Publications

Transformative Diplomatic Strategies for Contemporary Geopolitical Challenges

Special Panel at the Doha Forum

In an era where traditional diplomatic boundaries are rapidly dissolving and the role of middle powers are coming to the forefront, leading voices from Germany, Qatar, Italy, and the United Arab Emirates convened at a panel at the Doha Forum to challenge the conventional understanding on global conflict resolution.

Exploring Opportunities in German-Saudi Cooperation

Utilising playgrounds for early-childhood education for sustainable development

This policy paper explores the potential for collaboration between Germany and Saudi Arabia in the realm of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). While existing collaboration between the two states primarily focuses on energy transformation and economic cooperation, this paper suggests expanding their partnership to encompass environmental sustainability. It is argued to include educational landscapes with an ESD focus in out-of-school places, such as playgrounds, and in early-childhood and school education. Though both countries are in the midst of reforming their education systems, they have yet to mainstream ESD in their respective curricula. To address this challenge, the paper highlights the potential of parks as a platform for accessible, affordable, and inclusive environmental education, with ripple effects on health, social life, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.

Germany and Saudi Arabia’s Strategic Outlook in a Multipolar World

Shifts in the international system in the 21st century have led to an increasingly multipolar world order. Amidst this transforming geopolitical landscape, the policy report explores how Saudi Arabia and Germany share common interests, particularly a strong preference for robust institutions, rules, and norms that uphold the international system, thus enabling sustained economic growth and prosperity. Furthermore, both countries share a preference for diplomacy in their foreign policies. What differs, however, is their respective rhetoric and perceptions of how to achieve shared goals. This misalignment of approaches can lead to misunderstandings and disagreements, causing Berlin and Riyadh to "argue past each other" rather than finding common ground, hindering effective cooperation.

Preparing for the World Cup 2034

Seizing the potential for closer cooperation in football between Saudi Arabia and Germany

Germany hosted the football European Championship 2024, and Saudi Arabia is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup ten years later. EURO 2024 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup hold immense potential to catalyse football development and foster closer relations between Saudi Arabia and Germany. Beyond providing opportunities to practice together physically and engage in administrative collaboration, these events can stimulate aspiring athletes and leaders in both countries while challenging stereotypes that each holds about the other. In this vein, the policy paper provides suggestions for collaboration and learning opportunities between Saudi Arabia and Germany in the promotion of men’s and women’s football, fandom, volunteerism, and health.

Youth Empowerment as a Pillar of Saudi-German Climate Cooperation

At COP28 in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Germany committed to support young people as key voices in the field of climate diplomacy. Young generations are environmental agents: not only will they be particularly affected by climate change, but they can also act as multipliers in the negotiation and implementation of climate policy. Against the backdrop of intensifying Saudi-German cooperation in recent years, this policy paper argues for the inclusion of youth empowerment as a pillar of partnership in the climate and sustainability field. Through centring youth, Saudi Arabia and Germany can deepen mutual understanding of what youth-led climate engagement means in their respective societies and how young environmental agents engage within local communities in the two countries.

Saudi Arabia’s Net-Zero World Narrative

Balancing Hydrocarbon Dependency and Sustainable Development in the Gulf Region

Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region are experiencing a faster warming trend than the global average, placing them at the forefront of climate change. As a leading oil producer, Saudi Arabia stands at a pivotal crossroads, grappling with the challenge of transitioning to a sustainable future while safeguarding its economic stability. This study examines the Kingdom’s ambitious net-zero goals, the challenges of implementing the Circular Carbon Economy, and the gap between ambition and action.

The first summit between the EU and GCC ends without breakthroughs

Strategic partnership with little results

On October 16, high-ranking government representatives from EU states and the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council met in Brussels. In the wake of a new strategic engagement with the Gulf states, which the EU had already initiated in 2022, the summit marked the first time in history that top politicians from both sides came together in this context. However, there were no major strategic successes to report at the end of the meeting. Rather, the summit once again revealed what ails Europe's Gulf policy in general: a lack of political courage to take concrete steps to raise relations between the two regions to a new level. It was fitting that a key EU member was completely absent from Brussels.

Pounds, Petrodollars, and Planned Paradises

The evolving role of Gulf capital in Egyptian megaprojects

Amidst a new escalation of Egypt’s dual debt-and-currency crisis, news broke in February 2023 that the Gulf states would once again come to Cairo’s aid, but with a twist. Instead of depositing dollars at the central bank or shipping discounted oil to Cairo, the UAE acquired the right to develop the Ras El Hikma peninsula on Egypt’s Mediterranean coast for $35 billion. This policy report places this deal within the context of post-2013 relations between Egypt and its largest external benefactors, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It argues that in contrast to previous dollar injections from the Gulf, Ras El Hikma opens opportunities for Gulf investment while preserving the domestic economic arrangement undergirding the political status quo in Cairo.

From Conflict to Connectivity

On the “Silk Road” of the Gulf States

With ambitious infrastructure projects, the Gulf states are establishing themselves as a central bridge for trade flows between East and West. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in particular seek to exploit their strategic ­position between the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe to make the leap into the post-oil economic era. But not only economic hurdles stand in the way – regional conflicts and geopolitical rivalries threaten to throttle the “Silk Road” of the Gulf.

Women in the Military of Saudi Arabia

An Emblem of Change in the Kingdom

Around the world, professions in security and defense are male-dominated. Women in uniform are clearly in the minority, even in countries with liberal societies like Germany. This makes the rapid reforms initiated in Saudi Arabia, a conservative monarchy, all the more interesting. While women were first allowed into the security sector in 2017, they have been permitted to apply for military jobs since 2021. What does the Saudi leadership want to accomplish through these steps? This policy report analyses the integration of women into the military against the backdrop of the tension between the transformative goals of Vision 2030 and the continued influence of religious conservatism in Saudi society.