Beirut: "A limited, incremental security arrangement—one that reduces immediate risks without attempting to resolve every underlying issue—may be both necessary and achievable," writes Nicholas Blanford.

🔗 Read his full analysis on the risks of failed Israel-Hezbollah talks ⬇️
https://t.co/XhXTjIlLoX

[Victoria J. Taylor @VictoriaT_]

I had a great conversation with @sjd_aljubori on a range of topics regarding what Washington expects from Iraq's next government. Tune in to @alsharqiyatv to see the full conversation.

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇸🇾 💡 "Syria must replace its monopolistic, surveillance-heavy framework with a decentralized, rights-based approach that prioritizes private-sector investment and data protection to foster a secure, globally integrated digital economy," writes Nadia Farra in her new piece on the urgent need for reliable and accessible internet in Syria.

🔗 Read her full analysis here ⬇️ https://t.co/Gc4P4Fpviy

[Victoria J. Taylor @VictoriaT_]

Some thoughts from @SafwanAmin and me on the nomination of Ali al-Zaidi. As Iraq's new PM, he faces enormous challenges: rogue militias, severe economic strain, and navigating a foreign policy with both the United States and Iran that is becoming increasingly difficult to balance. More than that, Zaidi will contend with a growing crisis of legitimacy in the very political system that brought him to power.

https://t.co/KHyaV3ke9V

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🔴 WATCH | “They did exactly the right thing, they had these lines more or less already and there was a big moment in markets and they accessed them…it’s unequivocally a sign of strength,” says @EricFine123 on why Gulf states increased their bond borrowing and its implications.

ICYMI Watch the full panel on the Iran war fallout for financial markets, capital flows, and sovereign risk here ➡️ https://t.co/7VXXXmAYmG

[Victoria J. Taylor @VictoriaT_]

Speaker spotlight — Mina Al-Oraibi

We are pleased to welcome @AlOraibi at the 2026 Iraq Dialogue on May 13 in Washington, DC.

Mina Al Oraibi is Editor-in-Chief of The National, one of the Arab world's leading English-language publications. She brings deep expertise on regional politics, Iraq, and Gulf affairs to the conversation.

Join us on May 13 for a full day of discussion on US-Iraq relations, Iraq's regional role, and economic reform.

Register: https://t.co/X8nl1S8qqY

#2026IraqDialogue #ACIraq

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🔴 WATCH | How are sovereign wealth funds reacting to the volatility of markets as a result of the Iran war?

Citi Group's Miguel Azevedo, notes they remain “relaxed” and that “the message has been very clear”.

ICYMI Watch the full panel on the Iran war fallout for financial markets, capital flows, and sovereign risk here ➡️ https://t.co/Qw1vD9Vxlm

[Atlantic Council Middle East Programs @ACMideast]

🇦🇪 💡 "Given the UAE’s near-term economic needs, the prospect of maximizing its own energy revenues is undoubtedly attractive," writes @WillWechsler in his new take on the UAE's decision to leave OPEC.

🔗Read the full analysis here ⬇️ https://t.co/ZXTP66ar0A